SolidWorks
Installation and Service Packs Guide

Install the SolidWorks® software to an individual machine or to many clients.

  • Service packs are applied from downloads within major releases.

  • You can upgrade (for major releases) from either CDs or a download, but CDs are required to later apply service packs.

Serial numbers, registration codes, and products:

  • Serial numbers (16 numeric digits found on the CD box) identify customers.

  • Registration codes (8 alphanumeric characters) are generated from information about the product and the serial number.

  • The product (SolidWorks, SolidWorks Office, SolidWorks Office Professional, or SolidWorks Office Premium) determines which add-ins and features are available.

Installation Methods

This table shows the different ways to deploy and maintain SolidWorks. Each method has an effect on how you install the initial version and on future service packs.
 

Method

Description

Service Packs

Best Suited for:

Individual installation from CD (most common)

Each seat is installed from the SolidWorks installation CDs.

Original CDs are required when patching.

Service packs are downloaded and applied to each computer.

Individual users

Users with administrative privileges during install and upgrade.

Locations where original CDs are available for installations and service packs.

SolidWorks Administrative Director

Prepare an administrative image**, then email clients with a link to install silently*.

Apply a service pack to the administrative image; clients are upgraded automatically when they run the SolidWorks software.

Users with administrative privileges on their computers during install and upgrade.

Locations with multiple seats to install and manage, but not necessarily running from a server.

Update applied to client computers automatically.

Microsoft Active Directory
(silent installation)

Installed using an administrative image and a transform file.

The system administrator applies a service pack to the administrative image; a new transform file is created to specify an upgrade. Clients must be upgraded separately from the administrative image.

Locations already using Microsoft Active Directory to install and maintain software.

Users who may not have administrative privileges during install and upgrade.

Additional installation methods (manual or silent installation from administrative images)

Installation parameters are specified manually with an administrative image using installation dialog boxes or automatically with a command prompt (command line) / batch file.

The system administrator applies a service pack to the administrative image; service packs are downloaded and applied to each computer.

Users with administrative privileges during install and upgrade.

System administrators who want a customized installation.

* Silent installations

A silent installation is administered without the display of a user interface or dialog boxes.

** Administrative images

An administrative image is a source image of the SolidWorks software on a network. It is similar to a source image on a CD-ROM. Users who have access to the administrative image can install the product from this source.

To serve the SolidWorks application files across a network, you create an administrative image of the SolidWorks application files on a server's hard drive. You can install the administrative image from any computer on the network, including the client computer.

The resulting administrative image is a structure of folders in an uncompressed format. Once the administrative image is created, additional installations on computers across the network can be started from this server location.

Client computers can access the administrative image to run the SolidWorks application on their local computers. An installation must be performed on each client computer before it can access and use the SolidWorks application on the server.

Items to note:

  • The administrative image can take up to 2GB of disk space.

  • Clients deployed from administrative images that were not created with the SolidWorks Administrative Director will not automatically upgrade when the administrative image is upgraded.

  • Additional steps are required to install the following products if you install from an administrative image:

    • COSMOSWorks® Designer

    • eDrawings®

    • PDMWorks® (Clients and Server)

  • If you create an administrative image with the Administrative Director, then modify the image (for example, by applying a service pack), you cannot run the Administrative Director from the original CD to create a new initialization file (*.ini). You can, however, modify the .ini file manually.

You can install a newer version of the SolidWorks software in parallel to a previous version. For example, you can install SolidWorks 2006 as a separate installation from SolidWorks 2005.

Individual installation from CD

An individual installation is one in which the entire SolidWorks software resides and runs on a user's computer.

To install on a local computer from the CD:

Insert SolidWorks Disk 1 into your CD-ROM drive, and follow the on-screen instructions. You may need to reboot your computer when installation is complete.

You might need the original CDs later when you apply service packs.

  • Due to Microsoft limitations, you cannot install the SolidWorks application from a remote CD-ROM drive.

  • If you are an AutoCAD® user and you plan to use the X2changeWorks utility, you must install the SolidWorks application on your local computer.

Dialog box notes:
 

SolidWorks 2006 Install Choice

If the wizard detects existing installations, you can choose to create a new installation or select an installed version to upgrade.

