The Javelin Technologies Blog

Do you need to be able to use more than one release of SolidWorks on your system?  For instance you may use SolidWorks 2012 but for one supplier or customer you also need Solidworks 2011 since they haven’t upgraded yet and you need to share some files with them.  How can you install two or more versions of SolidWorks on your computer and keep the installations stable and completely separate from each other?

Like many people, you may have already done a straight installation of two or more versions of SolidWorks onto your system, without making any changes to the default settings in the SolidWorks Installation Manager.  If that is the case take a look at your C:/ directory.  Right away you will probably notice a folder that says SolidWorks Data, and one that says SolidWorks Data(2), and maybe even a SolidWorks Data(3).  Next, if you look in the SolidWorks Corp folder in your Program Files directory you will likewise also see a folder titled SolidWorks, then a SolidWorks(2), and maybe a SolidWorks(3).

Having this type of file structure can often lead to issues with SolidWorks behaviour, especially if one or more of the releases are later uninstalled.

These instructions will help you create a solid installation of multiple releases of SolidWorks on your system.  The process below is starting with the assumption that you already have one version of SolidWorks installed on your system (we’ll use SolidWorks 2011 as our example) and that you are going to install SolidWorks 2012.  The instructions would be the same for any release of SolidWorks though.

Installation Preparation:

Step 1.  Download the full SolidWorks installation file set using the “Download Only” option in the SolidWorks Installation Manager.

Step 2.  Disable any anti-virus or anti-spyware programs running on your system.  If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7 also disable the User Account Control or UAC.

Step 3.  Go to Start > All Programs > SolidWorks 2011 > SolidWorks Tools > Copy Settings Wizard.  Select “Save Settings” and click “Next>”.  Browse to a location to store the settings file where it will be safe (the “SolidWorks Downloads” folder in “My Documents” is a good choice).  Give the file a descriptive name such as “SolidWorks 2011 Settings”.  Make sure all the options are checked and click “Finish”.

Step 4.  Reset the SolidWorks registry entry.

** Do NOT open SolidWorks 2011 yet. **

Installing New Release:

Step 5.  Start the SolidWorks 2012 Installation Manager, and select the option to “Create a new installation”

Step 6.  On the Summary page of the Installation Manager click “CHANGE” in the “Installation Location” section.

Step 7.  Click “Browse…” for the “Install selected products to:” location and create a new folder named “SolidWorks 2012″.  Then click “Back to Summary”

Step 8.  On the Summary page click “CHANGE” in the “Toolbox/Hole Wizard Options” section.

Step 9.  Select the option to “Create a new 2012 Toolbox:”.  Then click “Browse…” and navigate to the SolidWorks 2012 folder you created in Step 7.  Inside that folder create a new folder called “SolidWorks Data 2012″.  Then click “Back to Summary”.

Step 10.  On the Summary page click “Install Now”

Applying Settings:

Step 11.  Once SolidWorks 2012 is installed, launch SolidWorks 2012.

*** Do NOT open SolidWorks 2011 yet. ***

Step 12.  Close down SolidWorks 2012 and go to Start > All Programs > SolidWorks 2012 > SolidWorks Tools > Copy Settings Wizard and repeat the procedure from Step 3 to save a “SolidWorks 2012 Settings” file.

Step 13.  Once the is completed again go to  Start > All Programs > SolidWorks 2012 > SolidWorks Tools > Copy Settings Wizard but this time select the option to “Restore Settings”.  Select the SolidWorks 2011 Settings.sldreg file created in Step 1 and select the option to “Apply settings from this file to: SolidWorks 2011″.

Once complete both SolidWorks installations will be installed completely separate from each other.