This article describes best practices when installing multiple versions of SOLIDWORKS.
Not everyone has the luxury of working with a single version of SOLIDWORKS. Customers may send files that are of a version you have not installed yet. Occasionally it may be necessary to collaborate with a client who is using a specific version. Regardless of the reason, let's look at the best way to run multiple versions simultaneously.
Downloading The Necessary Version
How to download SOLIDWORKS has been covered in this knowledge base, so we won't go into detail. However, it's worth mentioning a few points of interest.
Consider downloading a full file set prior to installing a different version of the software. This can be done by selecting the option to "Download and share all files...". This will ensure all of the files needed to modify the installation will be present and accounted for, even if the files are no longer hosted on the SOLIDWORKS website.
The SOLIDWORKS download page typically only goes back 3 releases. Beyond that, finding the installation files can become problematic. If you have a reseller like CADimensions, reach out to them and they can supply you with the necessary installation files for nearly any version.
Installation Folder Paths
In order to run multiple versions of SOLIDWORKS side by side, it is important to keep the installation folders separate. The installer will do this for you, but it will not give the installation folders meaningful names. It's best to do this on your own.
There are two folders used to install SOLIDWORKS. There is the main SOLIDWORKS installation folder found here:
C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp
There is also the Hole Wizard/Toolbox folder found here:
C:\SOLIDWORKS Data
The easiest and most straightforward method for keeping the folders separate is to append the release year of the version being installed to each folder. In other words, if 2024 is being installed, rename the folders to the following:
C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp 2024
C:\SOLIDWORKS Data 2024
Renaming is done at the Summary screen, which is the last page presented during the installation process, just prior to clicking the button to start the installation. Click the Change link shown in the following image, then add the year to the installation path. As confirmation, the year will display in the path for "Installation location:" and "Toolbox installation location:".
Managing SOLIDWORKS Settings
When installing another version of SOLIDWORKS, the installer will usually pull existing settings from the Windows registry and apply those settings to the newly installed version. This is normally a desirable situation, but in our case, it results in some of the folder paths being incorrect.
Let's walk through an example. The path for weldment profiles would be the installation folder for SOLIDWORKS, followed by "SOLIDWORKS\lang\english\weldment profiles". If SOLIDWORKS 2024 was installed, the full path would be as follows:
C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp 2024\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english\weldment profiles
If we imagine needing the 2022 version for a particular client, the path should point to the 2022 installation folder. Instead, it pulls the 2024 path from the Windows registry. There is an easy fix, as long as you know the proper way to approach it.
Find and Replace For Correcting File Paths
The easiest way to correct file paths after installing a second version of SOLIDWORKS is to use Find and Replace. Access the System Options in SOLIDWORKS and click File Locations, shown in the image. Click the Edit All button to open up a resizable "Edit All File Locations" window. Notice there is a Find/Replace button in the bottom left corner (not shown).
The following Find and Replace technique only works if the year has been appended to the installation folders, as previously outlined.
After the Find and Replace window appears, it's easy to fix most (if not all) of the paths quickly and easily. Enter the erroneous year in the Find box, and the correct year to replace it with in the Replace box. Click the Replace All button and you're done. Click Close, then Save to save and close the Edit All File Locations window. Click OK to save and close the System Options. It might be a good idea to restart SOLIDWORKS, as some path changes need a restart to take effect.
Activation Issues
When running multiple versions, deactivating a license must always be done from the newest version installed. This is true even if that newer version has been uninstalled!
Let's look at a real world example. Your company is currently running SOLIDWORKS 2023 and you've been tasked to test out a newer version. SOLIDWORKS 2024 is downloaded and installed alongside 2023. The newer version is activated and put through it's paces. For whatever reason, it's been decided that your company will wait a bit longer before moving to that newer version, so you uninstall it.
A few weeks later, imagine you want to deactivate the license so it can be activated on a laptop and used out of town for a few weeks while travelling. When attempting to deactivate from SOLIDWORKS 2023, the activation fails with an error that looks like this:
The good news is it's not necessary to reinstall the newer version strictly to deactivate the license. One option is to install just the activation wizard. Make sure it is the same version as the newer version of SOLIDWORKS which had been previously installed. Navigate to the SOLIDWORKS Download page and look for the SOLIDWORKS Activation Wizard. It's a quick download, and easy to install.
There is another easier option if the original installation files are still present on the computer. Within the main downloaded files folder, navigate to "swwi\data\Support\i386\lang". There will be a file named "swactwiz.exe". That's the activation wizard. Run it and the license can be deactivated.
Standalone Licensing
If you have access to multiple standalone (non-network) licenses, please note it is not necessary, nor is it even possible, to install multiple licenses (different serial numbers) of SOLIDWORKS on the same computer. Running multiple versions of SOLIDWORKS (e.g. 2021, 2022, 2023) only consumes a single license. This happens because licenses of desktop SOLIDWORKS are linked to the computer through the activation process. Regardless of how many versions are run simultaneously, it's still the same computer.
Backwards Compatibility
Throughout the history of SOLIDWORKS, it has never been possible to save to earlier versions. This changed with the release of SOLIDWORKS 2024. In the 2024 version, it is possible to save back 2 releases. Specifically, SOLIDWORKS 2024 allows for saving as 2023 or 2022 versions. SOLIDWORKS 2025 allows saving back to 2024 or 2023. This trend will likely continue with subsequent versions.
Saving backwards poses challenges. Not all features may be saved. Warnings may appear regarding data that will be lost. In short, there is no guarantee that a model can be saved back to an earlier version while retaining 100% of it's feature integrity.
Always use caution when opening and saving files in newer versions of the software. When working in a multi-user environment, it's always best if all designers and engineers are using the same version. This ensures seamless collaboration and transfer of data within the company.