Autodesk Fusion free version - does it do anything beyond viewing? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 11:00:54 am
content: Someone did a design for me in Fusion. I have very little need for 3D design nowadays so don't want to pay the price of this thing.He said he will let me have the design if I get Fusion free version and then I can view it.After some hassle I managed to install it (various one time codes etc - why?? - presumably it runs only on one machine) and looking at the limitations it doesn't look like I could ever export anything to a CNC shop.I see there is a thing called FreeCAD. Is there a route from Fusion to FreeCAD which would allow me to do little mods and then export for some chinese CNC shop?

author: jc101
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 02:59:24 pm
content: Fusion free is pretty limited. You don't have to spend £636 for Fusion for a year, you can buy a months worth of access for £78. Not ideal I'll admit.I have a fusion licence, so if you just need the file exported I can do that for you.Recently I looked for something that would import Fusion files, but I couldn't find anything that would do that. Or at least nothing that didn't involve a lot of effort. So I let my legacy Fusion (a bit cheaper) licence renew. Over a year I use it enough to justify it, just.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 03:09:31 pm
content: FreeCAD has become a quite usable and capable 3D drawing program, but it certainly has it's own learning curve to say it mildly.For the rest... There is little hope of modifying any 3D drawing in another program then with which it was made. The closest you can normally get is something like STEP export (or IGES, STL, etc). But such exports only give you the current shape. Modern 3D CAD programs work parametric, and they save the editing history in the drawing. That means that if you want to modify small things, you only redo the step that is responsible for your small thing. If you convert a drawing to another format, the whole editing history is lost.For the rest. I was not sure in how far STEP files can be modified in FreeCAD, and because I was curious I did a test:Draw a rectangular block in FreeCAD.Export the block as a STEP file.Close the drawing without saving.Create an new empty drawing in FreeCAD.Import the STEP file.Edit the Step file by punching a hole though the block.And it works, as you can see from the result below.

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 03:32:46 pm
content: The fusion "personal use" version is limited to mostly non commercial use but it has most of the 3D functionality. It's limited in ability to produce CAM output and manufacturing drawings, and it doesn't let you use the fusion 360 cloud stuff. It's pretty popular in the 3d printer community for this reason.If you don't qualify for the personal use, then paying for a single month subscription is probably the best option. You can load the design, check it out, and export it to whatever format you want.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 03:41:32 pm
content: If the full version owner sends me the design, can I export it in some format to Chinese CNC shop in the free version?Otherwise I will need him for anything other than viewing it - is that correct?I thought IGES was universal, but the free version does not AFAICT export in IGES.In the 1990s I had a load of injection mouldings designed and have the IGES files.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 04:55:55 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on August 02, 2025, 03:41:32 pmafaik the free version can still export step/stp files which should be what the cnc shop wants

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 06:59:49 pm
content: OK. I've realised that IGES is not editable as "objects" so if e.g. you have a hole 3mm dia you cannot change it to 3.5mm dia. To do that you need the design in the CAD native format, whatever that is.So it is funny that the injection mould designer in the 1990s only gave us IGES. We have to go back to him for any real changes (he's long gone of course).Can a CNC shop make a part from IGES? I've been reading on Fusion and the free version disables tool changes, to prevent it being used by CNC shops. Does this mean that the CNC shop, forced to use IGES, needs to process the IGES data with some program to determine which cutters to use for which parts? BTW I have a turret mill and a lathe (DRO but not CNC/servos) so I know how "engineering" worksIf the above is right then disabling tool change in the free version would have no effect on NC shops using it.I also note that IGES is probably OK for 3D printing, or does the free version have some way to drive a 3D printer directly? I don't have a 3D printer and really just need aluminium CNC machining. But I know people with printers...What is the best format for going from the full version to the free version? Presumably some native format.The free version, installed this morning, says I have 30 days left. What does this actually mean?Thank you all for any input.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 07:07:30 pm
content: disabled tool changes is only something the affect making an actual CAM program, so unless you are going to make the part yourself on your own machine it doesn't matterthe step file is just the part it doesn't have anything to do with setup and tool changes, the shop figures out how to make the part when they make the CAM

