Latest Windows Update Broke Autodesk Civil 3D 2025 Deployments

General
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  • Heads up: A recent Windows update has caused issues with the Civil 3D 2025 global deployment script, specifically during the first-time boot process.

While creating a configuration task could be a workaround, I’d prefer to maintain consistency by sticking with the existing global script rather than creating local scripts. Help?*

Based on reports in August and September 2025, a recent Windows update is causing Autodesk installers, including Civil 3D, to unexpectedly require administrative credentials to run an MSI package during the first launch. This behavior is a change in how Windows handles MSI “repair” operations, causing the User Account Control (UAC) prompt to appear even for non-administrative users.

What is happening

  • The initial installation completes correctly. The issue occurs when a standard (non-admin) user logs in and opens Civil 3D for the first time.
  • Windows triggers an MSI repair. The first-time launch triggers a secondary installation or repair operation handled by an MSI file (in this case, identified as 1101c7.msi).
  • A UAC prompt appears. Due to recent Windows security updates, this MSI repair now requires administrative rights, and Windows presents the UAC prompt to the non-admin user.

Solution for affected computers

To fix this, an administrator must log in to the computer and run Civil 3D for the first time. The process resolves the MSI repair operation, so standard users will not see the prompt on subsequent launches.

  1. Log in to the affected computer using an account with administrator privileges.
  2. Open Civil 3D 2025 and allow the initial setup and configuration to complete.
  3. Close Civil 3D.
  4. Log out of the administrator account. Standard users should now be able to open the application without an admin prompt.

Workaround for multiple computers

If you are an IT administrator with many computers to update, you can apply a registry change to revert the Windows behavior that requires the admin prompt for MSI repairs.

  1. Open the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) with administrative permissions.
  2. Navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer
  3. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  4. Name the value AllowMSIrepair and set its Value data to 1.

This method bypasses the unexpected UAC prompts for MSI repairs on standard user accounts.

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Disregard the post. I just realized that we would be best just creating the key. :upside_down_face: