CATEGORY: Subscription

In early 2020, Autodesk announced that it is changing its licensing policies, and transitioning its Multi-User customers to the “Named User” model. This will improve the customer experience, by offering better management across locations, more flexible options, and improved reporting on usage.

Changes to license structures benefit from advance planning, so we have prepared a guide to help you through the transition.

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Starting November 2, 2020, Autodesk is expanding version access for all customers (on subscription and maintenance plans) for the latest release and up to 5 versions back. This makes it easier for teams to collaborate on the same version throughout a project.

How do I access previous versions of my product? 

You can access the latest version of your product and up to three versions back within Autodesk Account. This video shows you how. To access up to 5 previous versions (in most cases), contact the Autodesk Virtual Agent (AVA).

To learn more about how to use Autodesk Virtual Agent (AVA) to download current and previous versions of Autodesk software, head to this blog.

If I am trading in my multi-user subscription or maintenance plan to transition to a named user subscription, what previous version access will I get?

All Autodesk customers now get access to up to 5 previous versions, including customers who are trading in their multi-user subscription or maintenance plan for a named user subscription. After trading in, you will be able to access up to 5 versions back from the latest release of your product.  For example, if you’re trading in Revit on a network maintenance plan, your new named user subscription will now include Revit 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. After trading in, contact AVA to see which downloads you can access.

Note: Although Autodesk is expanding access to 5 versions back, only the current and 3 versions back will be eligible for Autodesk technical support.

If you have any questions about this change and how it will impact you, feel free to reach out to your Microsol Resources Account Executive or our support team and email support@microsolresources.com.

Do you need to access Autodesk software from the job site, commuter train, or at a weekend home? If so, please review the important information in this article to make sure that you can maintain access to your software, even if the connection to the internet is unreliable.

With new subscription contracts, license validation and software activation are no longer handled with serial numbers, product keys, or license files. Rather, the licensing service uses an active internet connection to validate the licenses.

Per the terms of use, the user can access the software OFFLINE for up to 30 days after activation.

• For a subscription with single-user access, named users need to connect to the internet every 30 days and sign in to the software so the product stays up-to-date and verifies that the subscription is still current

However, due to the functionality of the licensing service, activation can be wiped out if the attempt to validate a license fails. The Licensing Service will fail to activate for the following reasons:

• The product has not been assigned to the Named User that is trying to access the software
• A poor internet connection causes high latency with Autodesk’s servers, resulting in a timeout
• The Firewall/Antivirus is blocking the licensing service from communicating across the internet

Ultimately, to maintain access when working OFFLINE it is important to ensure the following:

1. Update the software in the Autodesk Desktop App, including Hot Fixes, Security Patches, Licensing Service Updates, and Service Packs.

2. Check that the connection with the internet is stable and the necessary firewall settings are in place

   • Which URLs/Protocols need to be allowed for Autodesk Subscription Licenses

3. After the product has been activated, disable the NETWORK ADAPTER. This will force the computer to stay OFFLINE and will prevent the licensing service from attempting to activate, and risk failing.

At Microsol Resources, we have received a few support cases where licensing failed on a poor internet connection, even if it was activated the previous day. Based on feedback we have received, I have posted an Idea to the Autodesk Ideas Forum, which proposes the creation of a Borrow feature, similar to the functionality for Network Licenses.

Subscription Activation – Force OFFLINE mode

Feel free to vote for the idea, or comment and make a different suggestion! Community support is a great way to catalyze the development of better tools.

For general information on the Transition to Named User, please read our blog post Top 10 Resources for Autodesk Subscriptions.

Are you having trouble using an Autodesk product offline? Call us at 888-768-7568 or send us an email!