by Chris Kayser, Director of Enterprise Business Models •

Autodesk customers are busy, and we want to make it simple for you to get the information and support you need. That’s why we’re introducing a new Product Support Lifecycle that clarifies what support benefits you’ll get when you’re using previous versions of our software.

Access to previous versions of Autodesk software is available as a subscription and maintenance plan benefit. When you’re using a previous version, it’s important to know what support resources are available to you. This allows you to make the right decision for your business on what version is best for your team to use, and avoid downtime due to security or technical issues.





How can I know if my version is supported? What does “support” mean?

To find out if the previous version you are using is supported view the full Product Support Lifecycle on the Autodesk Knowledge Network , or review the summary below:

Autodesk provides support to all current versions of our software plus previous versions listed on the Previous Version Eligible Product List. In most cases, this is 3 versions back.

Non-eligible Previous Version Eligible Previous Versions Current Version End of Support: Autodesk does not provide product activation, technical support, software updates or hotfixes. General Support: Autodesk provides product activation, technical support, software updates, and hotfixes.

* To be eligible for support, the Autodesk software must also be running on vendor-supported operating system. If a vendor chooses to end support for an operating system, our support for Autodesk products running on that operating system will also end, whether or not the products are among the eligible previous versions.





Can I still use a previous version that has reached end of support?

If you have an active maintenance plan and/or subscription, you can continue to use a previously installed and activated version, even if that version has reached end of support. If you own a perpetual license for a version that has reached end of support, you still have rights to use the license for as long as you want.

However, for unsupported versions, you will not be able to receive a new activation code to re-activate that version, for any device. We also will not release software updates or hotfixes for versions that have reached end of support, which could put you at risk for security issues.





But I’ve received an activation code in the past for a previous version that has reached end of support, what’s changing?

We recognize there have been exceptions made in the past to our policy and the support we provided for non-eligible previous versions. To ensure you receive the level of support we are committed to provide along with new capabilities, we are matching our support practices to our policy.





How do I get on a supported version?

I am on an unsupported version and have a subscription and/or maintenance plan: Watch this 1-minute how-to video to learn how to update your product version to a supported version from Autodesk Account.

I am on an unsupported previous version and not a subscriber: Subscribe at Autodesk.com and receive access and support to current + eligible previous versions. Learn about other subscription benefits.





What's new in the latest release of my product?

To help our customers work more efficiently, we continue to improve key features and introduce new capabilities as current product versions are released. Learn more about what's new in the latest release of:

AutoCAD

AutoCAD LT

Civil 3D

Inventor

Maya

Revit

3DS Max

You can visit the Autodesk Knowledge Network to learn more about our Product Support Lifecycle or get your questions answered by visiting the Previous Version Support Forum.