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 07:24:30 pm
content: OK so I need the .f3d file to do anything. Can the free version edit this? Sounds like it can for 30 days only but it can view it without a time limit.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 08:35:05 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on August 02, 2025, 07:24:30 pmyes the free version can edit/design/make parts the limitations are mostly things like not having more a few projects open and only cloud storage and some machining operations missing making things slower (which doesn't matter if you are not making the parts)I don't know where got view only from, and I suspect the 30 days is that you get 30 days trial of the full version when you install it first time, after than you'll need to get paid or free license

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 09:25:13 pm
content: I did a quick check at:https://www.pcbway.com/rapid-prototyping/manufacture/?reffercode=BAAnd the file formats they support apparently are:File size < 200 MB (3D CAD: *.step, *.stp, *.x_t , *.iges, *.igs, *.sldprt )I'm not exactly sure, but I think that STEP files are more common and prefered these days compared with IGES.I am also not surprised at all that the "free" version of any sort of software made by autodesk is barely useful and does not support any file format that could break out of their own walled garden.I'm not sure if you've noticed, but in these modern times, writing good software is not very high on the priority list of software companies anymroe. They use all sorts of enshitification to extract more money from customers while putting the least amount of effort into keeping their software "usable", and without too many customers walking away to their competitors.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 09:44:43 pm
content: Pretty sure you can export step in the free versions, but I could be wrong.One thing to keep in mind for any software package when you want to output a special file type. There's usually a 'Save As' menu but also an 'Export' menu and they are totally different.Save is used to save all your work so you can continue later. Export is for generating output files that you might need for something but they don't contain all the data. (eg. step files are just surfaces, there's no texture data, sometimes no color data either)The reason I'm mentioning this is because I've seen people conclude a software package doesnt support saving file type 'X' because it wasn't listed in the Save As options.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2025, 09:45:37 pm
content: Quote from: Doctorandus_P on August 02, 2025, 09:25:13 pmhttps://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/changes-to-fusion-360-for-personal-use/Quote from: Doctorandus_P on August 02, 2025, 09:25:13 pmyeh people paying for a product getting more than those who get it for free, what an odd concept /sand if you are making stuff professionally <700$/yr for a tool like fusion is so cheap it might as well be free

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 05:37:46 am
content: I don't normally do 3D design or manufacturing. Many years ago, paid some 30k to a design firm to design a load of injection mouldings and these are still running after 30 years! As I said, they gave us STEP or IGES files only. The injection firm has done mods to the tools but they just did it internally.This project is a one-off. It is like a diecast box with a DB25 hole at one end. Someone offered to do the design for free but for some reason is taking ages (many months) to finish it, so I will try to retrieve it and if necessary find somebody on freelancer.com to finish it. Then I need a viewer, which the free Fusion will do for sure, and probably I should find a machine shop to make the CNC thing, hence I want to be sure the free version can do that. Otherwise the whole exercise is pointless because I don't have the time to learn Fusion from scratch.I happily buy software I actually use but paying for the full version would be a waste of money in this situation.According to google, free personal use version of Fusion 360 allows you to export designs in a variety of formats including .f3d, .3mf, .ipt, .iam, .dwg, .dxf, .fbx, .igs, .iges, .obj, .sat, .skp, .stp, and .stl. You can also export sketches and flat patterns as .dxf files. The specific formats available for export depend on the context, such as exporting from a sketch or flat pattern.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 04:40:15 pm
content: What is not clear to me is whether Fusion 360 for personal use" is just the download trial version which has expired.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 04:43:31 pm
content: Just ask for drawings for the CNC, and not 3D models.Or have it exported to STEP files, that's the most universal 3D format.

author: jc101
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 04:48:45 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on August 03, 2025, 04:40:15 pmThe personal free version is described here:https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personalI think you may need to create an account, not linked to a company e-mail address, then apply for the personal use licence. Or just buy a months access as and when you need it and use it as a business.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 06:46:41 pm
content: QuoteI have asked for the .f3d file.QuoteIs that object-editable? I don't think so. Like IGES, it seems to be the low level shape data, which CNC shops can then process with some other software to work out how to machine the part, using various tool sizes etc.QuoteOK. That downloads Fusion Client Downloader.exe 13429 bytes which downloads the exact same program every time, which is Fusion with a 30 day expiry. Under Help/About I see2603.1.15 Active Plan (Trial)

