AutoCAD is computer-aided design (CAD) software that architects, engineers, construction professionals, and designers rely on to produce 2D drawings and documentation. This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to perform a silent installation of Autodesk AutoCAD 2021 from the command line using the EXE installer.
Navigate to C:\Downloads\AutoCAD_2021_English_Win_64bit_dlm
Enter the following command: Setup.exe /W /Q /I .\setup.ini
Press Enter
After a few minutes you should see the Autodesk AutoCAD 2021 Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
The information above provides a quick overview of the software title, vendor, silent install, and silent uninstall switches. The download links provided take you directly to the vendors website. Continue reading if you are interested in additional details and configurations.
Additional Configurations
Create an Installation Log File
The Autodesk AutoCAD 2021 installer offer the option to generate a log file during installation to assist with troubleshooting should any problems arise. You can use the following commands to create a verbose log file with details about the installation.
Autodesk AutoCAD 2021 (EXE)
Navigate to C:\Downloads\AutoCAD_2021_English_Win_64bit_dlm
Open the setup.ini file with Notepad
Under the [SETUP] Section update the following line
LOG=%WINDIR%\Temp\AutoCAD_2021_Setup.log
Under the [ACAD] Section update the following line
LOG=%WINDIR%\Temp\AutoCAD_2021_Core-Install.log
Under the [ACAD_LP] Section update the following line
Under the [PERFORMANCETOOL] Section update the following line
LOG=%WINDIR%\Temp\Performance_Tool-Install.log
Under the [SAVETOWEBANDMOBILE] Section update the following line
LOG=%WINDIR%\Temp\SAVETOWEBANDMOBILE-Install.log
Under the [ADSSO] Section update the following line
LOG=%WINDIR%\Temp\AdSSO-Install.log
Save the updated setup.ini file & Close
Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
Navigate to C:\Downloads\AutoCAD_2021_English_Win_64bit_dlm
Enter the following command: Setup.exe /W /Q /I .\setup.ini
Press Enter
Exclude Desktop Shortcut During Autodesk AutoCAD 2021 Install
The Autodesk AutoCAD 2021 installer creates two desktop shortcuts by default. If you don’t want the desktop shortcuts, then you can run the following command line switches to exclude them.
Autodesk AutoCAD 2021 (EXE)Silent Install No Desktop Shortcuts
Navigate to C:\Downloads\AutoCAD_2021_English_Win_64bit_dlm
Open the setup.ini file with Notepad
Under the [ACAD_MAIN] Section add the following line
EXE_PARAM=ADSK_DESKTOPSHORTCUT_1=0
Save the updated setup.ini file & Close
Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
Navigate to C:\Downloads\AutoCAD_2021_English_Win_64bit_dlm
Enter the following command: Setup.exe /W /Q /I .\setup.ini
Press Enter
After the install completes enter the following command:
DEL “C:\Users\Public\Desktop\Autodesk Desktop App.lnk” /f /q
Press Enter
Disable Data Collection and Use (Autodesk Analytics)
Autodesk AutoCAD 2021 (EXE)Silent Install w/ Data Collection Disabled
Navigate to C:\Downloads\AutoCAD_2021_English_Win_64bit_dlm
Open the setup.ini file with Notepad
Under the [ACAD_MAIN] Section update the following line
EXE_PARAM=ADAOPTIN=0 ADAOVERRIDED=1
Save the updated setup.ini file & Close
Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
Navigate to C:\Downloads\AutoCAD_2021_English_Win_64bit_dlm
Enter the following command: Setup.exe /W /Q /I .\setup.ini
Uninstalling AutoCAD 2021 can be a bit of a challenge for several reasons, including killing processes, stopping services and deleting folder directories. I highly recommend you run the commands in the order listed below.
Always make sure to test everything in a development environment prior to implementing anything into production. The information in this article is provided “As Is” without warranty of any kind.
