How to reset Civil 3D to default

Autodesk Support

Feb 14, 2025


Products and versions covered


Issue:

How to reset Autodesk Civil 3D Settings to Default. This could be necessary when:

  • Application crashing on launch
  • User Interface corruption, ribbons, palettes or workspace missing
  • Tools or settings have been accidentally deleted or modified
  • Application is unexpectedly too slow and exhibiting poor performance not specific to select drawings 
  • Other specific issues

Causes:

Resetting Civil 3D to defaults is often used to resolve specific issues with a particular command or setting. For example, if an issue is present for one account and not for another on the same machine, a Reset is often warranted.

Solution:

There are two options to reset the Civil 3D profile to default: an Automatic and a Manual method. An analysis of both methods has resulted in the following recommendations from Support:

  • Back up any customized files before Resetting, regardless of the chosen method.
  • While the automatic method is faster and simpler (the manual method provides an easy option to back files up in case of failure).
  • Resets have a lower success rate when done on custom Deployments and have been reported to take longer. Be sure to back up settings in this scenario.

Note: Administrator privileges will be required for both methods

Reset to default Manually

  1. Log on to the computer with the affected profile.
  2. Close all Civil 3D and AutoCAD sessions.
  3. On the Windows Start menu, click Run.
  4. In the Run dialog box, enter Regedit.
  5. In the Registry Editor, browse to the registry key that corresponds to the affected software version; see to note and table below.

Registry Editor

  1. Rename the registry key to end with a .backup file extension and then close the Registry Editor.​
Rename Registry entry 
  • Using Windows File Explorer, browse the paths for the two folders that correspond to the affected software version; see the table below. For example: 
    • %appdata%\Autodesk\C3D 2025
    • %localappdata%\Autodesk\C3D 2025

Tip: A path beginning and ending with % is a shortcut to the current user profile, and can be copied/pasted into the File Explorer directly. 

  1. Rename the folder to end with a .backup file extension for the affected version.
Rename appdata folder
  1. Launch Autodesk Civil 3D. This will initiate the secondary installer, re-creating the registry key and folders. This process can take a few minutes.

 

Software versionRegistry Key to renameUser's application folders to rename
2025HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.3\ACAD-8100:409
  • %appdata%\Autodesk\C3D 2025
  • %localappdata%\Autodesk\C3D 2025
2024HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.3\ACAD-7100:409
  • %appdata%\Autodesk\C3D 2024
  • %localappdata%\Autodesk\C3D 2024
2023HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.2\ACAD-6100:409
  • %appdata%\Autodesk\C3D 2023
  • %localappdata%\Autodesk\C3D 2023
2022HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.1\ACAD-5100:409
  • %appdata%\Autodesk\C3D 2022
  • %localappdata%\Autodesk\C3D 2022

 

To reverse a failed Reset:

  1. Close all Civil 3D and AutoCAD sessions. If the secondary installer from Step 9 above is stuck, use the Windows Task Manager to end the process.
  2. Browse to the Registry and Appdata folder locations mentioned in Steps 5 and 7 above.
  3. Delete the key and folders that a partially completed secondary installer may have created.
  4. Remove the file extension from the renamed key and folders from Steps 6 and 8.

Notes

  • A suffix of .backup file extension mentioned in Steps 6 and 8 is not required, any nomenclature that you will recognize is appropriate in case you need to reverse the Reset.
  •  The first four digits is the Civil 3D product code, followed by the 3 digits for the language code and may vary (409 is the language code for English international). For other languages codes, refer to: List of Local Language Code for Autodesk Products.
  • Localized versions (installations in another language) may require an extra step for the reset process to take place completely. Refer to the following article for details: Resetting Civil 3D User Profiles to default doesn't work with localized Civil 3D versions.


Warning:
Use the Microsoft® Registry Editor only at your own risk and only after backing up the registry as well as the  system.dat and  user.dat files as outlined for your operating system in the Microsoft Knowledge Base and in the related solution, Back up system registry. Additional information about the registry is also contained in the Help topics in the Microsoft Registry Editor.

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 at  http://support.microsoft.com/.

 

Use the Reset Settings to Default utility (Automatic)

  1. Expand the Windows Start Menu.
  2. Find the affected Autodesk Civil 3D instance and expand the menu.
  3. Select the Reset Settings to Default utility.
 Reset Settings to Defaults 

Notes:

 

Products:

Civil 3D;


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