This guide is written to perform a SOLIDWORKS 2024 Standalone installation. If you are using a network license, please refer to this article here. If you are using an earlier version of SOLIDWORKS, for example, SOLIDWORKS 2023, please view earlier installation documents to correctly load and administer your version of SOLIDWORKS.
Before loading any new software, you should always log in with full administrative permissions, disable your anti-virus, anti-spyware programs, and User Account Controls. Be sure that your operating system has been updated with the most recent Windows Updates to avoid any compatibility issues with the installer.
A SOLIDWORKS Standalone license can be used to activate SOLIDWORKS on one machine. If you wish to use your activation on another system, you must first deactivate your standalone license from the PC it is currently active on. Please see the SOLIDWORKS End User License Agreement if you have any questions regarding this policy.
This is not a troubleshooting guide. If you have any technical issues with SOLIDWORKS please contact our support team at support@hawkridgesys.com, or 877-266-4469 (US) or 866-587-6803 (Canada).
This document is only to be distributed and used by Hawk Ridge Systems customers. Any other use is prohibited.
Contents
Before Installation
Hawk Ridge Systems highly recommends taking a moment before installing SOLIDWORKS Standalone and checking that you are ready to load your new software.
- First, check to see that your system meets the SOLIDWORKS 2024 minimum system requirements and that your video card is compatible.
- Next, please confirm that your Hard Drive has enough space to leave approximately 15% of your hard drive available after the installation is complete. This is to ensure that your new SOLIDWORKS installation will work as expected. Back up any older SOLIDWORKS data such as your working files, custom toolbox items, saved template files, design library, and other related data files. You can also save your SOLIDWORKS settings with the Copy Settings Wizard. SOLIDWORKS CAD is year-specific, i.e., not forward compatible. Older versions of SOLIDWORKS cannot open files from newer versions e.g., SOLIDWORKS CAD 2023 cannot open SOLIDWORKS 2024 files.
- Log into your computer with full administrative rights.
- Turn down the User Account Control settings (found in the Control Panel). To do this press your Windows key on your keyboard or on your screen and type “UAC” followed by the enter key. A window will appear with a vertical scroll bar, you will want to move the bar down to “Never Notify” for the installation. To implement the UAC changes we will need to restart the computer. You can revert these changes after the installation is complete.
- Disable all anti-virus and anti-spyware tools.
Basic Installation
SOLIDWORKS is installed from the SOLIDWORKS digital installation media or installation disc. The installation uses the same Installation Manager as other SOLIDWORKS products. You will need to download the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager to download and install your SOLIDWORKS 2024 standalone installation. The SOLIDWORKS 2024 installation disc is available by request in 2023 here.
- Please go to the SOLIDWORKS downloads page and choose the SOLIDWORKS 2024 version that you are trying to install (please note that you will need to first log in through the 3D Experience Portal before you can access the SOLIDWORKS downloads.
You will then follow the prompts to download the SOLIDWORKS installation executable. If you have a SOLIDWORKS installation disc you can insert your SOLIDWORKS installation disc into your computer and start the Setup.exe file. - Note: If you receive a Windows reboot message like the one below, click OK. This warning only applies to SQL based products like SOLIDWORKS Electrical.
- When the welcome screen opens, please select Install on this computer.
- Next, you should confirm any serial numbers that are pre-populated, or type in your SOLIDWORKS serial numbers.
If you are unable to find your serial number, please call us or send us an email and we can send you your SOLIDWORKS License serial number to a previously established email address. - Exit all other programs and click the Next button to continue.
For a computer with an existing SOLIDWORKS installation, you can install a new standalone installation concurrently and it will create all new files, templates, etc., for the SOLIDWORKS 2024-year version (typically) without affecting old templates etc. You are also given the option to upgrade an existing SOLIDWORKS installation to 2024. - Press Next to continue.
If you are not online, SOLIDWORKS will warn you that you cannot automatically select products to install as it is not able to validate the products you are entitled to with your license. Pressing Cancel will continue with the installation, but you must manually select all your add-ins during the installation instead of being provided with a list of add-ins and products based on the serial numbers you entered. - Now you will see the summary of what will be installed. On this page you can change things like download options, products to install, where to install SOLIDWORKS (default is best here), and Toolbox Settings.
- Select the SOLIDWORKS software and features to install by expanding each selection group and checking the boxes, then click Back to Summary.
- To change the Toolbox settings, click Toolbox/Hole Wizard Options Change and you will see the image below. When installing a new installation of SOLIDWORKS alongside an old year version, you can re-name the new toolbox C:\SOLIDWORKS Data 2024 to differentiate it from older SOLIDWORKS year versions installed on your computer. For upgrade installations you can choose to create a new one, upgrade an existing Toolbox, or copy an existing Toolbox and upgrade that copy.
- Click back to summary, accept the terms of the SOLIDWORKS License Agreement, then click Download and Install or Install only if you already have all the installation files.
Standalone Activation
SOLIDWORKS Standalone licenses are activation-based licenses. The first time SOLIDWORKS is launched it will bring up the activation wizard.
Follow these instructions to activate SOLIDWORKS over the internet.
- If prompted, select Activate/Reactivate your product license.
- Highlight the SOLIDWORKS license in the activation wizard by clicking Select All, then enter your email for the activation and click next. This will launch the activation process.
- Once the activation process is complete, SOLIDWORKS will be fully licensed and installed. If the activation fails, SOLIDWORKS will often launch with a 30-day grace period before your license needs to be activated.
- To manually activate the product, you may launch the activation wizard within the help menu and follow the same steps as above. Go to Help (the question mark within the circle) -> Licenses -> Activate.
E-mail Manual Activation
- If you do not have internet access on the computer you are looking to use, go to
Help -> Licenses -> Activate, then select Manually via email. - Click the Next button to continue.
- On the next page, select the Save… button to create an activation request file.
Warning! Once you have saved this activation request file, do not exit out of the SOLIDWORKS Activation Window until you have completed the email activation process. You will need to open a response file from SOLIDWORKS inside the SOLIDWORKS software or you will not be able to run SOLIDWORKS. - Browse to the location on your computer to store this .txt file and press the Save button. Copy this text file onto a disc or removable storage device and move it to a machine with internet access.
- Send this file as an attachment to an e-mail and send it to activation@SOLIDWORKS.com.
- SOLIDWORKS will send a return email with a response .txt file attached. Save this text file to a disc or removable storage device and move it to the machine awaiting activation.
- In the activation wizard, press Open…
- Browse to the response file and press the Open button.
- The next page will show you that your activation is complete.
- Press the Finish button to close the Activation Wizard.
Once SOLIDWORKS is activated, you will be able to use the product. Please note that if you need to install SOLIDWORKS onto a new machine, please deactivate the license of the machine that is no longer going to be used first, then activate your new installation.
Your standalone installation of SOLIDWORKS is now properly installed and licensed.
For further assistance, please contact our support team at support@hawkridgesys.com, or 877-266-4469 (US) or 866-587-6803 (Canada).
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