How to transfer an Autodesk licence to a new PC

The way you transfer an Autodesk licence depends on the licence type.

There are three types of Autodesk licence, and the way you move each one is different. Start by determining which type you have. You can see this in your Autodesk account under Products and Services, or from the way the software starts.

Most users have a subscription these days, because Autodesk no longer sells new perpetual licences. If you bought a permanent licence in 2016 or earlier and never converted it, you fall under the third type. We cover all three routes below.

Not sure which type you have? Look in the software itself. With a subscription you will see your account name in the top-right, and you can open Manage Licence from that menu; it will show "Single-user" or "Multi-user". A perpetual licence uses a serial number and product code instead of a sign-in. In your Autodesk account under Products and Services you can also see whether there is an expiry date, which points to a subscription.

A subscription doesn't need to be moved: you simply sign in on the new PC.

With a single-user subscription, the licence is attached to your Autodesk account rather than to one computer. You may install the software on multiple computers (usually up to three), but you can only actively use it on one machine at a time. Transferring is therefore simply a case of installing and signing in.

The important difference from the old days is that you no longer need a deactivation step or a serial number. The old licence-transfer concept belongs to perpetual licences. With a subscription, only your sign-in determines where the software runs, so it feels more like setting up your email on a new device than a real transfer.

1. Sign out on the old PC: click your account name in the top-right and choose Sign Out. This releases active use.
2. On the new PC, download the installer via your Autodesk account or via the Autodesk installer.
3. Install the product and start it.
4. Sign in with the same Autodesk ID and password. The licence is recognised automatically.

You don't necessarily need to wipe the old PC, but signing out prevents you from hitting a limit. If you work offline, a single-user subscription remains active for up to 30 days without an internet connection; after that, the software must contact Autodesk again to confirm the licence.

You won't lose any data during this move. Drawings and project files are separate from the licence; copy them to the new PC yourself or retrieve them from your backup or cloud folder. The installation on the new machine downloads the correct version through the Autodesk installer, and once you sign in the software is immediately usable. If you later want to go back to the old PC, simply sign in there again; there is no limit on how often you can switch.

With a network licence, point your new PC to the licence server.

With a network licence (multi-user), a licence server manages the available seats. The licence is not on your PC but on the server. In this context, transferring means telling the new computer where that server is.

• Install the Autodesk product on the new PC and choose Network / Multi-user when asked for the licence type.
• Enter the licence server name or IP address, usually with port 27000 (for example 27000@servername).
• The environment variable ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE or the file LICPATH.lic records this path.

ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE=27000@servername

As long as the new PC can reach the server, it will take a free seat when the software starts. There is no per-machine transfer needed; the administrator only has to make sure a seat is free. If in doubt, ask your IT administrator for the server name.

If you are taking a laptop into the field without a network connection, you can borrow a seat temporarily. In the Autodesk network licence utility, you borrow a licence for an agreed period, after which the software continues to work offline until the borrowing period expires. A network licence is therefore not strictly tied to a PC with a permanent connection. Don't forget to return the borrowed licence once you're back in the office so a colleague can use it.

Move a perpetual standalone licence with the License Transfer Utility.

If you have an old perpetual standalone licence, it is tied to that computer and you have to actively export and import it. You do this with the License Transfer Utility (LTU), a separate program that comes with that type of installation.

The order is important: first export on the old PC, then import on the new.

1. Make sure both computers have internet access; the LTU handles the transfer through Autodesk.
2. On the old PC, start the License Transfer Utility (from the Start menu under Autodesk, next to the product) and choose Export. Sign in with your Autodesk ID and confirm. The licence is parked with Autodesk.
3. Install the software on the new PC and start the License Transfer Utility there.
4. Choose Import and sign in. The licence is placed on the new machine.

Note: not every product still includes the LTU, and the licence can only be active on one computer at a time. If the export fails, check that the software is fully up to date.

If you're planning to dispose of or wipe the old PC, always export the licence before you format the drive. A formatted PC without a signed-out or exported licence can lead to a blocked licence, which you can only release through Autodesk support. With a subscription this is not an issue, because the licence lives in the cloud rather than on the disk.

Take your own settings, templates and plot styles with you to the new PC.

The licence is one thing, your working environment another. Without your custom settings, the new installation feels bare. So take these files with you:

Copy these files to the new PC and link them to the correct search paths under Options. For a complete move, you can also use the Migrate Custom Settings utility, which takes over settings from a previous version or installation. If you work with shared models, check the network paths immediately, such as the path to the central file if you set up Revit worksharing on the new workstation.

A tip to avoid forgetting anything: create a folder called "transfer" on the old PC and collect the .arg profile, your templates, plot styles, .cuix and acad.pgp in it. Put that folder on a USB stick or in the cloud. That way you have everything together when you set up the new installation, and you can wipe the old PC afterwards without worry. Don't forget any project-specific files either, such as external references (xrefs) that your drawings point to; they must remain accessible on the new PC via the same relative or network path.

Clear transfer errors by signing out and signing back in.

Most problems are caused by choosing the wrong licence type or by a stuck sign-in. Here's how to tackle them:

• "Maximum number of computers reached": you have installed the software on too many machines. Sign out on a PC you no longer use, or uninstall the software there.
• The software asks for a network server even though you have a subscription: the wrong licence type is set. Sign out, restart and choose Single-user instead of network when signing in.
• It hangs on the sign-in screen: reset the sign-in by signing out and restarting the software; check that the date, time and internet connection on the new PC are correct.
• The licence expires after 30 days offline: connect to the internet so the software can confirm the licence again.
• LTU export fails: update the software and check the internet connection; the utility needs Autodesk to park the licence.
• The network licence cannot find the server: check the server name and port (27000@servername) and whether a firewall is blocking the connection. Ping the server to test whether it is reachable.

For a subscription, the rule of thumb is simple: almost every licence problem disappears when you sign out, restart the software and sign back in with the correct account. If you're at work in a managed environment, contact your IT administrator, because they can manage seats and assignments in the Autodesk admin portal.

If you're still stuck, remove the local licence data and sign in again; the software will then ask for your licence type again at first start. Official steps for each product are available in the Autodesk support article on transferring licences.