author: jc101
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 06:54:47 pm
content: I suspect you will need to contact them to request a personal licence.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 07:00:21 pm
content: OK I will see what this one does in 30 days' timeIt's a weird program. Keeps asking me to enter auth codes sent by email. Just now it popped up a QR code for use with a phone app. All I did was to try to sign in, when I could not find any samples to open/edit.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 07:09:48 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on August 03, 2025, 06:46:41 pmEvery machine shop always will go sometimes in this order:The data file isn't goodBut if you send it in the good format, we cannot use it anywayHurr durr, the engineer doesn't know what he is doing.This feature cannot be machined, we don't have a 12 axis CNC. What, just use a different machine? That sounds like work.It's going to be 1570 EUR, plus setup costs.I'm convinced that paperclips and nails are impossible to make after talking to these people. They are somehow leftovers from an alien civilization.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 07:26:37 pm
content: Quote from: tszaboo on August 03, 2025, 07:09:48 pmtried some of the Chinese online services where you just upload a step file, choose material, and get an instant quote?

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 07:27:18 pm
content: Can anyone recommend a good Chinese CNC shop for 3 axis work? By 3 axis I mean a box with holes in the side of it. It has no undercuts (i.e. it could be injection moulded, without a side action tool, if one added draft) except it does have a recessed DB25 connector in the side.Paperclips and nails are made by very clever machines. There are videos out there. Same with springs of all kinds of weird shapes.I've just read somewhere that Fusion keeps your design on their server, not on your PC. Is that really true??

author: jc101
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 07:44:24 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on August 03, 2025, 07:27:18 pmKind of. Files are kept in your Autodesk account, but you can download to a local cache and work off-line too. You can export the Fusion file as a local backup, or if you don't continue the sub and the cloud files get deleted (I presume that do, eventually).

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 08:40:37 pm
content: I think the "cloud" feature stops when the 30 days expire.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 08:45:11 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on August 03, 2025, 08:40:37 pmafaiu (I have paid version) it still works the same (or might only be cloud storage) but there's a limit to how many designs you can have active at a time

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 09:46:52 pm
content: Seems to be 10 max open projects, and it isn't an issue.Funny thing is their emails come From: <lourdes.v.vasque@autodesk.com> but when I reply to it I get(reason: 550 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 10:14:15 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on August 03, 2025, 09:46:52 pmyeh it seems to me that most of the limitations in the free version isn't really that limiting, it just makes things a bit more cumbersome and some thing slower so that people who use it to make money won't abuse it

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 10:41:02 pm
content: I need to find out how to work offline, obviously...

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2025, 10:17:46 am
content: Quote from: langwadt on August 03, 2025, 07:26:37 pmSure, but I almost never just need a STEP file made into a part.I need a part, which has reference distances, tolerances. Threaded holes that supposed to interface with other parts.And surface finish. Often times the parts need to form an enclosure that's IP rated.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2025, 01:02:25 pm
content: Am I right that for the above you need- IGES or similar for the overall shape- DXF or DWG for the specs e.g. tolerances, thread specs etcI guess IGES or STEP alone is OK for shapes like most injection mouldings are.But I've seen 3D printed stuff containing a thread like M3. It wasn't really usable (well not in 3D printed plastic!) but the thread was there. Was that just a hi res STEP/IGES file?Fusion can directly drive a 3D printer so maybe it "just does it"?I have just finally received the .f3d file...

author: m98
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2025, 05:10:21 pm
content: In Fusions thread creation tool, you can specify if you want a fully modeled thread, which can then be 3D printed.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2025, 06:03:02 pm
content: Fusion is very complex. I've successfully managed to view the product from various angles, choose which parts to show/hide, export STEP, upload to PCBWAY, and now waiting for them to review it. 2 3D printed samples for $55. Not bad!It says "under review" so presumably some human there needs to look at it.$100 each for aluminium, CNC. Rather more impressive pricing for titaniumFor metal versions I want threads tapped and for that I need to generate drawing(s) from Fusion...I've just realised they well might 3D print it with the lid in place so I can't get inside, so I messaged them about itQuoteI think that is if I have my own 3D printer. AFAICT if I export STEP, to a printing/CNC firm, they can't do threads unless they get a drawing.

author: m98
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2025, 06:32:43 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on August 04, 2025, 06:03:02 pmIf you want to send a file to be 3D-printed, just directly export the surface geometry with modeled threads as an STL. You can easily do that in Fusion by right-clicking on the body you want to export and selecting "Save as mesh".

