Collecting Support Logs from the SOLIDWORKS PDM Administration Tool

This guide is written for users of both SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard and Professional.

This is not a troubleshooting guide.  If you have any technical issues with SOLIDWORKS, please contact Hawk Ridge Systems technical support.

Please note that we do not recommend using the Database or Archive export options in this tool. For guides on how to perform Database and Archive exports, please see the following guides:

Exporting PDM Databases

Exporting PDM Archives

The following instructions explain the process of collecting comprehensive support logs through the SOLIDWORKS PDM Administration tool.

1. Open the PDM Administration Tool. Right-click on the Vault you would like to collect logs from. Select the menu item titled "Collect Support Information...".
    
2. A new dialog will pop up. In the first section, titled "Collect Logs and Settings", you will have the option to select from numerous logs and system settings. These can then be zipped (or packaged if that is your preferred word) and sent to our technical support team.
   a. Archive server log file - A log of events contacting or executing on the Archive Server.
   b. Database statistics - Statistics about the SQL server and databases including the version, vault name, tables, and installed add-ins.
   c. SOLIDWORKS PDM application version information - Specific version information relating to an exhaustive list of PDM libraries (.dll files).
   d. SOLIDWORKS PDM registry section - Registry keys pertaining to PDM and its configuration.
   e. Environment information - Information related to the Windows Operating System including the build, language, region and time zone, as well as the version of Internet Explorer installed.
   f. Installed add-ins - A list of installed add-ins.
   h. SOLIDWORKS PDM Client log file - A log of events which executed on the current client machine.  
   i. Local event log - The Windows local event log, which you may be familiar with as this is the Windows "Event Viewer".
   
3. Click to expand section four, "Add Additional Information". Here, you have the option to type in any additional information we requested, or you find particularly relevant to the log collection.
   
4.  In the final section, "Create Package", you can set the output path of the zip file containing the logs.
   
5. When you are ready, click "Finish". A new section titled "View Result" will appear, and you can watch the progress of the log collection. If the collection is successful, all of the list-items will have green check-marks next to them and the .zip file will be at the location you specified in the previous section.
   
6. If the file is less than 20mb, you will be able to attach it to an email when you contact support or reply to a support email. If the file is over 20mb, it can be uploaded to SendSafely widget found here: https://hawkridgesys.com/send-safely

Note: Please fill the form out manually. Do NOT use auto-fill.