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Admin Project Subscription Deployment Guide

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Overview

Starting with Desktop Connector v2027.2.0, administrators can pre-populate project subscriptions for users during a new installation. When this is configured, Desktop Connector automatically adds a defined list of projects for users the first time it starts after a fresh install, so users have their projects ready in File Explorer without needing to open Select Projects and choose them manually.

This capability is designed for deployment administrators rolling out Desktop Connector to multiple users who should start with the same set of projects.

Important:

This feature does not keep subscriptions synchronized over time. It only reads the subscription list once, during the first startup after installation. After that, users manage their own project subscriptions through the normal Select Projects experience.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, confirm the following:

  • You are deploying Desktop Connector v2027.2.0 or later. This feature is not available in earlier versions.
  • You have administrator access to the machine(s) you are deploying to, including the ability to edit the Windows Registry.
  • Decide which projects you want new users to start with, and find an existing Desktop Connector installation, yours or someone else's, that already has exactly those projects added. In Step 1, you'll copy a file from that installation to use as your starting point.
  • You are performing this configuration before running the Desktop Connector installer on the target machine. The feature only applies to a fresh installation, not to upgrades.

Understanding subscription files

Desktop Connector uses two different files that are easy to confuse. Understanding the difference is the key to using this feature successfully.

Runtime subscription file Deployment subscription file
Location C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\Desktop Connector\Subscriptions\Export C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CDX\Subscriptions
Created by Desktop Connector, automatically An administrator, manually
When it's updated Continuously, every time a user adds or removes a project Never, once placed
When it's read Not read by Desktop Connector, it's an output/export file Once, during first startup after installation
Purpose Reflects the current, live state of a user's subscriptions Used as a one-time template to pre-populate a new installation

Runtime subscription file

Desktop Connector automatically creates and maintains this file on every machine where a user has added projects. It updates every time the user adds or removes a project in the Select Projects dialog, so it always reflects that user's current subscriptions.

You don't configure or edit this file directly. Its role in this workflow is as a source: you copy it from an existing installation to use as the starting point for a deployment subscription file.

Deployment subscription file

This is a file that you, the administrator, place at C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CDX\Subscriptions before installation. Desktop Connector reads this file only once, the first time it starts after installation, and uses it to automatically add the listed projects for the new user.

Key behaviors to remember:

  • The deployment folder is not created automatically. The C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CDX\Subscriptions folder may not exist by default, and you may need to create it before placing your file there.
  • Desktop Connector never writes to this file. It is used strictly as an input during first startup, not as an ongoing record of a user's subscriptions.
Important:

Changes made to the deployment subscription file after installation do not affect existing Desktop Connector installations. Editing or replacing the file only changes what happens on the next new installation that reads it during first startup. It has no effect on machines that have already completed their first startup.

Admin workflow: Deploy pre-configured subscriptions

Follow these steps to configure Desktop Connector so that new installations automatically have a defined set of projects added.

Step 1: Export an existing subscription list

Rather than building a subscription file by hand, start from a file that Desktop Connector has already generated for a working installation.

  1. On a machine with a configured Desktop Connector installation that already has the projects you want to deploy added, locate the runtime subscription file: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\Desktop Connector\Subscriptions\Export
  2. Copy this file to a temporary location, such as a local disk, network share, or your deployment package folder.

Autodesk recommends starting from this exported file rather than authoring one manually, because Desktop Connector keeps it correctly formatted and up to date automatically as projects are added or removed. Using it as your template avoids formatting errors that could cause the deployment file to be ignored.

Step 2: Create the deployment folder

The deployment location is not created by default, so you may need to create it yourself before continuing.

  1. On the target machine (or in your deployment image or script), check whether the following folder exists: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CDX\Subscriptions
  2. If it does not exist, create it manually.
Note:

ProgramData is a hidden system folder. If you can't see it in File Explorer, enable View hidden items or type the path directly into the address bar.

Step 3: Copy the subscription file

  1. Copy the exported subscription file from Step 1.
  2. Place the copy in the deployment folder: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CDX\Subscriptions

Desktop Connector looks for a subscription file in this exact location during first startup after installation. If the file is not there, or the folder does not exist, the feature is skipped and installation continues normally.

