AdskHwCertificationDatabase.xml location

Certified Hardware XML Database Update as well as this Update Graphics Card Driver page are having details on how to download the latest Hardware Certification Database file as well as how to install it.

What it is missing is to tell where the AdskHwCertificationDatabase.xml file is located on AutoCAD 2009 and 2010 as it only describes how to update it from within AutoCAD.

This can be useful to know if AutoCAD for some reason cannot install it as it should or if you want to distribute the newest file to multiple users in your network.

Here is one “Performance Tuner Update” error using 3DCONFIG and Check for Updates that can show up: “Performance Tuner failed to update. Please check your network connection and make sure you have write permission to the file.

The location used to be in the DRV folder where AutoCAD is installed like:
c:\program files\AutoCAD 2008\DRV
%PROGRAMFILES%\AutoCAD 2008\DRV

So where can AdskHwCertificationDatabase.xml be found?

Here are some locations where this file can be found in newer AutoCAD versions:
<ROOT>\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2009\R17.2\enu\PTXML
<ROOT>\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2010\R18.0\enu\PTXML
<ROOT>\Autodesk\ACA 2010\enu\PTXML

<ROOT> to be replaced with either of the following in Windows XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data

<ROOT> to be replaced with either of the following in Windows Vista and Windows 7:
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%
%PROGRAMFILES%
C:\ProgramData

Now you can use any of your favorite scripting method like KiXtart, VBScript, plain old BAT or CMD or why not PowerShell and have it run as a login script. You can even do it from a single location if you have enough permissions. See this example.

For the Graphics Hardware List see http://www.autodesk.com/autocad-graphicscard