This guide is written for 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS (previously known as SOLIDWORKS Connected) and not the Desktop version of SOLIDWORKS.

This information is subject to change without notification. This is not a troubleshooting guide. For any technical issues, existing customers can submit a ticket or new customers can contact Hawk Ridge Systems.

When experiencing serious issues with SOLIDWORKS software, we recommend fully uninstalling 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS and all associated programs and files before attempting to reinstall the software. This document covers how to do this complete removal of 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS.

Before Uninstalling 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS

Prior to uninstalling 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS, make sure it is connected online to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. If currently working offline, open SOLIDWORKS, select the "Offline" icon, and select "Yes" in the following prompt. Save all files to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform before proceeding to the next section.

Optional: We recommend creating a backup of the current user settings before uninstalling SOLIDWORKS by following the steps in this article: Save, Restore, or Reset SOLIDWORKS Settings – Hawk Ridge Systems

Uninstalling 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS

To uninstall 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS, please follow the steps below: 

1. Log in to the computer as the Administrator
2. Disable all antivirus and anti-spyware programs
3. Confirm within 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS that it is working online
4. Close all open applications
5. Navigate to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Dassault Systems SOLIDWORKS 3DEXPERIENCE R20XX
6. Double-click on SOLIDWORKS 3DEXPERIENCE R20XX or right-click to select "Uninstall/change"

7. This will bring up the DS Installer and load a warning asking about uninstalling all items under the installation directory. Select "Yes" to proceed. This will begin the uninstallation process and may take several minutes to complete. 

   

Without Administrator credentials on the machine, uninstall 3DEXPERIENCE R20XX SOLIDWORKS from the Compass on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform using the steps below:

1. Open the 3DEXPERIENCE platform: https://usw2-ifwe.3dexperience.3ds.com/ 

2. Click on the Compass at the top left

   

3. From the Compass, click the arrow on the right of the app and select the Uninstall icon

4. In the 3DEXPERIENCE Uninstallation dialog box, click "Yes". A 3DEXPERIENCE uninstallation window is displayed during the uninstallation process.

At this point, the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS products have been removed from the machine. However, many folders, files, and registry keys remain on your system.  If these items were the cause of the software issue, reinstalling the product without removing them will not fix the issue. This next section covers how to check and safely remove all remaining items from your system.

Uninstalling Related 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Programs and Prerequisites

3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS requires many other libraries and software dependencies in order for the program to execute on the machine. Upon a fresh install, 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS will install these additional programs automatically, but this is not necessarily the case for an uninstall. To perform a thorough uninstall, please remove the following programs (order of removal is not important) from the Windows Control Panel (Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features): 

• 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher
• CEF for SOLIDWORKS Applications
• Dassault Systemes Software VC10 Prerequisites x86-x64
• Dassault Systemes Software VC11 Prerequisites x86-x64
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable (x64)
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable (x86)
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x64)
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x86)
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable (x64)
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable (x86)
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x64)
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x86)
• Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019
• SOLIDWORKS Login Manager
• WPTx64
• Visual Basic (VBA) 7.1
  1. Download the attachment 'QA00000070487_uninstall_vba.bat'
  2. Right-click the batch file and select 'Run as administrator'

After uninstalling all of the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Programs and Prerequisites, proceed to the next section to clean SOLIDWORKS Folders.

Cleaning SOLIDWORKS Folders

Some of these folders are deleted in Uninstalling Related 3DExperience SOLIDWORKS Programs and Prerequisites or may not exist in the environment, and some may contain important user data like downloaded media, document templates, databases, and design library files. Create a backup of the %public% and %programdata% folders before deletion. 

1. Press the Windows Key+R on the keyboard to bring up the Run Window

   

2. Paste in one of the following locations from the list below, and hit Enter
3. Delete the folder's contents and repeat the steps for the rest of the locations

Program Files and Folders:

• %programfiles%\Dassault Systemes\SOLIDWORKS 3DEXPERIENCE R20XXx
• %programfiles%\Dassault Systemes\SOLIDWORKS Apps 20XX
• %programfiles%\Common Files\SOLIDWORKS Shared
• %programfiles(x86)%\Common Files\SOLIDWORKS Shared
• %public%\Documents\Dassault Systemes
• %public%\Documents\SOLIDWORKS
• %programdata%\DassaultSystemes\3DEXPERIENCELauncher
• %programdata%\SOLIDWORKS
• %programdata%\SOLIDWORKS HotFix
• %appdata%\DassaultSystemes
• %appdata%\SolidWorks
• %localappdata%\TempSWBackupDirectory
• %localappdata%\DassaultSystemes
• %localappdata%\SolidWorks
• %temp%\swcefcache

After cleaning the SOLIDWORKS Folders, proceed to the next section to clean the SOLIDWORKS Registry.

Cleaning the SOLIDWORKS Registry 

The computer registry is where much of the information for all programs is stored. This is accessed in the Registry Editor program. Cleaning the registry is a crucial step when doing a clean uninstall.

Incorrectly editing the Windows Registry can severely damage the system. Hawk Ridge Systems Technical Support strongly recommends backing up registry keys before making any changes.

When going into the Registry Editor, do not modify or delete anything except what is listed below. If you do not feel comfortable performing the steps listed below, please contact Technical Support.

1. Type regedit into the Windows search line in order to select and open the Registry Editor program from the search results.

   

   

   
    

2. Create a backup of the Registry following the steps here: How to back up and restore the registry in Windows | Microsoft Support
3. Delete the following folders from the list below and rename the registry keys by adding _OLD to the end of their names 

Registry Entries: 

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Dassault Systemes\SolidWorks Shared
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Dassault Systemes\SolidWorksPDM
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Srac
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Dassault Systemes\SolidWorksPDM
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Dassault Systemes\SwxConnectors
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Dassault Systemes\V6_Common\SOLIDWORKS
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\SolidWorks
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Srac
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\SolidWorks

Now that 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS has been cleanly uninstalled, it can be reinstalled by following the steps here: 3DEXPERIENCE First Steps – Hawk Ridge Systems

Appendix: Settings Wizard

We can save the toolbar locations, command changes, keyboard shortcut hotkeys, and system options (including file locations). Then the settings can be restored after reinstalling SOLIDWORKS. For more information, review this article: Save, Restore, or Reset SOLIDWORKS Settings – Hawk Ridge Systems

For additional support, existing customers can submit a ticket or new customers can contact Hawk Ridge Systems.