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2025, 07:46:16 pm
content: I tried to get a CNC price but if I want tapped holes they want a drawing e.g. DXF or DWG. But to get either of these you need "cloud translation". AIUI this stops working on the free/trial version after 30 days.This probably explains why it is often said the free Fusion is popular with the 3Dprintingcommunity. They don't need drawings.

author: m98
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2025, 08:39:02 pm
content: You can still print / use print to PDF to export the 2D drawings. Btw, Solidworks is also available very cheap for private use.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2025, 08:55:41 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on August 04, 2025, 07:46:16 pmafaiu you can still make DXF you just need to make a sketch firstQuote from: peter-h on August 04, 2025, 07:46:16 pmit is also really convenient for making cam if you have a CNC machine

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2025, 06:29:22 am
content: I would like to thank all you people for all your help!I've placed a couple of orders with PCBWAY.I will still need to find somebody to do actual edits to the part but probably there are loads on freelancer.com. Not looking for a freebieInterestingly DWG and DXF looked very similar (I used an online viewer; curiously Fusion won't view these files) and don't have dimensions as such. I guess producing a dimensioned drawing is a lot more "AI"

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2025, 03:16:41 pm
content: Fusion gets 10/10 for opaqueness. Just spent a couple of hours watching tutorials etc trying to work out how to change the diameter of a hole. Yes, a hole!I can add a hole somewhere, add fillets, etc but cannot edit an existing hole. I wonder if there is a locked mode, or perhaps somebody created a hole as a "negative" so there isn't actually a hole there?

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2025, 09:20:41 pm
content: The normal process to edit a hole is right click on the hole and -> edit profile sketch. If that hole was created by a pattern feature or something else you might have to find its origin, and edit that one.Its also likely the file was imported as STEP and it does not have any feature data embedded in it. Look at the bottom timeline and you'll see timeline history, if there is nothing then you can't edit feature data that doesn't exist.In that case you start a new sketch on top of the hole and draw a larger hole to cut it bigger.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2025, 10:22:17 am
content: Thank you.I tried it but cannot find an editable holeClearly it is more subtle... but this is an extremely complex program, with loads of "selection" modes.The drawing was definitely done in Fusion. I have the .f3d file. If you import IGES then AIUI you get no "objects" that can be edited. No doubt that's why designers only give IGES to their customers, forcing them to go back to the designer for any mods

author: jc101
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2025, 10:32:35 am
content: If you need the .f3d editing, and it's a simple change, happy to take a look. Even if it's to look for where the editable element is so you can edit it yourself. If you're not used to Fusion, it can take a while to get your head around.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2025, 10:04:22 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on August 08, 2025, 10:22:17 amJust because you have a f3d file does not mean it was made in fusion, or contains any feature data.You can import a step file and then save it as .f3d.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2025, 07:05:21 am
content: OK; sure. In this case I know who did it.I still cannot edit the holeI can measure its diameter using the Measure feature. I can also add new holes elsewhere. But jc101 above can edit the hole OK.It's a weird program...Many years ago I used AutoCAD and that one could work out without too much trouble.Currently I am waiting for some 3D printed boxes to come back from PCBWAY and then I will see what needs to be done.

author: m98
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2025, 05:17:30 pm
content: You can just close the hole using direct modeling tools. Or create a sketch on the surface with a circle covering the hole and then extrude.

author: Jerrery
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 13, 2025, 04:12:45 pm
content: Fusion's free version is too limited - try Onshape's edu plan (register with school email). FreeCAD's STEP import works decently, but you'll need to export from Fusion as IGES first.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2025, 04:51:24 pm
content: Quoteno need to fiddle an education email,onshape offers a perfectly usable free version

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2025, 05:06:40 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on August 13, 2025, 04:51:24 pmwhat does it do that the free fusion doesn't?

