SOLIDWORKS Design Crashes Immediately after Launch - BR10000422063

An update to Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime can cause SOLIDWORKS Design 2025 SP5, 2026 SP0, and 2026 SP1 to crash immediately after launch with a message "SOLIDWORKS 2026 has encountered a problem and needs to close."

This problem was extensively reported to Dassault Systems, and they have released a HotFix that resolves the issue. 

The problem is reported in Bug Report BR10000422063 - Crash after launch or when using web-based task panes with Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime 146 installed.

The HotFix is provided in QA00000445516 - Hotfix for user-license versions of SOLIDWORKS® Design installed from the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform (BR10000422063).

A PDF of the Bug Report BR10000422063, and the HotFix installation instructions QA00000445516 are also attached at the bottom of this article. The HotFix itself is attached at this link: HotFix_HF-1506427_R2026xFD01-2

Applying the HotFix:

1. Undo any previous workaround(s) you applied or attempted.
2. Restart Windows.
3. Download the hotfix file attachment.
4. Double-click the hotfix file.
5. In the WinZip Self-Extractor dialog, click Unzip then OK.
6. Confirm the User Account Control request to elevate to administrator privileges.
7. Step through the CEF for SOLIDWORKS Applications - InstallShield Wizard and complete the installation.

NOTE: If you see the following warning, then this hotfix is not applicable to your installed version of software, and the hotfix will not install. 

Removing the HotFix:

The hotfix installs a new version of the CEF for SOLIDWORKS Applications prerequisite. SOLIDWORKS Design requires this prerequisite to function. There is no need to remove it when new updates become available. 

For further assistance, please contact our support team at support@hawkridgesys.com, 877-266-4469 (US), or 866-587-6803 (Canada).