SolidWorks Option

Select the SolidWorks package you want to install. Click Customize to choose which features or languages to install; otherwise, all program features are installed.
Custom Setup (Appears only if you clicked Customize in the SolidWorks Option dialog box.)

 

Select a feature to install and select one of the following options. Only those options that are appropriate for the selected feature are available.

  • Supported Languages. Select one or more of the supported languages.
  • SolidWorks Add-Ins. Select one or more add-in applications.

The add-in applications available for each SolidWorks product type are automatically selected for installation. If you install add-in applications beyond those in the selected product, you must enter serial numbers for them.

Destination Folders

Install the SolidWorks software on a local drive, not on a network drive. When the wizard detects an existing installation, it proposes a name (which you can edit) for the new installation.  

The common data folder contains data and databases that are used by the SolidWorks Hole Wizard and the SolidWorks Toolbox add-in. The common data folder can be installed to a shared network location if  multiple users access the data.

  • To preserve your existing data, create a backup copy of your existing common data folder. When you install the latest version of the SolidWorks software, items in the common data folder are upgraded.

  • To use your existing data as the starting point for a new installation, copy your current common data to another folder and point to this copy. Any future changes to items in the older version will not propagate to the newer version.

  • Use UNC paths, not mapped drives, if you place the common data folder on a network location. See the SolidWorks Toolbox in a Multi-User Environment guide for detailed instructions.

SolidWorks Administrative Director

The SolidWorks Administrative Director is a wizard that:

  • Creates and customizes the SolidWorks installation data (an administrative image, an initialization file, and a registry file)

  • Provides the option to create a log of each client machine's installation for analysis

  • Allows you to specify additional commands to execute on client machines before and after the installation

  • Requires clients to have administrative privileges on their computers

The wizard creates an administrative image, which must be in a shared folder so it can be deployed to clients. If the folder you specify is not already shared, the wizard makes it shared. You might see this message: "In order to perform client installations from an administrative image, the administrative image folder must be shared. Do you want to continue?" Click Yes for the wizard to make the folder shared.

To install the SolidWorks software using the SolidWorks Administrative Director:

  1. Insert the SolidWorks software CD.

  2. In the dialog box, click Administration Tools.

  3. Follow the on-screen instructions. Context-sensitive help is available in the wizard.

The Administrative Director Process
 

Step

Notes

Administrative Image Option
Choose to create a new administrative image or locate an old one (.msi).

 When locating an old image, you have the opportunity to make changes in the initialization file (swsetup.ini) by creating a new initialization file.
Create an administrative image (also referred to as a server image).

Creating an administrative image takes several minutes. The dialog boxes and Help during this process are those of the SolidWorks installation even though no actual installation takes place. Choose the SolidWorks product and follow the on-screen instructions, entering your serial number and registration code.

If you are asked for a serial number for an add-in application that is not included in the product you are installing, click Next. If the message about the folder being shared appears, click Yes to continue.

Initialization File Option
Choose to create a new initialization file or locate an old one (.ini).

 Contents of the initialization file (swsetup.ini) are created automatically from choices in the subsequent wizard steps.

Registry File Option
Choose to create a new registry file, locate an old one (.sldreg), or not use a registry file.

When you create a new registry file, the wizard opens SolidWorks so you can select system options in the Options dialog box. Then the Copy Settings Wizard runs and you select the types of options to export.

  • Actual installation process if you choose to create new initialization and registry files.

  • Simulated installation process if you choose a new initialization file but no registry file.

  • No action occurs if you choose to locate an existing initialization file and not use a registry file.

Your serial number and registration code are known for this process.

If you are creating a registry file, the SolidWorks application opens. Specify any system options you want to propagate to client systems, then close SolidWorks. The Copy Settings Wizard opens. Select which settings to save (Keyboard shortcuts, Menu customization, etc.), then close the wizard. File swoptions.sldreg is created.

Logging Option
Choose whether to create log files; if so, specify a folder.

Creating log files slows performance and requires a significant amount of disk space.

All clients must have write access to the folder where the log files are located.

Additional Command Execution Option
Type a command or browse to a batch file (.bat) for multiple commands.

 Specified commands are executed before and after installation on client computers. Commands are executed as if the user double-clicked the files.

Client Notification
You can view or browse to the file for notifying clients. Close the wizard.

