Pending Windows Restart Prompt in Installation Manager

This article is designed to guide you through eliminating this message when you run the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager

Contents

Background

Troubleshooting:

• Option One - Reboot
• Option Two - Registry key

Background

This specific message happens because the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager checks to see if there are any pending reboot requests on your system.  This check is completed because any time you are trying going to install SQL/SQL express for SOLIDWORKS Electrical or SOLIDWORKS PDM the Windows pending restart notification will prevent the install of SQL/SQL Express. 

In general, when you install or uninstall a program within the Windows environment, it is good practice to reboot the computer.   A Windows pending reboot request occurs when a program, installation, or uninstall process has made changes to files, registry keys, services, or the operating system settings but Windows was not able to complete a component removal or update. A restart will allow Windows to complete the update/removal processes thus closing the ‘pending reboot’ notification detected by SOLIDWORKS.   

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting option ONE: Restart the computer

When this message shows up, the very first step would be to restart the computer. 

*Note: If you had a recent Windows update, even if you rebooted your computer after the update, please reboot again before trying the next option as certain Windows updates require two restarts before they will properly apply to your computer.  An example is the Windows 10 Creators update, this update preventing other software from installing until after an additional one or two reboots, post the reboot initiated by the update.

Troubleshooting option TWO: Fix the SessionManager registry key

*Note before making any changes, back-up the registry key you will be working with*

1. Open the Registry Editor. 
2. Go to the following registry key: KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\
3. Right-click on the ‘Session Manager’ key >’Export’ > save the key to create a backup copy.
4. Delete the sub-key: ‘PendingFileRenameOperations’ showing under your session manager key
5. Without restarting the computer, perform an install\update of the SOLIDWORKS software. Directions for modifying/updating an install as well as installing located at the links below.  These links go to the different year versions as shown.  

Modify/update install – 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Install – 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

NOTE: If you restart the computer before performing step 6, the restart may replace the same key in the registry. This will invalidate the fix.

6. After completing the SOLIDWORKS installation or modification, restart the computer.  When you next launch the installation wizard for SOLIDWORKS the message should be gone.