CreateProcess() API failed! 3: 2″ when installing an Autodesk program

1: 5 2: ERROR : CreateProcess() API failed! 3: 2″ when installing an Autodesk program

Issue:

When installing an Autodesk program (e.g. AutoCAD LT 2020), the following error message may appear:

“1: 5 2: ERROR : CreateProcess() API failed! 3: 2”

Causes:

Looking at the file  Autodesk …. 2020 Install.log stored in the  %TEMP% folder after a failed install attempt, the following lines may be found, indicating that the license component failed to registered the product due to an Antivirus and/or Firewall running in the background during install:

Action start 14:00:22: licIsSvcUpgraded.8B858D99_2C63_4281_AE43_6782314CCC1B.
1: 5 2: Successfull registered 3: 0 
1: 5 2: licIsSvcUpgraded 3: 0 
1: 5 2: run helper with params: 3: 0 
1: 5 2: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\AdskLicensing\9.0.3.46\helper\AdskLicensingInstHelper.exe" upgrade isUpgraded 3: 0 
MSI (s) (A8!C8) [14:00:24:146]: Product: AutoCAD LT 2020 - English -- 1: 5 2: ERROR : CreateProcess() API failed! 3: 2 

1: 5 2: failed to upgrade 3: 0 
1: 5 2:  3: 0 
CustomAction licIsSvcUpgraded.8B858D99_2C63_4281_AE43_6782314CCC1B returned actual error code 1603 (note this may not be 100% accurate if translation happened inside sandbox)

Solution:

Follow the below steps:

1. Disable any antivirus and/or firewall.
2. Navigate to to C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\AdskLicensing. If the folder does not exist, skip to step 7 below.
3. Run uninstall.exe as admin (right-click > Run as administrator).
4. Go to C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\AdskLicensingService and remove the files located in there.
5. Go to the Autodesk 2020 product install folder and open \x86\AdskLicensing (e.g., for AutoCAD LT 2020 it would be C:\Autodesk\AutoCAD_LT_2020_English_win_64bit_dlm\x86\AdskLicensing). 
6. Run AdskLicensing-installer.exe as admin (right-click > run as administrator). Wait for the install to complete.
7. Install the latest updates for Autodesk Licensing Service, ether from Autodesk Desktop App or from Product Updates section of the Autodesk account portal.
8. Click the Start menu and type CMD.
9. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
10. In the Command Prompt, run the below command followed by ENTER:

cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\AdskLicensing\Current\helper\

AdskLicensingInstHelper register -pk 057L1 -pv 2020.0.0.F -cf C:\Autodesk\AutoCAD_LT_2020_English_win_64bit_dlm\Setup\AutoCADLTConfig.Pit -el US

Note: The example above takes 'AutoCAD LT 2020 - English US' as an example. Depending on the specific product, the --prod_key, --config_file and --eula values may vary. Refer to Autodesk Licensing Installer Helper tool guide for more information.

11. Run the software install again.

See Also:

Error: “The License manager is not functioning or is improperly installed” with Autodesk 2020 software
Error: “License checkout timed out. What do you want to do?” when launching an Autodesk 2020 software
Error 1: 5 2: Error : CreateFile() API failed! 3:5
You do not have sufficient privilege to perform this operation – Error in AdskLicensing-install.log file.
Autodesk Licensing did not install (error code:1) with Autodesk 2020 software install time