On March 15, 2023, Autodesk Access replaced Autodesk Desktop Application (ADA) to provide the foundational capability to ensure you receive the continuous benefits of new features and fixes, making managing product updates easier than ever.

Autodesk Access is just the first step in Autodesk’s plan to further develop the platform to provide you with greater control, easier access, and additional capabilities to achieve your desired outcomes.

How does it help you?

Autodesk has heard from customers that product updates have been frustrating, and that the previous update system, ADA, didn’t meet their needs. Some customers didn’t want their users to install updates themselves. As a result, they uninstalled ADA altogether. Autodesk Access will make things easier for you, so changes are now implemented specifically for admins to address these issues.

Autodesk Access is built with trust, security, and admin controls in mind. Using the latest installation technology, it will deliver fast, reliable updates and offers many benefits, including:

• Continuous software updates, new features, and hot defect fixes to stay productive without interfering with your workflows
• Easy admin controls to disable user’s ability to install updates and new update notifications
• Enhanced security and better performance, reducing risk of downtime

Once Autodesk Access is installed, users will be able to install updates if they have administrator rights. A simple registry key will allow admins to disable a user’s ability to install updates, while also allowing users to see information about available updates.

View our blog to see how disable user update access.

How do I get Autodesk Access?

You can get Autodesk Access in four ways starting March 15, 2023:

1. With any new 2022 or later product installation after March 15th.
2. As an automatic self-update of the Autodesk installer.  This will be a progressive, percentage-based rollout ending around mid-May 2023.
3. As an update to ADA starting April 3, 2023.
4. Direct download of the installer from the Access landing page

Do you need to uninstall ADA before installing Access?

No, when Autodesk Access installs, it will uninstall ADA.

Does Autodesk Access work for Enterprise or other large customers?

Yes!  All customers will benefit from Autodesk Access.  We have many plans for new features this year to make getting updates easier.  For those customers that manage their own updates, we included admin controls to disable user’s ability to install updates.  Users at large companies can benefit from Access by getting information about updates that may be available, even if they can’t install them.

Do the Autodesk Access services consume resources on my device?

All long-running services consume some resources.  Autodesk Access, and specifically the Autodesk Access Core, consumes 34 MB of RAM and 0% CPU while idle.  The only time it is not idle is during startup, and when it is installing an update, where it would consume some resources related to installations as expected.

Can I remove or uninstall Access?

Currently, Access is part of the Autodesk Installer and can’t be removed.  Admin controls previously mentioned provide the ability for you to control your user’s ability to update products, and because it consumes a very small amount of resources, we believe that it is not necessary to remove it.

Our goal is to provide a great, transparent update experience. This is the first step in an exciting roadmap to give customers control and easy access to new product features. We will continue to build on the new Autodesk Access platform with capabilities to make updates easier and with the controls you are looking for.