Browse to file takes you directly to the folder with the StartSWInstall.htm file.

Other files in this folder include swsetup.ini and swoptions.sldreg.
Send StartSWInstall.htm to all clients. Clients open the file and click Install SolidWorks now.

Microsoft Active Directory

Microsoft Active Directory is a means to manage the clients and servers that make up network environments. It simplifies management, migration, and deployment.

To install the SolidWorks software using Microsoft Active Directory:

  1. Create an administrative image using the procedure, To create an administrative image with a command prompt.

  2. Create a transform file to customize the SolidWorks software:

    1. Open the Command Prompt window.

    2. In the folder that contains the administrative image, drag SWCreateMST.exe into the Command Prompt window. The command should be in the format:

<path_to_administrative_image>SWCreateMST.exe <path_to_MSI_file_of_an_administrative_image> <list_of_properties>

For example:

C:\admin\SWCreateMST.exe "c:\admin\english_i386_SolidWorks.msi" INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\<your_chosen_folder>" SOLIDWORKSSERIALNUMBER="xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx" REGCODE=xxxxxxxx ADDLOCAL=English,Manuals OFFICEOPTION=0

The transform file, English_i386_SolidWorks.mst, is created in the folder that contains the administrative image.

  1. In the Active Directory, edit the Published Apps policy for the group or groups to deploy the SolidWorks software.

  2. In the Group Policy dialog box, expand Computer Configuration and Software Settings.

  3. Right-click Software installation and select New, Package.

  4. Browse to the administrative image and click Open.

  5. In the Deploy Software dialog box, select Advanced published or assigned, then click OK.

  1. In the SolidWorks Properties dialog box, on the Modifications tab:

    1. Click Add.

    2. Browse to the .mst file.

    3. Click Open.

  2. Click OK.

Additional installation methods

To create an administrative image:

  1. Insert SolidWorks Disk 1 into your CD-ROM drive.

  2. Open the Command Prompt window.

  3. In the Command Prompt window, enter:

msiexec /a <Msi_ path>

In the command prompt above, the variable, Msi_path, represents the path and filename of the .msi file for your operating system and language. The SolidWorks .msi file name is constructed as follows:

<language>_i386_SolidWorks.msi
 

Values for <language>
Czech
Chinese
Chinese-Simplified
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Polish
Russian
Spanish

For example, a machine with the English version of Windows XP installed has the file name: English_i386_SolidWorks.msi

A sample command prompt is:

msiexec /a F:\swwi\data\English_i386_SolidWorks.msi

The SolidWorks 2006 Installation Wizard appears.

  1. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Advertising SolidWorks from an administrative image

Advertising SolidWorks creates a shortcut to the SolidWorks application on the Start menu on the user's computer and creates a file association with the administrative image on the server. Initially, the executable files are not installed. When the user clicks the shortcut or double-clicks a SolidWorks document, the installation begins and the SolidWorks application executes.

To advertise the SolidWorks application on a user's machine using a command prompt:

  1. Perform an administrative image installation, passing all the serial numbers in the command prompt.

You must pass both the serial number and the registration code.

  1. Advertise the product on each machine where the SolidWorks application is to be installed.

Advertising the SolidWorks software with a command prompt

The following is a sample command prompt for advertising a SolidWorks application that is not yet installed:

msiexec /jm <path_to_MSI_file_of_an_administrative_image>

This command prompt advertises both the SolidWorks application and SolidWorks Explorer.

Deploying administrative images

After you create an administrative image, you deploy it:

  • Manually using installation dialog boxes

- or -

  • Automatically using a command prompt (silent installation)

Manually deploying an administrative image using installation dialog boxes

  1. Browse to the location of your administrative image and double-click SwSetup.exe.

  2. Follow the on-screen instructions, or install a client-only ("thin client") installation as detailed below.

 A  client-only (thin client) installation is a quicker install and uses less hard drive space than a full installation. However, this method is slower and requires a robust network. This installation is equivalent to the ADDSOURCE property in a silent installation.

 To install a client-only ("thin client") installation:

  1. Follow the on-screen instructions until the SolidWorks Option dialog box appears.

  2. In the SolidWorks Option dialog box, select the SolidWorks package you want to install, then click Customize.

  3. In the Custom Setup dialog box, click the icon next to SolidWorks 2006 , then select This feature, and all subfeatures, will be installed to run from the network .

