Following a Windows Update rolled out on May 10th 2022, the following error may appear when editing a design table: "Failed to connect. Link may be broken."
The problem is caused by Windows Update installing Visual C++ 2022 Redistributable - 14.32.31326.0, v17.2. This update may break the link between SOLIDWORKS and Excel, which will break the ability to edit design tables. SOLIDWORKS is working with Microsoft on a fix for this issue in SPR 1235828.
SOLIDWORKS is pleased to announce we have a resolution for this. Microsoft will be distributing this new update via Windows Update soon (and un-publishing the original update).
Until this is released with a Windows update, and you are encountering this error, please perform the following steps:
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Uninstall Visual C++ 2022 Redist from Windows (both x86 and x64)
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Reboot
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Reinstall Visual C++ 2022 Redist (both x86 and x64) from these links:
https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x86.exe
https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe
Or https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170
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Reboot
Design Table function should be restored.
Note: Rolling back to the required 2017-VCRdist's does NOT fix the problem, only the above workflow should fix it.
SPR 1235828 (‘Failed to connect. Link may be broken.’ error message when editing design binder, design table in new window, etc. after installing latest Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (14.32.31326.0)) is now marked RESOLVED.
For further assistance, please contact our support team at 877-266-4469 (US) or 866-587-6803 (Canada) or support@hawkridgesys.com
Comments
The solution unfortunately didn't work on SW2022 SP2.0 on Windows 11.
Windows 11 note:
I was unable to find a way to uninstall the 2022 Visual C++ redistributable, but simply installing the redistributable linked in the article and rebooting fixed this issue for me entirely.
System Specs:
Solidworks 2021
Windows 11 Pro for Workstations 10.0.22623 Build 22623
NOTE: I am a software developer and run multiple different versions of Visual Studio 2022 on my machine, which made it odd that I did not have the redistributable to uninstall and even stranger that installing the linked redistributable in the article had zero conflicts and no side effects to my work.
UPDATE: Just verified that my above comment also applies to Solidworks 2022 SP 3.1 as well
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