:::Alternative to Reinstall:::

If you have exhausted all other possibilities of your problem try doing this, before reinstalling.

IMPORTANT You have to be comfortable to change data in the registry, because you can hose your entire computer if you change the wrong item.

1) Close SW
2) Click Start\Run and type Regedit
3) Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks
4) RMB the Solidworks directory and click rename.
5) Rename it with your Initials or something.
6) Restart SW, you will have to accept the license agreement and reset your toolbars and tools options. Before you do that, see if that fixes any problems you are encountering.
7) If so, Close SW, then go back to your Registry and delete the Solidworks directory you renamed. (if you push f5 (refresh) you will see a new Solidworks directory appear).
8) If not and you want to keep your old settings. Then Close SW, (push f5) delete the newly created
Solidworks directory, and rename the other directory (that has your initials in it) back to Solidworks.

If this doesn't work, your last alternative maybe to Reinstall SW.

Explanation: All this really does is, it resets all your settings to default. It is essentially like reinstalling, without actually reinstalling.

I have found this work for some people in the last few weeks. Most people are a lot happier to change their settings back, then to reinstall SW, because of the down time it takes to reinstall.

:::How do I do a Clean uninstall and reinstall of Solidworks:::


Note: Make backups of all templates, and customized items in SolidWorks!!

1) Go to Control Panel and click on "Add and remove Programs" Remove all SolidWorks that have been installed on your machine.
2) Go to Windows Explorer and remove all SolidWorks directories.

IMPORTANT: You have to be comfortable to remove data from registry because you can toast your entire computer if you delete the wrong item.

3) Go to Start\Run and type Regedit and click OK.

4) Then go to and remove the following in bold

Reg. settings to remove:

HKEY_Current_User\Software\Solidworks

HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Solidworks
HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Solidworks Corporation

If some of those reg settings are not there, it's OK the Uninstall took them out. Continue on.

Close and restart computer, and reinstall once your computer is back up. IMPORTANT: DO NOT install SW with any AV (Anti-Virus) running. If you can help it try and shutdown any files that are running in the background. This can lead to potential, and or possible problems later.

When installing to the next major release of SolidWorks. DO NOT install directly over your pre-existing SolidWorks. Make a new directory like SolidworksXX. "XX" being the Latest version install. e.g "Solidworsk 08".