... came up for me today when I was trying to update our license server, step one in rolling out the 2011 versions of AutoCAD for my office. Don't you just love it when you can't even get out of the gate?
And don't you just love it when the error message is wrong?
As it turns out, this message is pretty common. It is Microsoft's clear-as-mud way of telling you that you have an operating system mismatch - you're trying to install a 64-bit Windoze app on a 'puter that is running a 32-bit version of the OS.
And sure enough, I was trying to run the NLM installer from the Civil 3D 2011 x64 install download on a 32-bit version of Windows Server 2003. A virtual version at that, with only a 10-gig C: drive. And with no monitor, no keyboard, and no DVD drive to stuff an install disk into. Which would be a problem anyway, since it's across town at the other office.
That's why I was running the install package directly rather than using Autodesk's setup. Copying the entire install folder would put something along the line of 6 gigabytes onto the 10gig C: drive. And it would take all day at least to copy using a cross-town connection - much better to just jump in there with a remote desktop connection, copy the 4-megabyte NLM folder from a network location, and then run the .msi file.
Or so I figured anyway, until that message popped up. But that's OK, I know what to do now. Just grab the 32-bit version instead, and away we go... and... no we don't...
There's only one version there.
I'm not entirely sure of the logic behind it. Maybe Autodesk figures we run the license manager on our workstation? Whatever, it turns out that if you want the 32-bit license manager, you need the 32-bit AutoCAD downloads.
Hey, my luck is turning! I downloaded both versions back when 2011 released.
When you run the install download, it unzips to a folder on your system. Look in there for an x86 folder, which contains an "en-US" folder, where there resides a "support" folder, and THERE you find "NLM", the folder that contains the Network License Manager installer.
I unzipped to C:\C3D2011x86, so I find it at:
C:\C3D2011x86\x86\en-US\support\NLM
Looking for it the other way around? The 64-bit NLM install is located:
...\x64\en-US\support\NLM
You can also open either of the downloaded .exe files using WinRAR and dig through the folders there - and if you saved the "...part2.rar" files in the same directory, WinRAR will find the entire package.
Well, I hope this helps somebody out. Even if you aren't trying to install CAD, but got here by googling the error message, trying to install a 64-bit app on 32-bit Windows is likely the error you've made.
Anybody wondering why I'm running the license manager on a minimalist virtual server?
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