Express Tools - trying to add after installation from USB but installer wants DVD

I have 2014 Autodesk Product Design Suite Premium installed on Windows 7 64Bit.

I am trying to add the Express Tools in for AutoCAD Mechanical which is included with the suite.

When I go to Control Panel/Programs and Features and click Uninstall/Change I go through the Wizard to add the Express Tools I click on Update and it tells me it's looking for the installation files from the DVD. We don't have a DVD we installed from the USB Stick they sent.

How can I get it to switch to the USB Stick that is plugged in to my PC?

Does the USB contain an EXE/MSI file? Or does it contain a whole bunch of folders and files?

If the former, just run that again (double click) and choose custom to install ET. In the later, search for a Setup/Install file and double click that.

Usually the downloaded file is a RAR compressed exe, which then extracts its contents into a folder on your C drive. Then starts the installation from there. Later changes "should" read from that folder on your C drive as if it's the "DVD". Did you erase such folder perhaps?

Program was not downloaded, it was installed from the same USB I have.

That's why I can't figure out why it's looking for a DVD.

All the install files and exe's are on the USB. Plus there are 253 MSI files and one setup.exe.

When I run the setup.exe. it doesn't allow me to install ET's since the software is already installed.

Stupid question time: USB thumb drives are assigned drive letters on the fly. Is it really just asking for a drive where the media is located, or is it going straight to the DVD drive and nothing but?

It was going directly to the DVD Drive and saying it couldn't find the media.

So basically here are the things that lead up to the workaround I found...

First I went to Control Panel/Programs and Features and clicked Uninstall/Change with the USB Key plugged in. I went through the Wizard to add the Express Tools and when I clicked on Update it tells me it's looking for the installation files from the DVD.

Second I went to Control Panel/Programs and Features and clicked Uninstall/Change with no media in the machine. I would then go through the Wizard to add the Express Tools and it would look for the USB BUT it would error out and not finish the installation of the Express Tools.

So...

I copied the files needed, all 8G of them, to a temp folder, then I went to Control Panel/Programs and Features and clicked Uninstall/Change with no media in the machine. I then went through the Wizard to add the Express Tools and it would look for the media so I would point it to the temp folder and it would finish the installation of the Express Tools.

Well, it works and the tools are installed and functioning.

This is where I scratch my head.

Perhaps some sort of security access not allowing installation from removable media (except DVD). I know newer Windows have issues when you want to run stuff from a network shared drive, perhaps similar for USB disc?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by irneb

Perhaps some sort of security access not allowing installation from removable media (except DVD). I know newer Windows have issues when you want to run stuff from a network shared drive, perhaps similar for USB disc?

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No obvious one found by me or sys admin