This article answers various questions about the SOLIDWORKS activation process. Standalone and network (floating) licenses are both covered.
Activating Licenses
The process of activating a standalone license is slightly different than activating a license on the SolidNetWork License Server. Network licenses do not need to be activated individually on the workstations. Network licenses only require activation at the server. In all cases, a license can only be activated on a single computer at any given time.
Activating a Standalone License
After installing SOLIDWORKS on a new computer and opening the program for the first time, a prompt should appear asking if you would like to activate the license.
Image 1: The Activation prompt.
1. Select “I want to activate my SOLIDWORKS product now”, then click Next.
If no prompt appears and you wish to manually activate the license from within SOLIDWORKS, click the Help menu > Licenses > Activate.
Image 2: manually activating from within the SOLIDWORKS software.
The Activation Wizard will appear. Select “I want to activate my SOLIDWORKS product now”, then click Next.
2. Click Select All (or manually select the desired products). Refer to Image 3.
3. Select “Automatically over the Internet”.
The manual option is only used in specific scenarios and will be described in another section.
4. Add your email. This is required. You will not be able to proceed until this step is completed!
5. Click Next.
Image 3: Activating SOLIDWORKS.
Your products will be activated on the computer and you should receive a confirmation message that the activation succeeded.
Image 4: The activation was successful.
Activating a Network License
1. Open the SolidNetWork License Manager Server application on the server.
Image 5: The SolidNetwork License Manager Server.
2. Click the Modify button shown in Image 5.
3. Select “Activate/Reactivate your product license(s)” shown in Image 6.
Image 6: Activating a network license.
4. Click Next.
5. The next window to appear is the SolidNetWork License Server Information window, shown in Image 7. It is generally recommended to leave these settings at their default values. The “Computer Name” value should be the name of the server and it should be filled in automatically.
Image 7: The SolidNetWork License Server Information window.
6. Click Next (not shown).
The following steps are identical to those used for a standalone license.
7. Click Select All (or manually select the desired products). Refer back to Image 3 if necessary.
8. Select “Automatically over the Internet”.
The “Manually via email” option is only used in specific scenarios and will be described in another section.
9. Add your email. This is required. You will not be able to proceed until this step is completed!
10. Click Next.
Your products will be activated on the server and you should receive a confirmation message that the activation succeeded (refer back to Image 4 for an example).
Deactivating Licenses
Deactivating licenses uses the same steps as activating, with one minor change. It’s necessary to select “Deactivate” or “Move” (depending on license type) rather than “Activate/Reactivate”.
Deactivating a Standalone License
1. From within SOLIDWORKS, click the Help menu > Licenses > Deactivate. Refer back to Image 2 if unsure of where the Help menu is.
2. Click Select All (or manually select the desired products). Refer back to Image 3 if necessary.
3. Select “Automatically over the Internet”.
4. Add your email. This is required. You will not be able to proceed until this step is completed!
5. Click Next.
Your products will be deactivated on the computer and you should receive a confirmation message that the Deactivation succeeded (see Image 8). SOLIDWORKS will close, and the license can now be activated on a different computer.
Image 8: The Deactivation was successful.
Deactivating a Network License
1. Open the SolidNetWork License Manager Server application on the server.
2. Click the Modify button (shown previously in Image 5).
3. Select “Move your product license(s)…” shown in Image 9.
4. Click Next.
Image 9: Moving (deactivating) a network license.
5. Click Select All (or manually select the desired products). Refer back to Image 3 if necessary.
6. Select “Automatically over the Internet”.
7. Add your email. This is required. You will not be able to proceed until this step is completed!
8. Click Next.
9. Close the SolidNetwork License Manager Server application.
The term “move” may be confusing, as the license is not actually being moved to a different location. It is strictly being moved off the server. Once deactivated (i.e., moved off the server), the license can be activated on a different server.
Activating and Deactivating Manually Via Email
This option is available for standalone licenses and network licenses that are isolated and have no internet connectivity. A file is generated that must then be transferred to another computer or device that has email access. A return file is then sent, which must be transferred back to the machine requiring activation (or deactivation) and read into the Activation Wizard.
To initiate this process, select “Manually via email” instead of “Automatically over the Internet” when performing the activation or deactivation. The following window will appear, shown in Image 10.
Image 10: Manually activating or deactivating a SOLIDWORKS license.
The steps for this process will work in the same fashion regardless of whether an activation or deactivation is needed.
