As a member of the Technical Support Team at Symmetry Solutions, each year we are required to be recertified by SolidWorks.  Part of the recertification test is focused on new functionality and features for the latest release of SolidWorks.  As you may or may not know, there is a “What’s New” file for every new release of the software that documents these changes.  You can access this file from your help menu in SolidWorks.  Like many, I am one of those people that scan the document for some highlights when I install each new release.  However, since my recertification test was approaching, I thought I would give it a more thorough read.  You know what I discovered (again)?  There is a lot of good information in that document.  I won’t try and summarize the entire thing, but here is one tip that I think may be useful if you are in the process of updating hardware:

“You can transfer a license from a computer even if SolidWorks is no longer installed on that computer. You can download and run SolidWorks Activation Wizard from the SolidWorks customer portal to transfer the license.”

So now when you get that annoying message about “Activation Count Exceeded” because you forgot to transfer the license off of your old computer, you no longer need to call technical support to resolve the problem.

Note, the tool is new and currently only applies to SW2011 installations.

Take some time and read through the “What’s New” document (again).  It may not be the most fun reading material available, but I recommend it for all SolidWorks users, as it can help you get the most from your software.

P.S.  You will be happy to know that all the members of your SolidWorks Technical Support Team here at Symmetry Solutions passed their recertification test.

1. First, you will need to set up a customer portal account at www.solidworks.com select log in at the top. From here, select “SolidWorks Customer Portal” and then select “Click here” to create an account. Then enter the serial number and click next. Make sure the company information is correct and hit the “Yes” button. Finish creating the account with your email and a password.

2. Log into the customer portal and under “Downloads” select the link “Downloads and Updates”. This will bring you to the download page. Select the SolidWorks version and OS that you need. You will then be shown a download license agreement that needs to be accepted. The next page has a couple of steps. The first is just information about accepting any prompts from Internet Explorer. In step 2 you have the download link for the Installation Manager (IM). Step 3 talks about the full download options and recommendations that will come into play after you download the IM. Select the download in step 2. This will download an executable zip file that is the IM. You will need to run this and make sure to select all products you want to download for an individual install. If you are needing to download for multiple installs, there is a “Download Only” option. This will do a complete download of all available software just like what is on the install disk. This download will be about 5 gig. The individual download will be smaller as it will only download what is needed to install on that specific computer. When the download is complete for the individual, it will start automatically if that option was selected during the download process. The “Download Only” option does not start automatically and gives you a message at the end that you will need to run the IM from the download location. This location is My Documents/SolidWorks Downloads folder.

3. If you have the download from the “Download Only” option, go to the folder mentioned before or if you are directed elsewhere go there. Inside SolidWorks 2011 SPX.X open the sldim folder and double click the sldim.exe. This will launch the IM and make sure to check each of the options in here for what to install and where to install it.

If you run into any errors or the install does not complete successfully, please contact Symmetry Support at 763 560-8600 option 4 or email support@symsolutions.com  You may also send in error message screen shots or failed install log files. We will be happy to provide assistance and get you up and running with SolidWorks 2011.

Tim had been working on it for years; a perfect clone to assist him in the laboratory.  But to this day, no one knows exactly how it happened.  As he recalls, it was a dark and stormy night.  Tim had the recently dug up corpse on the table.  The electrodes had been placed.  He was waiting for the perfect strike of lightning.  The abandoned factory had been the location of his experiments through the years, but he hoped it would all be over soon.  As he raised the naked body to the lofted ceiling, he backed against a wall of buttons, accidentally releasing a series of chemicals prematurely into the corpse.  A shriek of bright lightning blinded his vision as the barking explosion of thunder jolted him into the lead pipe above his head.  It all went dark.

Starting with 2010 SP3.0, SolidWorks is checking whether you are on subscription before you install the service pack.  With SP3.0 you will just get a warning if you are not on subscription but starting with SP4.0 you will not be able to install. 

For network licenses, the expiration date is saved on the license server and that is the date that is checked during installation.  Depending on the date the SNL Manager was activated and the subscription expiration date, you may get the message that your subscription has expired even though it has been renewed.

SolidWorks has issued a critical alert for 64-bit systems that are running 2009 SP5, 2010 SP1, and 2010 SP2. It is a bug in the PhotoWorks program and it is recommended to not use it until the hotfix has been applied to your system. The hotfixes are available for download and a service pack will be available shortly. The downloads for the above mentioned service packs have been removed from the SolidWorks web site and will be replaced by 2009 SP5.1 and 2010 SP2.1 when they become available.

