Alex searched forums. One comment from 2017 saved him: "AutoCAD 2016 needs .NET Framework 4.5, but Windows 10 hides it."
He closed Chrome (18 tabs), Slack, Spotify, and that PDF of "Moby Dick." Re-ran the check. Passed. Log Entry: Day 2 – The .NET Abyss Autocad 2016 Installation
Then he saw the note hidden under the keyboard: “Autodesk changed activation servers for 2016 – use offline activation only.” Alex searched forums
Printer: Offline.
Alex drew the Riverside project’s foundation in 4 hours. At 2 AM, he hit . he hit .