How To Modify A SOLIDWORKS Installation

This guide describes the process of changing a SOLIDWORKS license serial number applied to a machine, adding another SOLIDWORKS product serial number to your machine and installing accessible products that are not yet currently added to your SOLIDWORKS installation. Before making changes to any software, you should always log into your machine with full administrative permissions.

A SOLIDWORKS seat can be used to activate SOLIDWORKS on one machine. If you wish to use your activation on another system, you must first deactivate the PC that is currently active. Please review 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 Hawk Ridge Systems technical support.

This document is only to be distributed and used by Hawk Ridge Systems customers. Any other use is prohibited.

License Transfer

*SOLIDWORKS standalone products may be installed on your business and home machines, but only one instance of the software may be active at any given time.

For step-by-step instructions on the SOLIDWORKS license transfer process, please see our guide for Transferring/Deactivating a SOLIDWORKS Standalone License

You will need to complete the License Transfer steps if…

You are using a new machine (no previous SOLIDWORKS product activations of that license type), and the product you wish to activate was previously active on another machine (Example, adding a SOLIDWORKS Simulation License to a machine running SOLIDWORKS without Simulation)
- The license transfer steps will have to be performed on the old machine to free up the SOLIDWORKS product to activate on the new machine.
You are swapping a license to another machine that is using a license of the same product (Example, Swapping a SOLIDWORKS Standard license to a SOLIDWORKS Premium license).
- The license transfer steps will have to be performed on both machines to free up the license being transferred and the one that is being replaced.

You can skip the License Transfer steps if…

The license is new and is not replacing an existing product license on your machine
You are adding an additional add-in product to your machine that is available with your current SOLIDWORKS License but was not added during installation.
You are removing an add-in product that is available with your current SOLIDWORKS License from your machine which is no longer needed.

Modification

If you have purchased upgrades or add-ins or you are changing your license from standalone to network (or vice versa), you will need to first deactivate your license, then follow these instructions to load the new tools.

Login to the computer with full administrative rights.
Click Start, Control Panel and choose Uninstall a program.
Select SOLIDWORKS from the list of programs and click the Change button
The SOLIDWORKS installer will start up. Click the Modify your installation radio button.
Press the Next button to continue.
You will be shown your serial number for SOLIDWORKS. If you are changing your serial number, type in this new number now. You can copy and paste serial number information into the installation manager by utilizing the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+C (Copy) and Ctrl+V (Paste).

Note: If you are loading other products with separate serial numbers, check the box for the appropriate product and enter those serial numbers as well.
Click the Next button to continue.
The installer will check to see if it is up to date.
If you are not online, it will warn that it cannot automatically select products to install. Pressing Cancel will bypass this message, and the installation manager will continue with the load, but you must manually select all your add-ins during the installation instead of being given a list based on your serial number.
The system will detect any previous installations of SOLIDWORKS.
With the serial number you provided, the version of SOLIDWORKS and its add-ins will appear in a list. Here is where you can add any features that are not currently loaded by adding a check next to the appropriate item. Changes to your installation will appear in bold.
Click the Next button to continue.
You will also be shown the required file size and available disk space at the bottom of this page. (If the number is 0 KB you already have all selected items loaded.)
You will be shown any items you have chosen to add or remove. If you wish to view your Download Options, Install Locations, or Toolbox Options, you can press the arrow symbol (>) in front of the desired item. Press the CHANGE button on any of these summary items to customize them.
Add a checkmark next to I accept the terms of SOLIDWORKS.
Click the Modify Now or Download and Modify button to continue.

Note: If you have changed your licensing to a network installation, you will be prompted for a server location at this point.
If downloads are required, the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager will download them at this point. The items you have chosen will be loaded onto your machine.

Now that SOLIDWORKS and its Add-Ins have all been loaded, open the “What’s New” PDF.
You can choose to join the Customer Experience Program if you wish. This will periodically send fault and usage information via e-mail to SOLIDWORKS to help improve the product. This will not affect the performance of SOLIDWORKS on your computer. (The logging takes place whether you choose this or not. The only difference is whether SOLIDWORKS sends the log files to development to process the information.)
Press the Finish button to complete the modification.