Autocad Internal Error 2738 installing bug still a problem

I finally got the courage up to install my Autocad 2014 (version 19.1) & it was as big a problem as I had expected. Autodesk really needs to get its act together and sort out this problem. I first encountered error 2738 a couple of years ago when I was installing my Autocad 2012 in my Architectural practice & then again a year later when I installed version 2013.  I wrote how I fixed it in an earlier post on my blog mainly so that I had a record for myself next time I tried an Autocad installation. Doing this kind of thing once  a year it's easy to forget the exact procedure and as I had wasted days sorting it out I wanted to be sure I was prepared the next time it happened. Since then thousands of people have made use of this advice, indicating to me that this is a common bug.... yet Autodesk still haven't fixed it.

Autocad 2014 pre-installation procedure

I tried the usual method of lodging a support ticket with my local Autodesk reseller and went through the procedures they outlined to ensure a clean installation. I followed an A4 sheet of recommendations before the install, which was irksome & must make Autocad one of the trickiest programs around to load. Autodesk seems to have lost the plot a bit with so much concern over piracy & licensing that the installation process is a nightmare.

The sequence of the pre-installation process is to

1 Ensure that you have all your windows updates

2 Disable user account control

3 Start windows in Diagnostic mode

4 Clean out all temp files with a "disk cleanup".

4 Disable your firewall and virus protection (Trend Micro is a really big problem and it is recommended that it is uninstalled then re-installed after Autocad is installed)

5 Ensure that Autodesk is listed as a trusted site in your "Internet options" security tab

It is all good information to know, but it really shouldn't be this hard just to load a program. Just following the pre-installation procedure is beyond 50% of most users & will take quite a bit of time of research to ensure that it is done correctly and isn't affecting anything else on your computer..... All up this took me 2 hours & when I finally attempted it the instal still failed.

Autodesk subscription

I have been on subscription since Autodesk came up with the idea that yearly subscription was better for their cash flow. This means that I get my new seasons software each year. I get my Autocad as a disk mailed to me as it will not download properly from the net. I have to request this every year after the download fails. My subscription information has been messed up with either my name or my address information being wrong 3 out of the 7 years I have been on this system. You would really expect something better from a company that receives $800 a year from me just to use their product.

How I finally installed Autocad 2014

I ended up having to go the route of editing my registry (again) to fix this problem. This is something that has never been advocated by any help I have received from either my re-seller or from Autodesk.  This is reasonable, as registry editing is complicated and one error can cause havoc with your computer. I hate to fiddle with the registry as the entries are quite complex and above the skill levels of most users. I have now needed to do this for 3 consecutive years with 3 computers (refer previous post for instruction). Each time causes me some degree of stress as my computer is my livelihood & I really cannot afford the downtime of having to reload everything if I make a mistake & fry the system.

The revised pre-installation process

What I did this year was to follow the 5 previous pre-installation tips, then delete the registry entries as per my previous post advice and then turn off my Trend micro for the half an hour necessary for the install. I did not remove Trend Micro from my computer as I have had trouble installing Trend Micro in the past & I didn't want to go down that path again. One troublesome program is enough!!! The other advice is that on my successful install I also left everything selected on the disks first installation screen. Autodesk usually tries to market its new products by bundling trials with their product. For the first 3 unsuccessful attempts I had removed a  (pre-ticked) product from the install called Recap. I actually forgot to un-tick this on the final install, which just happened to be successful. I am not sure if this was part of the solution but it makes sense to instal with all the manufacturer defaults in place. Any changes from a default install could be part of the problem so it is best to proceed with the most common scenario. Another point to note is that this year the Wow6432Node registry entry deleted & reloaded correctly but the other registry key entry wouldn't delete. This didn't seem to matter as Autocad 2014 still installed properly after I had reinstalled the one problem entry that I managed to delete, proceeding past the 6 put of 11 module error 2738 sticking point without a problem. A screenshot of this registry issue is included below. I also tried to delete this key unsuccessfully from REGEDIT & the windows error message was simply "Cannot delete...error while deleting key"

Time taken to install Autocad 2014

This year I took 2 full days to install my legal version of Autocad
2014 and then get the interface looking and acting like my old version.
In my experience this is about average for the product. Something goes
wrong almost every year. Make sure that you have a weekend to yourself
and lots of patience... you will need it. I am hoping to try installing
my 2015 version next weekend while I am still familiar with the
procedure. Hopefully things will go smoother then....I'm not getting my
hopes up!!!!