Solution: AutoCAD 2016 Crashes and Shows ‘Invalid License’ After Newer Version Installation

Issue:

After installing a newer version of AutoCAD (e.g., AutoCAD 2023), AutoCAD 2016 crashes upon launch. It may open successfully once after a system restart, but subsequent attempts result in an “Invalid License” pop-up and crash.

Cause:

This behavior typically indicates a conflict or corruption in license components shared between different versions of AutoCAD. Installing a newer version can sometimes overwrite or modify files essential for older versions’ licensing, leading to validation failures. The deepuninstaller tool aims to resolve these underlying licensing issues.

Solución:

Follow these steps to resolve the AutoCAD 2016 licensing issue using the deepuninstaller tool.

Step 1: Locate and Copy AutoCAD 2016 Installation Directory

1. Right-click the AutoCAD 2016 icon (e.g., from the desktop, Start menu, or taskbar) and select “Open file location”.
2. In the File Explorer window that opens, navigate to the parent folder containing the AutoCAD 2016 executable. Copy the full path of this installation directory.

Step 2: Use deepuninstaller to Repair License Issues

1. Download and open the latest version of deepuninstaller.
2. In the deepuninstaller application, click on “Extensions”.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the “Extensions” list and select the option related to “CAD license invalid pop-ups” or similar wording that addresses CAD license issues.
4. Paste the AutoCAD 2016 installation directory path that you copied in Step 1 into the designated field within deepuninstaller.
5. After pasting the path, press Enter to confirm the entry.
6. Click the “Select Folder” button to initiate the repair process.
7. A confirmation message, such as “Repair Complete”, will be displayed once the process is finished.