64-Bit Workaround Available for AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP

Autodesk has experienced a number of customer reports regarding the install of Vertical AutoCAD 2008 programs on a 64-bit Operating System. Their development decided to not allow installation on a 64-bit Operating System because the QA team was not able to fully test and certify the application to run in a 64 bit environment.

Autodesk realized that users were able to install previous versions of Autodesk programs on 64 bit systems. They are aware of the growing number of users who are upgrading their machines to these 64-bit systems, and because of this demand their development team has provided a workaround for the issue. You will need your local Autodesk reseller to get you the ACA.msi and setup.ini files necessary to install your product in a 64 bit environment in a zip file.

Here are the instructions:

1. Install the latest .NET Framework (64 bit) from Microsoft on the destination workstations.
2. Copy the contents of the installation DVD to a local drive or network location.
3. In the main install folder, rename the original ACA.msi and setup.ini files to preserve them.
4. Copy the provided replacement ACA.msi and Setup.ini files you received from your reseller into the main install folder.
5. Run the installation/deployment procedure as normal.

It is very important to reiterate that this is a workaround as development has not fully tested vertical AutoCAD 2008 programs in 64 bit environments. If you choose to implement the workaround, you must be aware that this will allow the product to be installed on a 64 bit system, but if you experience crashes, drawing corruption, or other abnormal behavior we may not be able to provide aid in the troubleshooting process.

Autodesk's development team is working on a true 64 bit application but cannot provide any further details at this time.