AutoCAD Troubleshooting: Missing User Interface Elements
When opening AutoCAD it appears that a toolbar, ribbon, menu item or other User Interface elements are missing...
Issue/Problem:
This is one of those issues that will pop up from time to time, and has consistently over the years. When opening AutoCAD, something is missing from the interface, typically toolbars, ribbons or pulldown menus, etc. A common solution is to uninstall, then reinstall AutoCAD, however that can be time consuming and can incur negative cost to a company (i.e.: overhead vs. revenue efforts) - however at times a full uninstall/resinstall is required and/or user profile rebuild, etc.
Missing elements may indicate that a CUI (Customize User Interface) file has not loaded correctly or it could be related to an AutoCAD profile error.
Before you uninstall/reinstall AutoCAD, try the following suggestions....
Possible Solution:
Restore the missing user interface elements by reloading the CUI file:
Type CUILOAD on the command line and press Enter... select and remove the main CUI file that is listed (if it is displayed) by clicking Unload... click the 'browse' button and navigate to the following path and select the CUIx file:
- C:\Users\
\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\AutoCAD 20xx\Rxx.x\ \Support
Additional Information:
The main CUIx file is named differently for each version of AutoCAD.
The specific CUIx file that contains what is missing in the program may be a partial CUI file and not the main one. For example, AutoCAD Mechanical has core AutoCAD elements in acadmac.cuix, but the main customization file is acadm.cuix. If a toolbar that is a core element is missing, it will be in the acadmac.cuix file.
Some toolbars are specific to third-party add-ons or applications and may not import if the add-on is not installed, or if the add-on is meant for a different version of AutoCAD.
To see the exact file names of the various CUIx files that AutoCAD loads, do the following:
- Type CUI and press Enter.
- Click the All Customization Files drop-down menu.
- Right-click each individual CUIx file to see its file name.
Alternative Methods:
You can try resetting AutoCAD to 'default settings' to restore its user interface elements. For more information, please refer the Autodesk Knowledge Network: How to Reset AutoCAD to Defaults - CLICK HERE.
Copy a working CUIx file from another user's workstation and replace/paste to the location mentioned above.
If AutoCAD settings have been backed up, you can attempt a restore using the information within the Autodesk Knowledge Network: How to Export, Import, Backup, and Transfer settings to and from AutoCAD - CLICK HERE.
Copy a working CUIx file from another user's workstation and replace/paste to the location mentioned above.
If AutoCAD settings have been backed up, you can attempt a restore using the information within the Autodesk Knowledge Network: How to Export, Import, Backup, and Transfer settings to and from AutoCAD - CLICK HERE.