It is now 2012 and this release is a couple service packs in. So it may be time for you to start looking at upgrading.

There are many things that you need to consider before you deploy and making sure your models work is top priority. What else may need to be considered before you decide to upgrade? This is a question you should ask yourself before any upgrade be it a new version or even just a service pack.

1. First find out if your current files have any conflicts with the new version as somethings do change with the new release.
2. Make sure customer and vendors will be compatible with the new version.
3. See that you are still running a supported OS this will be important for the 2013 release as Windows XP will not be supported.
4. Then look at the graphics card and driver. Every year SolidWorks does test card and driver combinations but not all cards make the list for testing. So if you have an older card and do not find it on the testing website you may need to get a new one. But if it is still being tested you may just need to update the driver.
5. Other things to consider are peripherals and software to see if they are compatible with the new version. This could be CAM software, printing drivers and even partner products. These may need to be upgraded as well and may keep you at an older version longer.

Those are just a few things to keep in mind before doing any upgrade. It would be best to have a procedure in place with a check list so you know what has been finished.

Recently, we have been getting a lot of calls from customers doing upgrades to their SolidWorks and Workgroup installations. This is a simple project, unless someone else completed the previous upgrade. If that’s the case, it is still fairly simple but there are a couple of things that can be missed or forgotten. Like the vault Admin tool on the client end, this is not selected for install by default. You will need to make sure it is selected in the products to install. It is a little hard to find if you don’t know where to look.

This screen shot shows what to select so this gets installed with the rest of the SolidWorks on the client. Workgroup is base on the SolidWorks Explorer  platform so it needs these components installed for it to work.

Now the main issue we have been seeing for the server portion is where is the location of the Vault. By default SolidWorks will place this on the root of C but most IT people I have spoke with do not like putting programs there. That is not a problem. If you need, it can be placed on the root of whatever drive you want to use. But ideally, it shouldn’t be buried in any folder, it needs to be on the root. This being said, if you are upgrading the vault and you are not sure where it is, find that out first. Then, when you start the  install you can make sure it points to the correct location. Otherwise the Installer cannot find it and it will use the default location, which is C. Then you will have it installed, but it will be an empty vault.

The screen shot above shows where it will install the vault. It should find the correct location but if it does not, look at the area I have highlighted. This will tell you where it is going to upgrade the vault to. If this is showing C:\VaultData\ and you know it is not there, select “Change”. This opens the area that will allow you to browse to the correct location.

Hopefully this will assist you in a smooth Workgroup Vault upgrade. The screen shots above are from the 2011 SP3 installation manager, so if you are using an older version it may look a little different. The 2011 vault installation uses the SolidWorks IM, while previous versions used the older Windows IM.

I hope this clears up some of the upgrade issues you may encounter. As always, if you run into any issues during an upgrade, our Technical Support team members are happy to assist you.

Have you ever thought to yourself “Why did the SolidWorks developers do it that way?  It should work differently!”  Or how about “Why didn’t they find/fix that bug before they released the software?”  Or maybe you are in the camp that will never install the latest release of SolidWorks until at least service pack 2 because you are “waiting for the kinks to be worked out”.

Now is your chance to help resolve these issues before they affect you and your design team.  Join SolidWorks 2012 Beta today!  This is your opportunity to impact the quality, performance, and reliability of DS SolidWorks products while getting advanced access to the latest version of SolidWorks.

In addition, SolidWorks 2012 Beta Program includes contests where you can show off your SolidWorks skills and get points and valuable prizes for testing the software.  You can also check out the special competitions!

Download Beta today and start earning points and help shape the future of SolidWorks.

http://www.solidworks.com/beta/beta-terms-accept.htm?ref=%2Fbeta%2Fdefault%2Ehtm&qs=fromrss%3D1

Well, it’s that time of year again.  SolidWorks has released Beta 3 of SolidWorks 2011 which means the official release must be right around the corner.

To help everyone get ready for the new release, Symmetry Solutions will be holding What’s New Events.  Please mark your calendar and plan on attending the event that’s closest to you.  Here is when and where the events will take place:

• New Richmond, WI – October 20th
• Owatonna, MN – October 21st
• Twin Cities – October 22nd

I will also be highlighting new features in this blog, so stay tuned and I hope to see you at the SolidWorks 2011 Roll Out.

Go Here to Register for Your Event!
 

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