Why did SOLIDWORKS CAM or Visualize fail to obtain a license?

Are you experiencing a failed to obtain license error for SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard or SOLIDWORKS Visualize Standard?  Noticed an expiry date regarding licenses for these products?  Why does this happen?  If other SOLIDWORKS products still launch, or if you are using SOLIDWORKS Term Licensing, then keep reading.  Otherwise, try this article on SOLIDWORKS SolidNetWork License Manager troubleshooting.

Failed to obtain license SOLIDWORKS error

SOLIDWORKS Subscription Service Products

This is likely because SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard and SOLIDWORKS Visualize Standard are tied to your SOLIDWORKS Subscription Service (also known as maintenance), which expires unless renewed.  Below is a typical screen shot from SOLIDWORKS > Help > Activate Licenses.  Although most other SOLIDWORKS products show expiry date of “Never” (unless a term license), SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard and SOLIDWORKS Visualize Standard show a date which matches the expiry of maintenance (subscription).

SOLIDWORKS Product Activation

For SOLIDWORKS Term licenses, note that generally the activation and maintenance (subscription) expiry dates will be the same.

How to resolve the failed to obtain license issue?

First, ensure that your SOLIDWORKS Subscription Service has been renewed. Then do one of the following depending on your license type:

• For Standalone licenses: Start > type the first part of the word “activation” > select SOLIDWORKS Activation Wizard, and choose Activate/Reactivate your product license(s)
• For Network licenses: Activate/reactivate your SOLIDWORKS License Manager.