Unblock Single File: Zipped Folder Missing Unblock Option

If there is no unblock option in the file properties of a zip file, this guide will assist with unblocking with a PowerShell command. Unblocking certain installation files is important because if they are not properly unblocked, the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager can appear broken and blank and prevent installation.

Before installing the SOLIDWORKS application to your computer it is necessary to unblock the zipped folder to prevent Windows security from blocking some elements of the SOLIDWORKS installer. If the option to unblock is unavailable you can use the Windows PowerShell application to resolve this issue.

Note: Please check the file type to make sure you are unblocking the correct zip file by right clicking on the downloaded zip file and ensure the file is not set to read-only.

Use Windows PowerShell to unblock a single zip file:

1. Open an elevated Windows PowerShell by right clicking on the start menu and selecting Windows PowerShell (admin). 
2. In PowerShell, type the command below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below) Note: The Windows PowerShell will move to the next line without error to indicate that the command was successful.
   
   unblock-file -path "full path of blocked file"
   
   Substitute full path of blocked file in the command above with the actual full path of the blocked file (with file extension) that you want to unblock. Include the quotations.
   
   For example:
   unblock-file -path "C:\Users\Name\Downloads\SOLIDWORKS 20xx SPx.zip"
   
   Windows PowerShell image:
   
   
   
3. Go back to the zipped folder and right click to extract the contents.

If unblocking the .zip file using PowerShell has not worked, and you are still experiencing a blank Installation Manager, you can manually unblock the 3 necessary files inside the installation media.

There are 3 HTML files: "frameset.html", "framesetstartup.html", and "header.html" that are located in:

path to the SOLIDWORKS Installation media folder\sldim\lang\english\html

All 3 of these HTML files need to be unblocked. This is done by right clicking each file > Properties > Unblock:

Once these 3 HTML files are unblocked, please restart the installation.

If neither method above has worked to unblock the installation media, and the Installation Manager is still blank, you may need to create a new Windows user profile and unblock the installation and install using that account. Your IT department will be able to assist with the creation of a new Windows user profile.

If you have any questions or would like further assistance, please contact our support team via our web portal: Hawk Ridge Systems Support, email us at support@hawkridgesys.com, or call us at 877-266-4469 (US) or 866-587-6803 (Canada).