  4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Automatically deploying an administrative image using a command prompt/batch file (silent installation)

To pass properties to a silent installation:

  1. Open the Command Prompt window.

  2. In the Command Prompt window, use the /i and /qb options of the msiexec.exe command, and set the global properties for those installation options that you want to be different from the default values.

Use the following examples as templates for a silent installation. A detailed description of all properties is in the Properties section of this document.
 

Installation type

Properties

Example
Individual
  • Chinese-Simplified language
  • PhotoWorks add-in
  • location: C:\Program Files\<your_chosen_folder>
  • Enable performance email selected
  • Centimeters as the unit of measure
msiexec /i "<Msi_path>" INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\<your_chosen_folder>" SOLIDWORKSSERIALNUMBER="xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx" REGCODE=xxxxxxxx ENABLEPERFORMANCE=1 UNITSELECTION=1 ADDLOCAL=ChineseSimplified,PhotoWorksRender /qb
Client

The properties described above.

 msiexec /i "<Msi_path>" INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\<your_chosen_folder>" SOLIDWORKSSERIALNUMBER="xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx" REGCODE=xxxxxxxx ENABLEPERFORMANCE=1 UNITSELECTION=1 ADDSOURCE=ChineseSimplified,PhotoWorksRender /qb

 
SolidNetWork License
  • The properties described above
  • SolidNetWork license server list

 

 msiexec /i "<Msi_path>" INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\<your_chosen_folder>" SOLIDWORKSSERIALNUMBER="xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx" REGCODE=xxxxxxxx ENABLEPERFORMANCE=1 UNITSELECTION=1 ADDLOCAL=ChineseSimplified,PhotoWorksRender SERVERLIST=<list_of_port@server_ strings> /qb

Note: <list_of_port@server_strings> is a list of strings delimited by semi-colons, each of which refers to a port number on a server with the format: xxxxx@<server_name1>; yyyyy@<server_name2>;& where x and y are single digits. After the last server in the list, do not put a semi-colon.

The following table shows the features available for the ADDLOCAL and ADDSOURCE properties. When you install the SolidWorks application as a client, use ADDSOURCE instead of ADDLOCAL. Command prompt feature names are case sensitive, cannot contain spaces or dashes, and must be separated by commas.

The English command prompt syntax must be used regardless of the language you install.
 

Feature

Command prompt syntax

 

Feature

Command prompt syntax
Language support:     Example Files SampleFiles
Czech Czech   Manuals Manuals
Chinese Chinese   RealView Graphics display RealViewGraphicsdisplay
Chinese Simplified ChineseSimplified   Export to PDF BlueBeam
English English      
French French   Add-ins:  
German German   3D Instant Website InstantWebsite
Italian Italian   FeatureWorks FeatureWorks
Japanese Japanese   PhotoWorks PhotoWorksRender
Korean Korean   SolidWorks Animator SolidWorksAnimator
Polish Polish   SolidWorks Design Checker SolidWorksDesignChecker
Russian Russian   SolidWorks Routing SolidWorksRoutedsystems
Spanish Spanish   SolidWorks Task Scheduler SolidWorksTaskScheduler
      SolidWorks Toolbox SolidWorksToolbox
      SolidWorks Utilities SolidWorksUtilities

Global properties and multi-seat silent installations

If you are installing multiple seats of the SolidWorks application, you may find it convenient to use a remote installation application to install the seats over the network, without displaying the installation dialog boxes. See the next section, Properties, for a list of the global properties to pass to the remote installation program.

Properties

Serial numbers can be passed to both an administrative installation and an individual installation using global properties.

The following is a list of all the defined global properties and their meanings. Each property is defined for administrative or individual installations, unless otherwise noted.

  • Bold values indicate the default value.
  • In serial number or registration code formats, the x is an alphanumeric character.
  • Serial numbers are in the format: xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx
  • A check mark in the New install or Upgrade column indicates that the property is available for that type of installation.
     

Property

Description and format

New install

Upgrade

ANIMATORSERIALNUMBER

Specifies the serial number for SolidWorks Animator.