SolidWorks 2009 SP5 (x64), SolidWorks 2010 SP1 (x64), and SolidWorks 2010 SP2 (x64) have been temporarily removed from the SolidWorks Downloads pages due to the technical issue listed below.

An issue with PhotoWorks has been identified in 64-bit versions of SolidWorks 2009 SP5, SolidWorks 2010 SP1, and SolidWorks 2010 SP2 in which the SolidWorks installation, the operating system, program files and data files may become damaged or unrecoverable if the PhotoWorks add-in is enabled when SolidWorks is running and the SolidWorks process is already using more than 2GB of virtual memory.  These service packs have been removed from the web site as a precaution in order to prevent the risk of damage to customers’ systems under these circumstances.

This problem does not affect 32-bit versions of SolidWorks; hence all 32-bit Service Packs are still available for download. Furthermore, SolidWorks 2010 SP0 (x64) is not affected, nor are SolidWorks 2009 SP4.1 (x64) and earlier Service Packs of 2009. Please note also that this issue only pertains to enabling the PhotoWorks add-in and has no effect on the use of PhotoView 360 for renderings.

All customers with PhotoWorks on a 64-bit operating system with SolidWorks 2009 SP5, 2010 SP1, or 2010 SP2 MUST apply this hotfix.

Hotfix instructions:

 Select the version to hotfix from the links below. (Note: SolidWorks cannot be running when the hotfix is applied):

- SolidWorks 2009 SP5

- SolidWorks 2010 SP1

- SolidWorks 2010 SP2

There is a problem in 2010 for automatic updates for administrative images. SW 2010 SP0 installation does not update automatically after upgrading Admin Image. This issue only affects Installation Manager-based administrative images; no other images are affected by this. The problem is due to the swspamanger.exe installed with SolidWorks on client machines failing to check and install the latest Installation Manger/Administrative Image.

The workaround for updating client machines is to deploy the service pack similar to deploying a new administrative image (i.e. ask users to browse to the \StartSWInstall.hta). NOTE: The person responsible for deploying SolidWorks, often a system administrator, should not send the .HTA file via email as the paths will not be recognized; instead the system administrator should send a shortcut/link to the .HTA file so it runs directly from the administrative image folder.

The issue will be resolved in SolidWorks 2010 SP2. Please note the fix will not be implemented until SP2 is installed (i.e. the automatic update won’t work until going from SP2 to SP3). To upgrade to SolidWorks 2010 SP2, the same method described above must be used.

There is also an issue when trying to update an install as per the work around when there is an admin image install of 2009. The only way to get this to work is to remove the 2009 install.

These two issues are covered under SPR 530079 for the auto update and SPR 530818 for the 2009 image install. They are both slated to be fixed in 2010 SP2.

Recently, we’ve had several customers recognize a slight quirk in SolidWorks 2009 SP5 and SolidWorks 2010 SP1.   There was a change made to how the Edit Referenced File location dialog box works, but the directions on how this tool now functions were not included. 

To open a file with a new reference you can go to File>Open, and hit the References… button in the Open dialog.  In previous releases users could double-click the filename in the table to browse to a new file to reference.  In these 2 specific versions, you now have to hold the Ctrl key down while double-clicking – but careful!  You must double-click within the cell, but not actually on the text within the cell.  Since this new behavior is not exactly intuitive, and any indication that the functionality had changed was omitted, a hot fix has been released to restore the previous behavior.

The hot fix is attached to Solution S-045011 on the SolidWorks Knowledge Base (accessible through the Customer Portal).  Or contact us here at (763) 560-8600 option 4 or support@symsolutions.com and we can provide it for you.

New for SolidWorks 2010, SolidNetWork License (SNL) server Activation will be implemented as the standard licensing methodology for global commercial network customers with the SolidWorks 2010 release.

SNL Activation is a natural extension of Standalone License Activation. Activation will completely eliminate the need for network USB dongles, which will greatly streamline the business process, reduce cost, shorten the delivery cycle, and reduce the technical issues caused by the dongle licensing.

For major releases of SolidWorks, upgrading the license manager consists of uninstalling the old license manager, installing a new one, and re-activating the SolidNetWork license.

The license manager for a newer release can distribute licenses for client computers remaining at the previous release as well.

