Make sure the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Task Add-in gets updated!

When upgrading SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional from one release to another, the Task Add-in does not automatically get upgraded.

This Add-in should always be upgraded whenever you upgrade the PDM software. This ensures compatibility, and allows you access to any enhancements or fixes that have been added to the Task.

Here is the process for upgrading the SWTaskAddIn, which runs the default Convert and Print tasks that are included with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.

The four step update process

Step 1:  First check which version of the Task Add-in is currently being used by your vault.  In the Administration console, expand the “Add-ins” node and double click the SWTaskAddIn to see the current Add-in Version.  In the case here it is the “2014040916” version, which means the Add-in was for Enterprise PDM 2014 SP4.

Current Version of the SOLIDWORKS Task Add-in

SOLIDWORKS 2016 SP3 has been recently installed, so the Add-in should be upgraded to match that version.

Step 2:  Next locate and open one of the tasks included in the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional installation files.  In the Administration Console, click Open and browse to the installation directory for PDM Professional and into the “Default Data” folder.  The default path will be “C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS PDM\Default Data”.  Find one of the three tasks included with PDM Professional, “Convert_gb.cex”, “DesignChecker_gb.cex” or “Print_gb.cex” and open the file.

Open a Task

Step 3:  From the opened file, select the “SWTaskAddIn” (not the task itself, just the AddIn), and drag and drop it onto the existing SWTaskAddIn under the Add-ins node of the Administration console.

Drag & Drop Task

Click Yes to accept the new task.  This should only be done AFTER upgrading the program itself.  The updated add-in will now work for any of the 3 tasks (Convert, Print or DesignChecker). The updated task is replicated out to any additional Archive Servers and does not need to be run again until the next upgrade.

Replace Add-in

Step 4:  You can verify that the clients are using the upgraded Task add in by right clicking on the PDM “blueberry” icon in the Windows Task tray and selecting “Task Host Configuration”.

Task Host

The Task add-in version that the client is using will be shown in the Version column.

Task Host Configuration Version