FAQ: Should I Automatically or Manually Migrate Custom Settings and Files between Releases?

The Migrate Custom Settings utility is the fastest and easiest way of migrating your custom settings and files from a previous release to the latest release.

However, the Migrate Custom Settings utility might not be as helpful under the following conditions:

• You need to migrate a moderate-to-significant amount of user interface customization
• You need to migrate a large library of custom AutoLISP, script, action macro, and linetype or hatch pattern definition files
• You need to migrate a large number of custom programs or third-party utilities that were developed using ObjectARX or Managed .NET

If you use the Migrate Custom Settings utility and the results do not seem correct, you can use the Reset Settings to Default utility on the Windows Start menu or Windows Start screen to restore the installed default settings.

Manually migrating custom settings and files can take longer, but it does give you the most control over the changes to the latest release. You can use Windows Explorer or File Explorer to move or copy customized files between folders as needed, and export and import profiles with the Options dialog box, and transfer user interface elements between customization (CUIx) files with the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor from the previous release into the latest release instead of using the Migrate Custom Settings utility. The migration method that you choose depends on your level of experience with customizing AutoCAD and how much customization was done in the previous release.