How to fix AutoCAD lagging, freezing, and slow running errors

AutoCAD is a famous CAD application software, used by architects, engineers and construction professionals to create intuitive 2D and 3D drawings, to install and use AutoCAD, your computer must meet certain configuration requirements.

However, even if you own a high-configuration computer, you may still encounter AutoCAD lagging errors during use. In this article, we will learn together the causes of lag on AutoCAD and some ways to improve AutoCAD performance.

Article content:
I. Causes.
II. How to fix errors.
1. Turn on hardware acceleration in AutoCAD.
2. Update graphics driver.
3. Set software priority.
4. Update software.
5. A few other remedies.

I - Causes of AutoCAD lagging and freezing errors

The phenomenon of stuttering and lag on AutoCAD can occur due to a number of reasons such as:
- Outdated graphics driver.
- The network is disconnected or slow.
- A file is corrupted.
- Don't know how to set up graphics configuration for the computer.
- Opening too many work tabs, causing GPU overload.

II - How to fix AutoCAD lagging errors

1. Turn on hardware acceleration in AutoCAD

While working with AutoCAD, if you encounter some phenomena such as slow mouse movement, the program constantly pausing or freezing, drawing files opening slowly or AutoCAD commands freezing when executing, you should turn on the feature. Hardware acceleration feature in AutoCAD with the following steps:

1.1. For AutoCAD 2015 and later versions

Step 1: In the AutoCAD interface, type 3DCONFIG on Command and press Enter.
Step 2: In the Graphics Performance window , turn the Hardware Acceleration option to On and check all the effect settings below.

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Step 3: Then, click OK to save changes.

Another way to enable hardware acceleration in AutoCAD is to use the OP command (OPTIONS). Here are the steps:

Step 1: Type the command OP (OPTIONS) and press Enter.
Step 2: In the Options window , click on the System tab and select Graphics Performance .
Step 3: The same Graphics Performance window appears. Here, you turn the Hardware Acceleration option to On and check all the effect settings below.
Step 4: Then, click OK > Apply to save changes.

1.2. For AutoCAD 2014 and lower versions

How to enable hardware acceleration in older AutoCAD software, such as AutoCAD 2014 and below, is a bit different. If you are using one of these versions, do the following:

Step 1: In the AutoCAD interface, type the command OP (OPTIONS) and press Enter.
Step 2: In the Options window , click on the System tab and select Performance Settings.
Step 3: In the next window, click the Manual Tune button.

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Step 4: In the Manual Performance Tuning dialog box , select Enable hardware acceleration.

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Step 5: Finally, click OK to save changes.

Note: This feature can only be used if your graphics card supports OpenGL, the 2D and 3D graphics API. Otherwise, the hardware acceleration option will be grayed out or inactive.

2. Update graphics driver

As mentioned above, outdated graphics drivers are also one of the causes of AutoCAD lagging and slow running errors. Updating graphics drivers is very important for your computer to operate smoothly and be compatible with new graphics processing environments. To update the graphics driver on your computer, do the following:

Step 1: Type device manager into Windows Search and select Device Manager from the search results to open the device manager.

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Step 2: Find and click Display adapters.

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Step 3: Right-click your graphics card and select Update driver.

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Step 4: Next, click Search automatically for drivers (or Search automatically for updated driver software ) and the system will automatically find and update the latest graphics driver version for you.

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3. Set software priority

Windows shares processor resources among all running processes based on their priority. If a process (application) has a higher priority, it will get more processor resources for better performance than a process with a lower priority.

In Task Manager, you can set AutoCAD priority to ensure program performance. You do the following:

Step 1: Press the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Del to open Task Manager.
Step 2: Click on the Details tab and select acad.exe .
Step 3: Right-click acad.exe and select Set Priority from the context menu.
Step 4: Then, select Realtime as the highest priority.

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Changing the priority will only take effect during the current AutoCAD software session, once you exit AutoCAD or restart your PC, the settings will return to default.

4. Update software

Updates often bring new features as well as bug fixes. So, you should always keep your software updated with the latest service packs and bug fixes for smooth performance.

5. A few other remedies

- If using a wireless peripheral, such as a mouse or keyboard, check the device's battery charge level.
- Check network connection.
- Clear the AutoCAD graphics cache by entering CACHEMAXFILES on the command line and setting it to 0, then restart AutoCAD. (Set CACHEMAXFILES back to value 256 after reboot).
- Disable anti-virus software.
- Uninstall and reinstall AutoCAD.

AutoCAD errors cause stuttering and lag, causing you to lose time when working on drawings. If you encounter this phenomenon, please apply the workarounds shared by TipsMake in the article one by one to solve the problem. In addition, refer to the latest How to install AutoCAD 2021 here if you do not have this software on your computer.

Jessica Tanner

Update 18 June 2024