How to Upgrade SOLIDWORKS Standard to Professional or Premium
If you recently upgraded your SOLIDWORKS license from Standard to Professional or Premium, you can modify your existing SOLIDWORKS installation to use the new license instead of reinstalling the software from scratch.
Before you begin, make sure you have your SOLIDWORKS serial number available. You can find the current serial number in SOLIDWORKS by selecting Help > About SOLIDWORKS > Show Serial Number. Your company’s SOLIDWORKS administrator can also log into MyProducts.solidworks.com to view serial numbers.
Note: For SOLIDWORKS Network licenses (floating licenses), any new serial numbers or activation is managed on the SolidNetWork License manager (SNL) following the steps in this guide.
Step 1: Launch the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager
In Windows, launch Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features and locate your SOLIDWORKS installation in the program list. Right-click SOLIDWORKS and select Change. This launches the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager.
Note: If you have multiple versions of SOLIDWORKS installed, you will need to modify each version individually to add the new features included with your upgraded license.
In the SOLIDWORKS installation manager, choose the Modify your installation option and click Next.
Step 2: Verify the Serial Number
On the Serial Number screen:
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- If you were provided with a new serial number for the upgraded package, enter it now.
- If your serial number was upgraded to include the upgraded package, then leave the existing serial number as-is.
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Notes:
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- If you are replacing the serial number, make sure the previous license has already been transferred off the machine from within SOLIDWORKS by selecting Help > License > Deactivate.
- Any additional serial number fields shown for products such as Simulation, Electrical, or Composer should only be populated if those were purchased separately.
- SOLIDWORKS Premium include Simulation bundled into the SOLIDWORKS serial number—you do not need to enter the SOLIDWORKS serial number into the Simulation field unless you also purchased a license of SOLIDWORKS Simulation Standard, Simulation Professional, or Simulation Premium.
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Click Next to continue.
Step 3: Select the New SOLIDWORKS Package
On the Product Selection screen, click the option ‘Select different packages or products’ to open the selection dialog.
Choose the SOLIDWORKS package your license includes then click OK to return to the Product Selection screen.
Back in the Product Selection screen, you should now see the selected product and additional SOLIDWORKS modules available that match the upgraded features of your license/product selection. Enable the modules you want installed, then click Next.
For example:
SOLIDWORKS Standard to Professional
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- SOLIDWORKS Toolbox
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SOLIDWORKS Standard or Professional to Premium
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- SOLIDWORKS Routing
- SOLIDWORKS Simulation
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Step 4: Complete the Modification
Review the Summary screen and confirm the selected products then click Modify or Download and Modify (options may vary depending on what you already have downloaded). The installation manager will download and install the additional components.
Step 5: Launch SOLIDWORKS and Activate the License
The final step is to launch SOLIDWORKS and activate the new license from Help > Licenses > Activate.
Step 6: Turn on any New Add-ins
If you installed any new features with your newly upgraded license, you’ll need to turn on the associated add-in within SOLIDWORKS by selecting Tools > Add-ins then selecting the correct add-in for the current session (left checkbox) and Start Up (right checkbox).
SOLIDWORKS Standard to Professional
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- SOLIDWORKS Toolbox
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SOLIDWORKS Standard or Professional to Premium
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- SOLIDWORKS Routing
- SOLIDWORKS Simulation
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Summary
Upgrading from SOLIDWORKS Standard to Professional or Premium is typically a quick modification to your existing installation that unlocks additional tools and functionality included with your new package. Once the installation completes, you can immediately begin using the newly added features in SOLIDWORKS.
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