- Click Save.
- Save the resultant file to the hard drive. Do not change any aspect of the file whatsoever. Do not change it’s name, and do not edit or alter the file in any way.
- Transfer the resultant saved Request file to a computer that has email access. This would normally be done with a thumb drive, considering the computer would be isolated or on a closed network with no internet connectivity.
- Send the Request file to activation@solidworks.com.
- Wait for the Response file to arrive. This usually takes less than 2 minutes.
- Transfer the Response file back to the computer being activated/deactivated.
- Click Open and browse to the Response file.
- Once the Response file has been opened, click Next and complete the steps as usual.
Methods For Accessing the Activation Wizard
There are a number of methods for accessing the Activation Wizard, and a number of reasons why this may be necessary. SOLIDWORKS won’t run or has been uninstalled are two of the most common reasons. Here are alternative ways the Activation Wizard can be accessed.
Download The Activation Wizard
The Activation Wizard can be downloaded on it’s own from the same web page used to download SOLIDWORKS.
https://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/downloads.htm
Notice the Activation Wizard is listed along with everything else, as shown in Image 11.
Image 11: Downloading the Activation Wizard.
Access From An Existing Download
If a full file set of SOLIDWORKS has already been downloaded, you will have the Activation Wizard. The standard SOLIDWORKS Download location is:
C:\Users\[USER_NAME]\Documents\SOLIDWORKS Downloads
Your download location may be different. From within the downloaded file set, navigate to:
SOLIDWORKS 20xx SPx.x\swwi\data\Support\i386\lang
Look for the file named “swactwiz.exe”. Run it, and the Activation Wizard will appear.
Access From An Existing Installation
If you’re in a situation where SOLIDWORKS refuses to run for unknown reasons, you may still be able to run the Activation Wizard. If SOLIDWORKS is still installed, navigate to:
C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\setup\i386
Your installation folder may be different. Look for the file named “swactwiz.exe”. Run it, and the Activation Wizard will appear.
Common Errors
There are some common issues that may be encountered when activating or deactivating a license. This section will address the most common.
Activation Count Exceeded
This is by far the most common error encountered. SOLIDWORKS can only be active on one computer at any given time. The license must be deactivated from the other computer where it is currently activated prior to activating on another computer. If you do not know where the current activation resides, contact your reseller. They can look it up for you.
Deactivation Count Exceeded
There is a hardcoded limit to the number of deactivations which can occur. That value is 999 and is perfectly acceptable for most SOLIDWORKS users. However, those who transfer their licenses regularly can run into this error. If this error is received, your SOLIDWORKS reseller must submit a service request on your behalf to increase the deactivation limit. Contact them for help.
Serial Number Is Invalid
Some licenses expire, such as term licenses. Expired licenses cannot be activated. Contact your reseller to discuss options.
A Newer Major Release of SOLIDWORKS Exists On This Computer
This error not only gives a precise reason for the error, it also gives a fix. The error message will state “you must deactivate using that release instead”.
When there are multiple versions (releases) installed on the same computer, deactivations can only be performed from the latest version on the computer. This is true even if the latest version was uninstalled! It may be necessary to download the latest version of the Activation Wizard so the license can be deactivated. (See section titled “Download The Activation Wizard”.)
Stranded Activations
This is one of the worst possible situations, mainly because it can require a fair amount of time to fix. Stranded activations occur when a different license is installed without deactivating the original license. To put it another way, a different serial number is used in place of the existing serial number currently on the computer, and the deactivation for the existing serial number was never performed.
The fix is to deactivate the new license, uninstall the new license, reinstall the old license, deactivate the old license, reinstall and activate the new license. In some instances, the serial number can be changed in the registry, saving a great deal of time. Don’t attempt this unless you know exactly what you are doing. Contacting your reseller for advice is strongly encouraged.
Disable Requests
In situations where a computer is no longer accessible, such as due to hardware malfunctions, natural disasters, theft, and so on, a computer can be “disabled” by your reseller. This is not the same as transferring a license via the Activation Wizard. Disabling a computer under a certain license (serial number) physically removes the ability to activate a license on that computer. Obviously, this should only be done if the computer is no longer available.
If a license is stuck on a computer which is no longer accessible, contact your reseller. Be prepared to provide your serial number, the name of the computer that had been hosting the license, and the reason why the computer is no longer accessible. They will be able to help.
Click here for the basic steps to activate a standalone license of SOLIDWORKS.