Updating SOLIDWORKS PDM Add-ins

While SOLIDWORKS PDM includes backwards compatibility and service pack interoperability, outdated add-ins have been known to cause issues including app hangs and crashes. When upgrading a file vault in PDM to the latest service pack, the existing add-ins will not automatically update. The following guide outlines the process of manually updating SOLIDWORKS PDM add-ins.

1. First, you'll need to verify which version of the add-ins you currently have installed. Navigate down to your task menu and right-click the PDM icon, then select "Task Host Configuration".

2. Select your vault from the drop-down in the upper right-hand corner. The format of the version number is as follows:

YYYY - Year Version (20XX)

SS - Service Pack (SP-XX)

BBBB - Build Number

3. Once you have determined which add-ins to update, open up the Administration Tool and log into your vault using your Admin credentials.

3a. Special step for updating the Dispatch add-in: Expand the Tasks item in your vault. Right-click the Dispatch add-in item and select "Remove..." Confirm the prompt that appears. Continue to step 4.

4. In an Explorer window, navigate to the following add-in storage path:

C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS PDM\Default Data

5. Drag and drop the add-in you'd like to update from the Explorer window to the Administration Tool. A new window will open within the Administration Tool. Drag ONLY the "Add-ins" branch of the tree over to the "Add-ins" item in your Vault. Confirm overwriting if the prompt appears.

NOTE: If you drag the item(s) under the "Tasks" branch and overwrite the items in your vault, you will have to manually recreate your task configuration(s). 

6. On each Add-in that you directly updated from an earlier version, open its properties then navigate to Output XXX Details > Advanced Scripting Options, and hit "Reset".

PLEASE NOTE: If you made modifications to the Advanced Scripting Options, you will need to re-make them in the updated version. Please take a backup of the script before performing this step.

7. On all clients which act as Task Hosts, completely exit out of PDM and log in again to ensure that the updated add-ins are loaded.