The serial number you have entered is not valid

When you attempt to open the freshly installed software it asks for the serial number of the product. You enter the serial number listed on the back of the product case/box, but it is rejected with the message "The serial number you have entered is not valid". So what's going on?

If this is an older version of AutoCAD/LT, usually when you see that type of error it means that the license has been marked upgraded or returned. To have your license status verified, please contact the Activation and Registration team directly:

1. Visit http://knowledge.autodesk.com/contactus
2. Select “Activation & Registration” or “License Management”
3. Select appropriate subtopics from the pull-down menus
4. Select “I Still Need Help”  if you need personal assistance.

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The serial number you have entered is not valid

A day in the life of... Me #CADdork

I wear many hats at work, Architecture is the main focus of my day but I'm also CAD + I.T. Manager at our firm. There are great days, good days, and more often than not just average days. I enjoy interacting with clients and colleagues the most so I can't imagine working from home staring at a PC all day.

So... here is a running list of what I did today at work, how does it compare to your typical day?

4:58 am - I always wake up two minutes before the alarm. Not sure why. Eat breakfast, read Twitter and Google+feeds and other morning routines.

6:00 am - in the car on the way to work, podcasts blue-toothed through the radio.

6:30 am - logging into the Autodesk Forums to help fellow users. #expertelite and #CADdork all the way. Podcasts in the background.

7:00 am - Check work email, calendar and to do list for today, dive into work, started AutoCAD for the first of three spaceplans due by tomorrow for three different clients. Turn off podcasts.

8:00 am - phone calls start coming in. Quickly help a colleague with an AutoCAD issue: PICKFIRST was turned off. Log into the airline website to pick up my boarding pass for tomorrow's client site visit in Houston. Back to my project.

 

8:30 am - check email to see if anyone needs anything. Started space plan #2 in AutoCAD, rotated the UCS on the plan so I don't get a kink in my neck; #1 on he back burner at the moment while I digest an interesting issue that cropped up.

 

10:00 am - spend 30 minutes with a colleague preparing for a client meeting at 11. Check emails before I head out.

 

10:30 am - drive to the client location for this all hands programming meeting. Podcasts back on.

 

11 am-1pm - client meetings. Check emails on phone before I head back.

 

1:00 pm - burritos are made for drivers, don't you agree? Podcasts back on while I drive back to the office.

 

1:30 pm - check emails, check Autodesk forums, back on space plan #1, solution to problem came to me in the car.

 

2:00 pm - GoToMeeting conference call with a client in Austin, AutoCAD on my screen walking them through changes from last week's call.

 

2:30 pm - Back on AutoCAD for that space plan #1, it's laying out quite well. Finished blocking it out. Started Space plan #2.

 

3:45 pm - Our Autodesk reseller contacts me to confirm we don't have any AutoCAD/LT licenses that will be lost after January 31 when mandatory subscriptions kick in. Phew! Nothing will be lost, all licenses are on there already.

3:55 pm - GGRRRR! AutoCAD locked up. Restarted PC. Hopped on the Autodesk Forums on my phone while Windows 7 boots up fully.

 

4:10 pm - AutoCAD is back up, space plan #2 blocked out, started space plan #3.

 

5:30 pm - checked email: RFI from contractor came in, I'll tackle it tomorrow. Time to head home: podcasts back on as I check the Autodesk Forums first #expertelite 

 

6:00 pm - hi honey, I'm home...

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A day in the life of... Me #CADdork

Reset AutoCAD/LT without losing customizations

Sometimes you just need to reset AutoCAD/LT. It happens. Problem is, you lose all those menu customizations and/or workspace you spent time creating, moving and rearranging.

It is fairly painless to back up your customizations before resetting:

1. Windows START button, click on All Programs, then Autodesk, then AutoCAD LT 2015 (or lower), then Migrate custom settings, select Export AutoCAD LT 2015 settings.
2. Click the EXPORT button.
3. In the Export custom settings dialog box, select a location (like your desktop) to save the ZIP file created by the program.
4. Now you are ready to Reset AutoCAD to Defaults: go to Windows START button>All Programs>Autodesk>AutoCAD  LT 2015>Reset Settings to Default and it will reset and restart AutoCAD LT. 
5. Ensure the gremlins you wanted fixed are gone.
6. Exit AutoCAD/LT, then go to START>All Programs>Autodesk>AutoCAD LT 2015>Migrate custom settings>Import AutoCAD LT 2015 settings to bring your customizations back in.

Using Windows 8? Upgrade to Win8.1 first, then grab the free Start Button add-on and get back that useful functionality. ◦

Reset AutoCAD/LT without losing customizations