SOLIDWORKS Crashing on Startup with a Blank Fault Module Error

We've recently received a few reports of SOLIDWORKS crashing while being launched. The error report for these crashes shows a blank fault module, making it harder to determine the reason behind it. 

This issue has been seen in multiple versions of both SOLIDWORKS and Windows. It may look like a different add-in is causing the crash, as different add-ins may be seen loading on the splash screen when the crash occurs:

After further investigation, we've found that these crashes seem to be caused by a recent update to the SolidProfessor add-in causing issues with 3DEXPERIENCE add-ins, like the 3DEXPERIENCE Marketplace. The crash occurs under the following conditions:

• 3DEXPERIENCE and SolidProfessor add-ins are both enabled on startup.
• 3DEXPERIENCE and SolidProfessor add-ins are both enabled at the same time.
• The SolidProfessor add-in is enabled, and then a 3DEXPERIENCE add-in is enabled. 

Solution

The crashes on startup can be resolved by editing the registry to disable add-ins on startup. This will allow SOLIDWORKS to launch, and add-ins can then be enabled as needed. 

One thing you need to understand first is that we are going into registry editor, so you should be extremely careful not to modify anything except what is listed below. If you do not feel comfortable performing the steps listed below, please contact Technical Support. DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING IN YOUR REGISTRY UNLESS EXPLICITLY INSTRUCTED TO.

Follow these steps to disable the SolidProfessor add-in on startup:

1. Close all SOLIDWORKS programs.
2. Open the Windows registry editor.
3. Go to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks\AddInsStartup".
   - We recommend creating a backup of this folder by right clicking on it and selecting Export.
4. In "AddInsStartup", find the "{9ff8affc-3009-41d0-8327-71d97bd798f0}" registry key.
   - This is the registry key that controls if the SolidProfessor add-in is enabled on startup.
5. Replace that key's data value of "1" with a value of "0" by right clicking on the "(Default)", select "Modify...". Replace the "value data" from "1" to "0".
6. Restart SOLIDWORKS to test the issue. 

If the issue persists, you can continue disabling any other add-ins by finding any other keys in "AddInsStartup" with a data value of "1" and changing it to "0". Once all add-ins are disabled on startup, you can launch SOLIDWORKS and enable the add-ins you need. If you need both the SolidProfessor and 3DEXPERIENCE add-ins, you can leave 3DEXPERIENCE add-ins enabled on startup. Leave SolidProfessor disabled on startup and enable it manually after launching SOLIDWORKS until a fix is implemented. 

Contact Us

For further assistance, please contact our HawkSupport team at 877-266-4469(US) or 866-587-6803(Canada) and support@hawkridgesys.com.