AutoCAD

Dreaded Autodesk 'Procedure Entry point not located' error workaround

The official solution led to complete uninstallation, this was slightly less painful

Robin Capper

Robin Capper

— 1 min read
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Dreaded Autodesk 'Procedure Entry point not located' error workaround
The dreaded 'Procedure Entry point not located' error (.dll can vary)

Adding plain AutoCAD 2024 to a machine which already had Civil 3D 2024 installed resulted in all AutoCAD based applications giving the same error message when launched—'Procedure Entry point not located: [path to various .dlls] (above)—then exit to desktop.

The official solution

I worked through the Autodesk Official Solution(s):

  • A DLL has been copied to a location on the system other than its default location
  • The DLL referenced in the error message is the wrong version
  • Missing updates

But none of those helped. This 'solution' culminates in the dreaded...

  • Corrupted Installation
    • Uninstall all AutoCAD-based products (meaning extensions, applications, deleting registry entries and folders: a right pain)
    • Reinstall...

Uninstall of Autodesk products is the most painful process. A Civil 3D + Recap + Vehicle tracking installation with extensions can result in ~30-40 separate 'applications' in the add/remove list.

You have to uninstall them one-by-one in order—extensions followed by main applications—then manually clean up orphaned registry entries and folders in the operating system's User/Program/Program Data folders.

The slightly less painful workaround

Faced with that I found a workaround fix that is slightly less painful, if it works:

  • Try starting all the AutoCAD based applications on the machine to see what errors.
    • In our case it was just AutoCAD 2024 and Civil 3D 2024.
  • Uninstall the application(s) that are failing, but just the main application(s) not extensions etc.
    • In our case it was uninstall Civil 3D and AutoCAD 2024.
  • Use the Autodesk Account's Manage > Products and Services > Custom Install to create a deployment package for all the broken apps and related extensions.
    • One installer for AutoCAD and Civil 3D plus all applicable (existing) extensions.
  • Install that package.
    • It reinstalled quite quickly, as just the main apps install in full and the extensions are skipped or updated as needed.

Restart and test the broken apps. For me it worked!

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