1. Start the SolidNetWork License Manager to verify that no client computers on the network are running SolidWorks.  The License Usage tab shows clients running SolidWorks.

2. Uninstall the old license manager.

3. Install the new license manager and re-activate the SolidNetWork license on the license manager computer. If you are upgrading the SolidNetWork License Manager on a computer that also runs the SolidWorks application, upgrade SolidNetWork license managers and clients before installing any new SolidWorks application service packs on that computer.  If you are upgrading the license manager on a computer that hosts administrative images, upgrade the license manager before upgrading the administrative images.

Uninstalling the SolidNetWork License Manager

When upgrading the SolidNetWork License Manager, you must uninstall the old license manager before installing the new one.

1. Start the SolidNetWork License Manager.

2. Verify that no client computers on the network are running SolidWorks. The License Usage tab shows clients running SolidWorks.

3. On the Server Administration tab, under License Server, click Stop.

4. Click OK to exit the license manager.

5. In Windows, open Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.

6. Select SolidWorks SolidNetWork License Manager, click Remove, and confirm the deletion.

7. In Windows Explorer, delete the SolidWorks SolidNetWork License Manager folder. (Typically, this folder is located under Program Files in the SolidWorks installation directory.)

You now are ready to install a new version of the license manager.

 Installing and Activating a License Manager

The SolidNetWork License Manager supports multiple license clients. It distributes licenses to clients on the network.

1. Start SolidWorks Installation Manager

a) For type of installation, select the following:

• Administrative Image and Server products

• Install SolidNetWork License Manager (distributed licensing) on this computer

b) For serial number, provide the SolidNetWork License serial number.

c) Follow the online instructions to complete the installation in SolidWorks Installation Manager.

2. To activate SolidNetWork licensing, start the SolidNetWork License Manager.

a) When prompted to activate, click Yes.

b) On the SolidNetWork License Server Information screen:

• If your company uses a firewall, select A firewall is in use on this server.

• Use the default value for Port Number (and for Vendor Daemon Port Number if you have a firewall) or specify the port numbers your company uses. The port number is a TCP/IP port number in the 1024-60000 range, used exclusively by this process. Normally, the default (25734) is suitable and is unlikely to be the same as any other FLEXnet server process currently on the license manager computer.

c) On the Activate Your SolidWorks Product screen:

• Select the Internet or email procedure.

• Supply email contact information.

• Click Next to proceed.

• Internet: Activation occurs automatically. (Recommended)

• Email: Press Save to create a request file, then send the file to activation@solidworks.com. When you receive the email containing the response file, extract the file from email and then click Open to load it. If necessary, you can exit and rerun the activation procedure to open the response file.

3. Click Finish

You no longer need your dongle.  Please send it back to us.

Symmetry Solutions Inc
http://www.symsolutions.com
6860 Shingle Creek Parkway #120
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430

SolidWorks continues to update the list of mobile workstations certified for SolidWorks 2010.  The last two generations of mobile workstations from Dell and HP using nVidia Quadro FX graphics are certified for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of XP and Vista.    The Lenovo ThinkPad W700 has been certified with Quadro FX3700M graphics only, but the FX2700M graphics should work fine.   All of these models are expected to be certified for Windows 7, as well.

The older Dell Precision M90 and M65 notebooks have been certfied for 32-bit XP/Vista only.  These notebooks can address a maximum of 3.2GB RAM, so 64-bit operation doesn’t make much sense anyway.  The Vista driver should work for Windows 7, but probably will not be certfied.  These are the last drivers that will be available for these computers.    Kudos to Dell for supporting these systems with updated drivers.  The same generation notebooks from HP (nw8440/9440) and Lenovo (T60p) will not be getting updated drivers.

The only notebook with ATI FireGL or FirePro graphics certified so far is the Dell M6400 with FirePro M7740 graphics.  The Lenovo ThinkPad W500 and models of the HP 8530w/8730w with ATI graphics will probably be certified eventually, but it’s not certain.    We recommend sticking with Quadro FX graphics, at least for the time being.

For the most up to date certification information, see http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html.  Look up notebooks by computer manufacturer, not by the graphics manufacturer.

SolidWorks has begun shipping out Sw 2010 Upgrade Kits to eligible customers.  About 3/4 of our list has been shipped and assigned FedEx tracking codes.  You should receive your upgrade kits before Thanksgiving. 

If not, please contact me and I’ll track your package.

Jim Zink

763.795.7975

jim.zink@symsolutions.com