Solidworks - Common Issues

Install error "The source folder is not versioned properly"

• This error happens when Solidworks is expecting a file in a specific location and cannot find it
• If you are installing Solidworks on Parallels, isolate Windows from Mac first: https://kb.parallels.com/112942/
• To fix this error, you can manually create the file
• Keep the error message open, or force the error message to appear again if you have closed it
• The error message has a folder directory. Open file explorer and go to the folder it is referencing
• Right click an empty space in that folder and select New>Text Document
• Open the new text document in notepad to edit it
• Type in the following:
  • SOLIDWORKS 20XX SPXX
  • Replace the X's in "20XX" with the version year you are installing
  • Replace the X's in "SPXX" with the Service Pack version you are installing. Numbers less than 10 should have a leading zero (ex. 05)
• Save the file
• We now need to change the extension of the file
• To do so, click on "View" in File Explorer, select "Show", and click "File Extension Names"
• Right click the new text document and select "Rename"; it will have a symbol with the letter "A" in a box. You can also select "Show more options" to have it appear as a line option

• Rename the file to "swdata99" without the quotes
• Remove the "txt" portion after the dot "." and replace it with "id" (no quotes)
• You will receive a warning that changing the file name extension might make it unusable. Proceed by clicking "Yes"
• The file should now look like this: swdata99.id
• Continue with modifying or installing Solidworks and it should function normally now

Can't create a new part

• This error occurs when the current version of Solidworks is attempting to use a previous version's document template
• We will need to change that setting to have it use to correct template
• Open File Explorer, click on View>Show>Hidden Items

• Open Solidworks if it isn't open already
• Click the gear icon
• From the list in the left pane, select "File Locations"

• Delete the previous version's template
• Add the current version's template:
  • Click on "Add"
  • In the folder selection menu, open the C drive
  • Open "ProgramData", then "Solidworks", then "Solidworks [Year]" (where [Year] is the current version you are using), and lastly "templates"
  • Click "Select Folder" -  it should be added now
• Click "Ok" at the bottom of the menu and Solidworks will ask if you want to confirm both changes
• Click "Yes" for both
• Windows will prompt you twice to confirm these changes - click yes both times to proceed
• Attempt to create a new part - it should work now

Solidworks Activation Issues

Error messages similar to "The current computer identifier(0)..." or "Activation transaction failed..." or "License has expired..."

• These errors are usually caused by an invalid or expired product key
• If you had a previous version of Solidworks installed, the old product key was saved to your computer
• Each product key is only valid for a specific version - using it on a different version will cause the aforementioned errors
• To change the product key, you will need to modify the Solidworks installation
• In the Windows search bar, search for "Add or remove programs"
• This will bring up the "Installed Apps" menu
• In this menu's search bar ("Search apps"), search for "Solidworks"
• Scroll to the version of Solidworks that you are using
• Click on the three horizontal dots on the far right
• Click on "Modify"
• The Solidworks Installation Manager should launch
  • If you receive an error message that your computer requires a reboot, ignore it for now
• The default selection should be "Modify your installation" - select it if it isn't
• Click next
• There should be 6 boxes where you can enter a product key and they may be prefilled
• We will need to get the product key for Solidworks
  • Go to network.software.vt.edu
  • Search for "Solidworks"
  • Click on the version of Solidworks you have installed
  • Accept the licensing agreements
  • You should see 3 boxes - click on the one that says "Product Key"
  • Copy the product key to your clipboard (ctrl + C or right-click "copy")
• Go back to the Solidworks Installation Manager
• Paste the product key into the first box
  • If there is an existing key in the boxes, highlight the first box and paste your key
  • The rest of the boxes should update to reflect the new product key
• Click next twice, skipping past the "Product Selection" page
• On the "Summary" page, click "Modify Now"
  • If you receive an error message similar to "The source folder is not versioned...", follow the "Install Error: 'The source folder is not versioned properly"' section of this page
• Click "Finish" once it has completed
• Lastly, we will need to complete the internet activation of Solidworks
  • Open Solidworks - ignore any errors about activation or expired license
  • Visit the Installing Solidworks for Students page and go to step 9
  • Follow the instructions to complete the Solidworks Activation
• Solidworks should open now
• Note: if you had a previous version of Solidworks installed, you may need to change the documents template settings. Follow the "Can't create a new part" section of this page to do so.

Scaling Issues (Can't click on "Install Now")

If you can't click on "Install Now" or it is greyed out, the most likely cause is a high DPI display.

• Right click the installer
• Click on "Properties"
• Click on the "Compatibility" tab
• Click on "Change high DPI settings"
• Checkmark the "Override high DPI scaling behavior" box
• From the available options, select "System"
• Click ok to confirm the change
• Click apply to apply the changes and click ok to exit the properties
• Launch the installer
• If that doesn't work:
  • In Windows, search for "Display Settings"
  • Click on "Scale"
  • Set the scale to "100"
  • Sign out of Windows and sign back in