Step 4: Configure the required registry setting

Desktop Connector only checks for the deployment subscription file if a registry setting explicitly enables the feature. Without it, the file in C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CDX\Subscriptions is ignored even if it exists.

For the full registry key location, value details, and step-by-step configuration instructions, see Pre-configured project subscriptions for new installations in the Admin Deployment Guide.

Quick reference: registry value

Value Name Type Value Registry Key
EnableProjectSubscriptionImport REG_DWORD 1 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\Desktop Connector Advanced Settings (all users) or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\Desktop Connector Advanced Settings (current user only)
Important:

Modifying the Windows Registry can have serious effects on a system. Always back up the registry before making changes.

Step 5: Install Desktop Connector

Run your Desktop Connector deployment as you normally would. No special installation switches are required for this feature. The deployment subscription file and registry setting are picked up automatically during the installation's first startup.

For general installation and deployment guidance, see the Admin Deployment Guide.

What happens during first startup?

The first time Desktop Connector starts after a fresh installation, it performs the following check:

  1. Desktop Connector checks whether the registry value EnableProjectSubscriptionImport is set to 1.
  2. If enabled, Desktop Connector checks whether a valid subscription file exists at: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CDX\Subscriptions
  3. If a valid file is found: Desktop Connector reads the project IDs listed in the file and automatically adds each project, exactly as if the user had selected them in Select Projects. The projects begin appearing in File Explorer without any action from the user.
  4. If no file is found, the folder doesn't exist, or the registry setting is disabled: Desktop Connector ignores the feature entirely and continues with a normal startup. The user is prompted to select projects manually, as usual.
Important:

This check happens only once, on the first startup after a full installation. It does not run again on subsequent startups, and it does not run during upgrades.

FAQ

Does the deployment file stay synchronized with user subscriptions?

No. The runtime subscription file is maintained automatically by Desktop Connector and always reflects a user's current subscriptions. The deployment file is static. It is only used once, to add the listed projects to a new installation.

What happens if I add projects to the deployment file later?

Changes to the deployment file do not affect any installation that has already completed its first startup. Only new installations that read the updated file during their first startup will use the new project list.

Can I update subscriptions by modifying the deployment file after installation?

No. The deployment file is read only during the initial first-startup workflow. To add or remove projects on an existing installation, use Select Projects on that machine instead.

Can deployment scripts automate this process?

Yes. As an example workflow only, a deployment script could:

  1. Copy an existing user's runtime subscription export.
  2. Store it temporarily in the deployment package.
  3. Place it in the deployment location (C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CDX\Subscriptions) on the target machine.
  4. Set the required registry value.
  5. Install Desktop Connector.

Review the Example Deployment Script page for general scripting guidance, and adapt it to your organization's needs.

Troubleshooting

Projects weren't added automatically after installation

  • Confirm the registry value EnableProjectSubscriptionImport is set to 1 under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\Desktop Connector Advanced Settings (or the HKCU equivalent). If this value is missing or set to 0, the deployment file is ignored.
  • Confirm the deployment subscription file exists at C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CDX\Subscriptions. If the folder was never created, Desktop Connector has nothing to read.
  • Confirm this was a fresh installation. If Desktop Connector had already completed a first startup on this machine (for example, during testing), the feature will not run again even if you place the file afterward. Use the Reset Utility and fully uninstall before retesting.

I updated the deployment file, but existing users don't see the new projects

This is expected behavior, not an error. The deployment file is only read once, during first startup. Updating it only changes the outcome for installations that have not yet completed their first startup. Existing users must add projects themselves through Select Projects.

The subscription file I copied doesn't seem to work

  • Make sure you copied the file from the runtime subscription export location (C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\Desktop Connector\Subscriptions\Export) rather than creating one manually. Manually authored files are more likely to have formatting issues that cause them to be silently ignored.
  • Confirm the source installation actually had the projects you expect added before you exported the file.

Related Concepts:

Previous page: Admin Change Workspace Guide
Next page: Admin Delete Notification Guide

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