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2025, 09:59:18 am
content: If I was starting againmyselfI would obviously not use Fusion, or anything from Autodesk.But in this case I have a design done by someone and don't want to do it again, despite a few people saying to me they could re-create it in an hour. Well, they sure could but this design had a fair bit of detail work put into it, fitting various items into it properly, etc.In a couple of weeks I will find out what happens when my 30 day trial endsI reckon I will end up with what Autodesk calls the Personal Version. I say this because the downloader stub for all these versions is exactly the same executable, byte for byte. I might lose the "cloud" access which is needed for e.g. DWG or DXF export... but probably not.There is no object-level portability between any of the 3D programs AFAICT. Only via STEP or IGES which is much less usable - no wonder product designers send you only these formats even after you paid their hefty fees

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2025, 02:56:17 pm
content: I have 12 days to go before the 30 days is up and then I will find out how much of it is still workingI will update this thread.In the meantime I am getting loads of emails fromAutodesk Fusion <lourdes.v.vasquez@autodeskcommunications.com>but any replies to it bounce backOther emails from them don't bounce but nobody replies.What a stupid company.I got the 3D prints back from PCBWAY. Very impressive!

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2025, 05:25:33 pm
content: I recommend you make some DXF / STEP file exports before your month of probation has expired.That makes it easier if you ever have to re-create your work.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2025, 09:21:25 pm
content: 30 days is up and I getSo as I suspected, the Trial becomes what they call the Personal Version.And this idiocyso one must now disable auto updates, in case one of their updates produced a dud application! Yes that has happened; e.g. the UK tax authority did an update recently which required win10 but it didn't check the current OS so win7 users got shafted. There seem to be a lot of people who want to disable auto updates on this app (e.g. in a classroom setting you don't want all the machines trashed or even changed) so there is a lot of stuff online on how to do this. One recommendation gives a registry setting but that does not exist on my machine. I found a video listing some hosts file entries, which is another old and well tried way to do this, so I added these to the hosts file127.0.0.1 a360-statusdashboard.s3.amazonaws.com127.0.0.1 adsk-00.dn.apigee.net127.0.0.1 compute.api.autodesk.com127.0.0.1 dl.appstreaming.autodesk.com127.0.0.1 fns-p-ue1-dn.cosv2-p-ue1-dn.autodesk.com127.0.0.1 notifications.prd.fusionapi.autodesk.com127.0.0.1 accounts.autodesk.comThen they point you this comparisonhttps://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personalbut as I said previously both options give you the same downloader stubOK so some stuff is now disabled. You cannot export the greyed-out filesbut all the others (including those which are off the screenshot) remain available.So you can do STEP but not IGES.The DWG and DXF files used "cloud" functionality, so maybe that is gone. I am not sure when exactly these files are needed. For CNC machining, STEP seems to be enough.

author: eliocor
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2025, 03:09:35 pm
content: just for curiosity:search for occurrences of byte(s) pattern:Code:41 49 3b c9 74 4f 4c 8dand replace74withEBdoes it changes something?sorry, but I can't say more

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2025, 04:47:16 pm
content: Oh, wow, I used to do a lot of replacing 74 with EB in the early 2000s. This replaces conditional jump with unconditional one. It is surprising that big products don't validate their binary and that still works.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2025, 07:35:25 pm
content: That byte sequence is not found in either of the obvious .exe files, so if it still exists it must be elsewhere

author: eliocor
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2025, 08:56:32 pm
content: who said to search in the .exe file? i certainly not!

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2025, 10:28:07 am
content: I need to find a win32 "grep" which works on binary files with wildcards, probably recursively...EDIT: Yara did it.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2025, 06:52:26 pm
content: Agent Ransack?https://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/

author: eliocor
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 07, 2025, 07:53:02 pm
content: No need at all...He was already given everything he needed (and even much more): now it is only up to him!@PlainName: I didn't know Agent Ransack.... Thanks for the suggestion!

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2025, 08:25:10 pm
content: I did it with Yara. Took a while to get it working and then to search 330k files under c:\users which is where Fusion installs, not in the usual Program Files etc place.It seems to work... only on the 30-day-expired version, as one might expect. One must also block updates by using the hosts file stuff above, otherwise you have to do it again.I use Agent Ransack a lot for purchase order management at work. Didn't know it could do binaries as well.Be aware that with Fusion you never get any "installer". You just get a little stub which downloads and installs the whole huge complicated program, bits of which live in different places on your PC, some of it in the AppData directory (which is normally hidden and the files in which are mostly not accessible to programs unless they run as admin). Each file is downloaded and written to the hard disk, on the fly.If you want to install multiple free versions on different PCs (100% legitimate) then you have to use a different email address to get each one. I think also a different browser; not sure though.