AutoCAD Error: “The application was unable to start correctly.”

Solution:

Incorrect Registry Key

A different program may incorrectly be switching a registry key from a 0 to a 1. Changing the value of the following registry key to 0 may help:

1. Press WINDOWS-R on the keyboard to bring up the Run window
2. Type in REGEDIT and click OK.
3. In the Registry Editor, expand the various levels until you reach the Windows key highlighted in the path above.
4. On the right side of the editor, double-click the LoadAppInit_DLLs value.
5. Change it to 0, and click OK.
6. Exit the Registry Editor, and restart the computer.

Uninstall “Search Protect” or “SW Booster” or “Performance Optimizer”

1. Open the Window Control Panel.
2. Access the installed program list.
3. Select and Uninstall “Search Protect.”
4. Start AutoCAD.

NVIDIA Drivers

Visit the NVIDIA website and update the drivers for your graphics card: www.nvidia.com

Beyond Trust

The program “Beyond Trust” could be locking down the software. You may identify a reference to btpload.dll.

• Uninstall the program or rename the btpload.dll to test.
• Adjusting the registry key (above) may also solve this particular conflict.

Smartbar (Malware)

The program or malware “Smartbar” could be conflicting with the software.
To work around this, locate and disable the crdlil64.dll file.%appdata%\Local\Smartbar\Application\Resources\crdlil64.dll

Adobe Acrobat for Adobe Acrobat 9, rename the following DLL files:

On 32-bit systems, modify the Adobe Acrobat 9 program so that “Capture CAD Modules” is not installed.

Windows iLivid Toolbar you can ether uninstall the Toolbar or rename datamngr.dll and IEBHO.dll files found in the folders below.

Corrupt C++ Installations

If this is a C++ installation error, uninstall the C++ modules on the system and reinstall. Autodesk installers ship with prerequisites in the extracted installation folders- not the installed program files folders. You can manually access the installers here on most machines:

C:\Autodesk\PROGRAM FOLDER NAME\3rdParty\x64\VCRedist
C:\Autodesk\PROGRAM FOLDER NAME\3rdParty\x86\VCRedist

Uninstall the redistributables and reinstall them from this location.

Antivirus or Protection Packages

There are a variety of products in use that either lock down program access outright, or try to prevent malicious software from running. The parameters companies use to determine inappropriate system access can vary greatly and could possibly affect specific programs on your machine from running,

For situations where other solutions have not worked, it is worth reviewing the apps of this variety that may be installed and checking to see if there are allowable exceptions in coverage.

Further Troubleshooting with “Autoruns”

To help troubleshoot and determine what is conflicting with AutoCAD, use can also use the Microsoft’s Autoruns utility.

1. Download and install Autoruns.
2. Start Autoruns.
3. Start AutoCAD.
4. Check AppInit tab in Autoruns window.
5. Review the DLL files listed and locate them based on the listed paths.
6. Uninstall the related program or rename the files, one by one, testing the program start-up after each change to try to isolate the problematic DLL.

AppInit_DLLs in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Note: If you receive the above mentioned error with Autodesk Inventor 2014, please install Inventor 2014 SP1

Warning!
Problems caused by improperly editing the Windows registry could render your computer operating system unusable. Microsoft provides a wealth of critical information that you need to know about the registry in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. Use the Microsoft Registry Editor only at your own risk and only after backing up the registry as outlined for your operating system in the Microsoft article How to back up and restore the registry in Windows and in the related solution How to backup the system registry. Additional information about the registry is also contained in the Help topics in the Microsoft Registry Editor.