How to disable users ability to install updates via Autodesk Access

Autodesk Support

Feb 4, 2025

Products and versions covered

Issue:

As IT/System Administrator you may want to prevent users from attempting to install updates either because:

  • Users don’t have install permissions, and the updates will fail anyway.
  • You want to control the distribution of updates via another method, such as SCCM or Microsoft Endpoint Manager.

Solution:

Autodesk Access provides the ability to install product updates on Windows devices if you have install permissions.
This application is built with administrator controls in mind, so if you want to prevent your users from installing updates from Access, you can do so.

The following registry key will disable the “Update” button in Autodesk Access, as well as notifications about new updates for the users where it is applied.

Possible values:

  • 1 - Access will not start during device startup, and the system tray icon will not be shown. Users may still launch Access from the Start Menu, but when users close Access, it will quit the application and remove the system tray icon again.
  • 2 - Access will show available updates, but will not display an Update button. Users will be able to see information about the updates, but cannot install them from Access.
  • Create a new key in the HKCU/Software/Autodesk/ODIS folder.
    • Key name: DisableManualUpdateInstall
    • DWORD value: 1 or 2

Autodesk Access - Access_Disable_Manual_Install 

To set this key on your user’s devices, do one of the following:

Manually create a registry key on their device

  1. From the Search bar in Windows, type in “regedit”
  2. Browse to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Autodesk/ODIS folder.  If it does not exist, create it.
  3. Right-click on the folder, and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
  4. Enter “DisableManualUpdateInstall” for the Name
  5. Enter 1 for the Data.

Distribute the registry key via Group Policy

If you use Group Policy in your company, you can distribute this key to multiple users via this process:

  1. Open the Group Policy Management Console, gpmc.msc.
  2. Create a new (or edit an existing) Group Policy Object (GPO) in the Organizational Unit you prefer.
  3. Expand the User Configuration section > Preferences > Windows Settings > Registry.
  4. Right-click on Registry, and select New > Registry Item.
  5. Use these settings:
    1. Action: Update.
    2. Hive:  HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
    3. Key Path:  Software\Autodesk\ODIS.
    4. Value Name:  DisableManualUpdateInstall.
    5. Value Type:  REG_DWORD.
    6. Value Data:  1 or 2.

Logon Script

You can include the following command in any CMD-based user logon script you may have configured:

REG ADD HKCU\Software\Autodesk\ODIS /V DisableManualUpdateInstall /D 1 /T REG_DWORD
OR
REG ADD HKCU\Software\Autodesk\ODIS /V DisableManualUpdateInstall /D 2 /T REG_DWORD

Other methods

Any other system management tool that allows you to write registry keys should also work like the methods used above.

See Also:

Component Update

Products:

All Desktop Products;

Was this information helpful?

Need help? Ask the Autodesk Assistant!

The Assistant can help you find answers or contact an agent.

Ask the Assistant

What level of support do you have?

Different subscription plans provide distinct categories of support. Find out the level of support for your plan.

View levels of support