"Cannot find license file" Error When Launching a Network Client Install of SOLIDWORKS

This article discusses the steps needed to resolve the "Cannot find license file" error that occurs when launching an instance of SOLIDWORKS that is using a network license.

This issue is caused when a client install of SOLIDWORKS does not have a license server address specified in the SolidNetWork License Manager, which prevents license check out from the network. To add a license server address, please follow the steps below.

1. Launch the SolidNetWork License Manager as an administrator on the client machine. By default, the SolidNetWork License Manager is found in your Start Menu > All Programs > SOLIDWORKS 20XX > SOLIDWORKS Tools. In this path, 20XX represents your year version of the software.
   Once you have found the SolidNetWork License Manager, right click on the program and select "Run as administrator".
2. Navigate to the "Server List" tab and click "Add", as shown below.
   
   
   
   
3. Add and confirm the address for your license server in the new window that appears. In almost all cases, this address will be formatted as 25734@SERVERNAME, where SERVERNAME is the name of the machine hosting your server side SolidNetWork License Manager.
   
   
   
   
4. Verify that the server address has been added. If you would like to see the list of available licenses to be checked out, you can do so via the "License Usage" tab. Otherwise, exit the SolidNetWork License Manager.
   
   

If you have any questions regarding the information above, please contact Hawk Ridge Systems Technical Support at 1-877-266-4469 (US), 1-866-587-6803 (CAN), or support@hawkridgesys.com.