 

DIMENSIONINGSTANDARDSELECTION

Specifies the dimensioning standard selection option.

Format: 0 = ANSI, 1 = ISO, 2 = DIN, 3 = JIS, 4 = BSI, 5 = GOST, 6 = GB.

Defined for individual installations only.  

 

DONGLEDRIVER

Specifies whether the application should reinstall the dongle driver.

Format: 1 = Yes, 0 = No

Defined for individual installations only.

ENABLEPERFORMANCE

Specifies whether the application should automatically email performance data to SolidWorks Corporation.

1 to send performance data, 0 otherwise.  

 

FEATUREWORKSSERIALNUMBER

Specifies the serial number for FeatureWorks.  

 

INSTALLDIR

Specifies the installation folder for SolidWorks.

Defined for individual installations only.

 

IWEBSITESERIALNUMBER

Specifies the serial number for 3D Instant Website.  

 

OFFICEOPTION

Specifies whether the application should install SolidWorks Office.

3 = SolidWorks Office Premium, 2 = SolidWorks Office Professional, 1 = SolidWorks Office, 0 otherwise.  

PHOTOWORKSSERIALNUMBER

Specifies the serial number for PhotoWorks.

 

PIPINGSERIALNUMBER

Specifies the serial number for SolidWorks Routing.

 

REGCODE

Specifies the registration code for SolidWorks.

Format = xxxxxxxx

SERVERLIST

Specifies a SolidNetWork server list.

Defined for individual installations only.  

 

SOLIDWORKSSERIALNUMBER

Specifies the serial number for SolidWorks.  

 

SWMIGRATE

 Specifies the SolidWorks version to upgrade as it would be shown in the list in the SolidWorks 2006 Install Choice dialog box.
Format: SWMIGRATE="SolidWorks 2005 SP5.0"

 

TARGETDIR

Specifies the installation folder for SolidWorks.

Defined for administrative installations only.  

 

TASKSCHSERIALNUMBER

Specifies the serial number for SolidWorks Task Scheduler.

 

TOOLBOX2FOLDER

Specifies the installation folder for SolidWorks Toolbox part files.

Defined for individual installations only.  

 

TOOLBOX2SERIALNUMBER

Specifies the serial number for SolidWorks Toolbox.

 

UNITSELECTION

Specifies the unit of measure to be used by SolidWorks.

Format: 0 = MMGS (millimeter, gram, second), 1 = CGS (centimeter, gram, second), 2 = MKS (meter, kilogram, second), 3 = IPS (inch, pound, second).

Defined for individual installations only.  

 

UPGRADESWINSTALL

Upgrades an existing version of SolidWorks to the current version.

0 = new installation, do not update

1 = update

Defined for individual installations only.

 

UTILITIESSERIALNUMBER

Specifies the serial number for SolidWorks Utilities.

 

Removing an administrative image

To remove an administrative image from the server:

  1. Make sure there are no active SolidWorks sessions.

  2. Make sure that the SolidWorks application is uninstalled from all the machines on which it was installed or advertised.

  3. Delete the administrative image from the server's hard drive.

Installation Tools

Modifying, repairing, or removing an installation

If you bought a new SolidWorks package (not an upgrade of your current package):

  • You need to modify your current SolidWorks installation. For example, if you currently have the basic SolidWorks software and purchased SolidWorks Office, SolidWorks Office Professional, or SolidWorks Office Premium, follow the instructions below to modify the installation. You must type the new registration code when prompted.

  • PDMWorks is not installed if you are modifying your original SolidWorks or SolidWorks Office package to include SolidWorks Office Professional or SolidWorks Office Premium.

To modify, repair, or delete the installation:

  1. Make sure there are no active SolidWorks sessions.

  2. In Windows, open the Control Panel.

  3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.  

  1. In the dialog box, select SolidWorks 2006.

  2. Based on your operating system, click the appropriate button to modify or delete the installation. If you are modifying an installation, go to the next step; otherwise, confirm the deletion to delete the installation.

  3. In the SolidWorks 2006 Setup dialog box, click Next.

  4. In the Program Maintenance dialog box, select one of the following options:

    • Modify. To add or remove SolidWorks features. The Modify option is useful when you need to add or remove an application add-in. Follow the on-screen instructions to modify the application.