Before Installing AutoCAD

Before you begin the installation process, be sure you have at least 300MB of disk space on the drive on which you intend to install AutoCAD. You will also want to have at least an additional 100MB of free disk space for AutoCAD temporary files and swap files, plus another 20MB for the tutorial files you will create. If you are installing AutoCAD on a drive other than the one on which Windows is installed, make sure you have about 220MB free on the Windows drive. AutoCAD also stores temporary files there.

You will also need to have Windows 2000 or XP (Home or Professional), Internet Explorer 6 with service pack 1, a Pentium III-800 CPU or better, at least 256MB of RAM, and a video card that supports 1024 768 resolution and TrueColor.

Finally, have your AutoCAD vendor's name and phone number ready. You will be asked to enter this information during the installation. Single- user systems have a 30-day grace period, so you can install and use AutoCAD without having to enter your authorization code right away. You can obtain an authorization code by fax, phone, or over the Internet as indicated when you first start AutoCAD.