SOLIDWORKS License Activation Count Exceeded and other Errors
(For SOLIDWORKS desktop products – not 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS products)
SOLIDWORKS standalone and network licenses use machine activation, which means the license is linked to a specific machine/computer not an individual user. When activating the license, SOLIDWORKS may at times display the message ‘Activation count exceeded,’ which indicates the license is already activated on another computer. This guide will provide an overview of the activation message, reasons it may appear, as well as how to resolve it along with a look at a couple other activation errors.
Jump to the bottom of this guide to learn more about the SOLIDWORKS activation process
How to resolve Activation Count Exceeded
- If you know which computer the software the standalone license is already activated on, you can follow the steps in our guide How to Transfer SOLIDWORKS from one machine to another, or for network licenses, you can launch the SolidNetWork License manager server edition and then click Modify > ‘Move your product license(s) to a new/upgraded computer’ and follow the instructions.
- If you are unsure where the software is currently activated, any user assigned as SOLIDWORKS Security Admin can log into solidworks.com to view the current activation status for your serial number by following the steps in our overview of MyProducts technical guide.
- If the software should be activated on the current computer/server, it’s possible that a hardware or software change reconfigured the internal ID associated to the license activation. There are three main reasons why this may occur.
- The machine failed while SOLIDWORKS was activated and was repaired.
- The operating system was updated without first releasing the activation.
- The computer was updated, hardware or operating system, and it is causing the internal computer identifier associated to the licensing to be reset.
Please reach out to MLC CAD Systems technical support for assistance with disabling the old computer ID in the SOLIDWORKS activation system by including the information listed below. Please note that the disablement of a computer or ID from within the activation system is a permanent action that will prevent that computer configuration from being able to activate the software in the future. We do require that all license disablement requests be provided to us in writing from an email address in your company domain.
Please include the following information with your request:
- The reason for the disablement request:
- The name of the computer that needs to be disabled:
- The last 4-digits of the SOLIDWORKS serial number for verification:
(click here to learn How to locate your SOLIDWORKS serial number and version information)
Other Activation Errors
- Activation for this computer has been disabled
This message indicates the computer which is attempting activation has been disabled in the SOLIDWORKS activation system. Please reach out to MLC CAD Systems technical support for additional information.
- A newer major release of SOLIDWORKS exists on this computer, you must deactivate using that release instead
This message indicates multiple versions of SOLIDWORKS are installed and activated. You must deactivate/transfer the licenses starting with the newest/most recent version first. If SOLIDWORKS 2025, 2024, and 2023 are installed and activated, you must deactivate SOLIDWORKS 2025 before deactivating 2024, then 2023, etc. Vice versa, you should always activate the oldest version first to newest last.
For any other SOLIDWORKS activation error, please reach out to MLC CAD Systems technical support for additional information.
A Quick Look at What is Activation
SOLIDWORKS license activation verifies that the serial number is legitimate and has not been activated on more systems than allowed by the SOLIDWORKS End-User License Agreement (EULA).
- Activation does require that you have internet or email access.
- If you do not have email access on the computer where you use this product, you can save the activation file and send it from another computer.
- After activation, you do not need to be online to use the products.
- Activation can be transferred by the user from one computer to another as needed.
Standalone Licenses
SOLIDWORKS standalone can be installed on as many workstations as you might use, though the software can only be activated/run a single machine at a time.
SOLIDWORKS Network licenses
When installing SOLIDWORKS using a network license, the SOLIDWORKS software can be installed on as many workstations as you might use, though the SolidNetWork License manager (SNL) used to distribute the licenses to clients can only be activated on one server machine at a time.
The license activation prompt/dialog appears when one of these events occurs:
- SOLIDWORKS or SNL is installed though the license has not yet been activated for that computer/server.
- In SOLIDWORKS standalone license, you clicked Help > License > Activate….
- In SOLIDWORKS standalone license, you clicked Help > License > Deactivate…
Other Useful Guides
Technical Support
Get help from our 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.