3DEXPERIENCE Connection Status and How to Fix It
This guide will help you confirm whether you are connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and walk you through troubleshooting steps if you are not. At times, network connection or local settings can interrupt the connection between SOLIDWORKS and the Platform, which may cause issues, accessing, saving, or opening files. The good news is that these behaviors are often resolved quickly with a few simple steps.
The first step is to check the top of SOLIDWORKS to see if the system is hung trying to connect.
If you are connected successfully, then you will see your session listed in the SOLIDWORKS Task Pane along with the various 3DEXPERIENCE tools at the bottom as shown below.
How to Resolve Connection Behavior
1. Time
The first step is to allow a little time for the connection to complete. In most cases, it should connect within a minute. If more than three minutes pass without a connection, it’s a sign that something isn’t working as expected.
2. Check for Internet / Network Issues
Next, check your internet connection. If you’re experiencing network issues or don’t have Wi-Fi access, that could be the reason for the connection problem. If you have access to another network, test to see if the behavior also occurs there.
3. Launch SOLIDWORKS from the Compass Menu of the Platform
Occasionally, a desktop shortcut may stop working correctly or you didn’t get logged in successfully. To rule this out, try launching SOLIDWORKS directly from the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform.
- Close all SOLIDWORKS sessions.
- Access your 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. If you don’t have it bookmarked, then the fastest way to access it is by logging into solidworks.com/3DX and letting the system redirect you to your Platform.
- Once logged into your Platform, click the compass menu in the upper left corner and then launch either SOLIDWORKS Connected or Design with SOLIDWORKS (Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS) depending on your company’s licensing.
4. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies
If none of the previous steps resolve the behavior, since 3DEXPERIENCE caches some security/login info locally, clearing your browser’s cache and cookies may help. The exact steps vary depending on your browser, but here are the most common methods:
- Chrome: Menu (three vertical dots in the upper right) > Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data…
- Edge: Menu (three horizontal dots in the upper right) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data (shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Del)
- Firefox: Menu (three horizontal bars in the upper right) > Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Clear Data…
- Chrome: Menu (three vertical dots in the upper right) > Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data…
When clearing data, you only need to remove the cache and cookies. While it’s usually enough to clear them back to the time SOLIDWORKS last connected successfully, it’s often easiest to clear all cache and cookies. This is the most effective option, as long as it won’t interfere with other saved logins or preferences.
5. Uninstall and Reinstall the 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher
Sometimes the 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher will experience unexpected behavior. It’s a small application that only takes a few minutes to remove and reinstall it as a troubleshooting step.
- Open Add or Remove Programs with the Windows search bar.
- Right click on the 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher or click the three-horizontal-dots menu off to the right of it and select Uninstall.
- Go through the Uninstall Wizard, selecting Next until it’s successfully removed itself.
- Go back into the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform and try to launch SOLIDWORKS from the compass by selecting SOLIDWORKS Connected or Design with SOLIDWORKS depending on your company’s licensing.
- The system will recognize the 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher is not installed and then prompt to Download the Launcher. Follow the instructions.
- Once the 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher is installed again, try launching SOLIDWORKS to test the connection.
6. Manually Clear the CEF Cache
The final step prior to contacting MLC CAD Systems technical support is to delete the SOLIDWORKS CEF (Chromium Enabled Framework) cache. It’s not as painful as it sounds.
- Close all sessions of SOLIDWORKS.
- Open File Explorer and navigate to:
C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Temp\swcefcache - Delete the swcefcache folder in its entirety.
- Try to launch SOLIDWORKS from the platform and test the connection.
7. Contact Technical Support
The steps above resolve most connection behavior. However, if you have attempted them and are still unable to connect, please feel free to connect to our SOLIDWORKS technical support team by Calling us at 800-364-1652 x 2. You can also get assistance by clicking the Technical Support button or the Email Our Experts button below.