Is there a way to install a cd rom program from my desktop computer to my laptop computer?

What you want to do is create an “image” of the CD. This basically creates a copy of the CD and turns it into a file which you can then move around like any other file. Like this. Only problem you might have is if Autodesk put some kind of protection on the CD somehow to prevent copying (not sure if this is possible, but I’d imagine itd be something they’d try to do).

If you can figure out how to setup a network between the two computers, you can ‘share out’ the CD Drive…

Not sure of the exact steps, but I’m sure a little Google will get you there.

I’ve put CD/DVDs on my netbook the following ways:

1) Put in into the optical drive on my desktop and copied the contents over the home network
2) Used an external optical drive
3) Used my desktop system to make an ISO file, copied the ISO to my thumb drive and transferred it via SneakerNet
4) (/me invokes Fifth Amendment rights protecting from possible self-incrimination)

In some of those cases, you may need a “NoCD” patch to override the copy protection scheme. That is how I run Fable:The Lost Chapter on my netbook.

@lilikoi‘s idea is the best in my opinion. The best program I know of for this is called PowerISO. I do it all the time with my netbook.

You could share your CD Drive on the desktop across the network, or use a crossover cable for an ad-hoc network and install across the network.