Frequently Asked Questions

1. The installer can be downloaded from the ChemSketch Freeware page (under the Resources menu) and clicking on the Download Now button.
2. Locate the file in your Downloads folder on your PC and Unzip it (note: you must extract the files from the zipped folder before proceeding).
3. Open the extracted folder and double-click on the setup.exe file to begin installation (the ACD/Labs Software Web Setup Wizard appears), click Next.
4. Review the License Agreement and click Next.
5. Select the Freeware components you want and unselect any optional components that you do not wish to install (we recommend installing all components), click Next.
6. Specify the destination directory and click Next.
7. Choose to Install ChemBasic Goodies or unselect it and click Next.
8. Review your installation settings and click Install.
9. After the program has installed you can click Finish to start using your ChemSketch Freeware.

ACD/Labs desktop software is not natively supported in a macOS environment. It is possible to run our desktop software in a Virtual Machine environment within macOS. In fact, many of our users and employees have been doing so for years.

The demo video below shows you how to use Virtual Box to configure and install a virtual machine.

Other options are available, including:
Virtual Box
Parallels Desktop
VMware Fusion
Boot Camp Assistant

It is not possible to remove the registration prompt in ChemSketch Freeware. We recommend purchasing or trialing the commercial version of ACD/ChemSketch.

For Windows desktop installations, please run the setup.exe with the /a flag from an administrative command prompt. You will be prompted to install and create an ACD or MSI silent script and a directory where to save it. The silent script file can be located after the installation has completed.

The ChemSketch freeware interface is the same as that of the commercial software; however, not all features are available. Clicking on a feature only available in the commercial software will trigger this prompt.

For some versions of 3D Viewer, there is a known issue that negatively impacts the performance of computers with an integrated graphics card. As a workaround, open 3D Viewer and, from the View menu, unselect Use OpenGL. The user must unselect Use OpenGL each time ACD/3D Viewer is started, because this setting is not saved after closing the application.

You can access your download link from your account Profile. It will be under the Downloads section for 12 months from the date you downloaded it. Login to your account here to access your download link.

• • Activation keys are automatically sent to you during the installation process. Proceed to install the software and an activation key will be sent to you later.
  • If you have not received the keys after completing the installation, please follow these steps