Autodesk Access is built with admins in mind, with settings you can use to control your user's ability to update their products. This will help you distribute updates and keep your products current. You can manage use of Access in different ways, depending on your requirements and the capabilities you want your users to have.
- Users with install permissions on their devices. Your users who have been granted install permissions on their devices can install their own product updates as needed. This works best for users with expert knowledge of their software who need specific product updates.
- Users without install permissions on their devices. You can give users without install permissions on their devices the ability to install updates of only Autodesk products, only via Access. This gives you control of installations, as these users will only be able to install updates through Access, and not through Autodesk account. To do this, use the instructions provided below to specify a Windows registry setting with the key name of AllowSystemContextInstall.
Important: Product updates can't be installed using this method in the following cases:
- Files are updated in user-specific folders
- Updates are done with legacy install technology
- Updates are accomplished with full product installers
Note: To learn more and to view a list of unsupported products, see Unsupported products using system context installs via Access.
- Users who should not install updates. You can prevent your users from installing updates, either by removing Access from their devices or by limiting their Access functionality. If you choose the latter, although they won't be able to install updates, they'll still be able to see the updates available to them and the features they include. With that information, your users can notify you of a feature or fix they need. To do this, use the instructions below to specify a Windows registry setting with the key name of DisableManualUpdateInstall.
Controlling features via the registry
You can employ a variety of methods to push settings to your user's registry. Here are some for Windows devices. Determine which process works best for you.
- Group Policy: Microsoft's Group Policy allows you to apply registry settings to users at the group level. This provides an easy secure way to apply settings.
- Logon scripts: You can use logon scripts to write registry settings during the logon process.
- Other management tools: A variety of other management platforms provide similar capabilities for all supported operating systems.
To use registry settings to enable Access updates to users without install permissions on their devices
Create a new key in the Local Machine area of the registry: HKLM/Software/Autodesk/ODIS folder:
- Key name: AllowSystemContextInstall
- REG_SZ value: 1
Users won't see a difference in the Access interface, but they won't be prompted with UAC controls (if enabled) when they do installs.
To use registry settings to prevent your users from installing updates via Access:
Create a new key in the HKCU/Software/Autodesk/ODIS folder:
- Key name: DisableManualUpdateInstall
- DWORD values:
- A value of 1 gives users a view of Access without available updates. Access won't start automatically during device startup and the Access icon won't appear in the system tray. Users may still launch Access from the Start menu. When users close Access, the application quits and the icon is removed from the system tray.
- A value of 2 gives users the normal view of available updates but removes the Update button so they can't initiate updates.
The following diagram illustrates the way Access appears to users with and without registry settings.
