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Troubleshooting

How to reset AutoCAD to defaults

Products and versions covered 

By: Support
Mar 25 2019

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Issue:
How to reset or restore the settings of AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD for Mac, or other AutoCAD-based
How to reset or restore the settings of AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD for Mac, or other AutoCAD-based
product to original default values. Most versions of AutoCAD have a reset utility to accomplish the task.
Those that do not must follow the manual reset process.

Solution:

AutoCAD for Windows

Run the app named Reset Settings to Default, located alongside AutoCAD in the list of all applications
accessed from the Windows Start menu. For example:
Windows 10: Start > AutoCAD 20xx > Reset Settings To Default
Windows 8: Search for 'reset settings to default' under the Start Screen.

Windows 7: Start > All Programs > Autodesk > AutoCAD 20xx > Reset Settings To Default

Note: AutoCAD 2016-based products on Windows 10 have the reset located under Autodesk instead of
under the specific AutoCAD 2016 product.

The following shows Reset Settings to Default as it appears in Windows 10 for AutoCAD 2019:

(http://www.autodesk.com/)

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AutoCAD for Mac

To reset AutoCAD for Mac or AutoCAD LT for Mac, click the program menu and choose "Reset AutoCAD."
Note: To restore settings for only the AutoCAD palettes, choose Reset Palettes from the program's Window
menu.

Alternatively, resetting to defaults can be done by holding down the shift key while starting AutoCAD for
Mac (versions 2014 SP1 and later), or doing it through Preferences:
1. From the AutoCAD menu, click Preferences.

2. In Preferences, click the Application tab.

3. Click the Reset Application Options button.

4. Click Reset AutoCAD.

Note: AutoCAD for Mac first creates a backup of the current settings and stores them at this location:
~home/Library/Application Support/Autodesk/Settings Backup <date/time>.tgz

Manual reset methods

If the automated methods do not work, settings can be reset manually. This is especially applicable for
those versions of AutoCAD-based products that do not have a reset utility.

Manually resetting AutoCAD for Windows

1. Exit AutoCAD.

2. To back up current settings, run the app named Export AutoCAD 20xx Settings, located in the list of all
applications accessed from the Windows Start menu. For versions of AutoCAD which do not have the
export utility, create copies of the two folders in step 3 and export the registry path in step 5.

3. Delete folders:
Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista:

C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\AutoCAD 20xx
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\AutoCAD 20xx
Windows XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 20xx
 C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 20xx
C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Local Settings\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 20xx
Note: These paths contain hidden folders (see How to turn on hidden files and folders on Windows
(https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-
to-enable-hidden-files-and-folders-on-Windows.html)).

4. Press WINDOWS-R on the keyboard to bring up the Run window, enter REGEDIT and click OK.

5. In the Registry Editor, find and delete the registry key (right-click > Export first to save a backup):

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\Rxx.x\ACAD-xxxx:40x

Note: This path is unique for each version of AutoCAD. To see what 'ACAD-xxxx' refers to, select the
folder and then look at the keys on the right pane of the Registry Editor. One of the keys will show the
install path to the associated version of AutoCAD. The '40x' number signifies the language version of
AutoCAD.

 
Warning!
Improperly editing the Windows registry can make your computer operating system unusable. The Microsoft

Knowledgebase (http://support.microsoft.com/) provides critical information that you need to know about the registry. Use
the Microsoft Registry Editor only at your own risk and only after backing up the registry as outlined for your operating
system in the Microsoft article How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756) and in the related solution How to back up the system registry

(https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Back­up­system­

registry.html). You can also find more information about the registry in the Help topics in the Microsoft Registry Editor.
 
Manually resetting AutoCAD for Mac

1. Quit AutoCAD.

2. Delete the folder:

~home/Library/Application Support/Autodesk/AutoCAD 201x Standalone/Rxx.x/roaming (AutoCAD

2016 and later)
     or

~home/Library/Application Support/Autodesk/roaming/AutoCAD 201x Standalone (AutoCAD 2015 and

 ~home/Library/Application Support/Autodesk/roaming/AutoCAD 201x Standalone (AutoCAD 2015 and
earlier)
Note: To access the Library folder, hold down Option while selecting the Go menu in the Finder. 

3. Navigate to this folder:

~home/Library/Preferences

4. In the Preferences folder, delete all files whose names start with com.autodesk.AutoCAD.

See Also:
How to import, export, back up, and transfer settings to and from AutoCAD
(https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-
to-import-and-export-backup-settings-to-and-from-AutoCAD.html)

How to Reset AutoCAD (http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-lt/getting-

started/caas/screencast/Main/Details/5dd0ece8-a502-40d8-8ec0-0df439924b60.html) (Video -
Windows 7 operating system)

How to reset DWG TrueView to defaults (https://knowledge.autodesk.com/article/How-to-reset-DWG-

TrueView-to-defaults)

How to reset Design Review to defaults (https://knowledge.autodesk.com/article/How-to-reset-

Design-Review-to-defaults)

How to repair AutoCAD installation

(https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-
to-repair-AutoCAD-Installation.html)

How to use Inventor Reset Utility to reset the local environment for a Windows User Account
(Inventor) (http://knowledge.autodesk.com/article/How-to-use-Inventor-Reset-Utility-to-reset-the-
local-environment-for-a-Windows-User-Account-Inventor)

Resetting 3ds Max / 3ds Max Design to default user settings

(http://knowledge.autodesk.com/article/Resetting-3ds-Max-3ds-Max-Design)

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Accepted forum posts

How to reset AutoCAD for the Mac settings to default
(https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-for-Mac-Forum/How-to-reset-AutoCAD-for-
the-Mac-settings-to-default/td-p/6397041) (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-
for-Mac-Forum/How-to-reset-AutoCAD-for-the-Mac-settings-to-default/td-p/6397041)

reset (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Forum/reset/td-p/5496081)
(https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Forum/reset/td-p/5496081)

After resetting - AutoCAD lags (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Forum/After-

resetting-AutoCAD-lags/td-p/6692968) (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-
Forum/After-resetting-AutoCAD-lags/td-p/6692968)

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Start menu item "Reset Settings to Default" is missing for AutoCAD
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Settings-to-Default-is-missing-for-AutoCAD.html?
_ga=2.167528126.1468247789.1558922501-2030128672.1558318451)
TECHNICAL SUPPORT

AutoCAD: Application OPTIONS reset after restarting AutoCAD

(/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/AutoCAD-Application-
OPTIONS-reset-after-restarting-AutoCAD.html?_ga=2.167528126.1468247789.1558922501-
2030128672.1558318451)
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Hardware acceleration is unavailable after resetting AutoCAD to defaul...

(/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/hardware-acceleration-
is-unavailable-after-resetting-autocad-to-defaults.html?
_ga=2.167528126.1468247789.1558922501-2030128672.1558318451)
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Accepted forum posts

How to reset AutoCAD for the Mac settings to default
(https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-for-Mac-Forum/How-to-reset-AutoCAD-for-
the-Mac-settings-to-default/td-p/6397041) (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-
for-Mac-Forum/How-to-reset-AutoCAD-for-the-Mac-settings-to-default/td-p/6397041)

reset (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Forum/reset/td-p/5496081)
(https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Forum/reset/td-p/5496081)

After resetting - AutoCAD lags (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Forum/After-

resetting-AutoCAD-lags/td-p/6692968) (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-
Forum/After-resetting-AutoCAD-lags/td-p/6692968)
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