Are you running a supported OS? SolidWorks recommends the professional operating systems Win 2000 and XP Professional. Running a non-workstation grade operating system can cause problems and is not recommended for production environments.

Does you hardware meet the minimum system requirements as noted on the SolidWorks web site? See SolidWorks system requirements for more information.

Is the graphics cards Drivers, hardware acceleration level, etc. set per the Graphics card and driver web page at http://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/VideoCardTesting.html .

Are you using a certified graphics card from set per the Graphics card and driver web page? A certified graphics card and driver combination is tested and supported by the hardware vendor.

Did you run SolidWorks Rx and start SolidWorks in Open GL mode? This options is at the bottom of the Diagnostics section and will disable the graphics card hardware acceleration for the next session of SolidWorks only. If the

Does your system have sufficient RAM? The amount of RAM required for a system is dependant on the size of the datasets being used. For performance reasons, you do not want to run out of physical RAM. The system will then use the virtual memory or pagefile. This is hard disk space that emulates RAM. The problem with the pagefile is twofold: first it is really slow! Secondly, the system will become less stable when the system resources run low.

Is the hardware (i.e., cards and memory) connected and seated properly?

Is the hardware cooling properly? Are all the fans in good working condition?

Start Windows in Safe Mode . To do this restart computer, after any BIOS information is displayed on the screen, press F8 .  Does the computer run ok in safe mode? If so, it may be a computer setting.

Are you over-clocking your CPU? While this is technically possible, CPU's are sold at a clock speed because they could pass the manufacturers QA process at that speed. If possible, also check the CPU voltage and temperature .

Other drivers (i.e., sound cards, etc.) can also contribute to system issues. Have any of these drivers been updated or do they need to be replaced with current, supported drivers form the manufacturer?

Since the last time you made changes that might affect your OS (i.e., installing/removing software/hardware/drivers) have you reapplied the latest OS service pack? This is a common industry practice that can restore your OS dependant files to their intended (from Microsoft) state.

The recommendation for size for your pagefile (virtual memory) is 1.5 times the amount of RAM on the computer. Keep an eye on your task manager to see how much space you typically use. You never want to use up the physical RAM as your system will get very slow (practically unusable) and unstable.

Set the minimum and maximum values once to the maximum amount required and preferably on its own partition that is clean (i.e., defragmented). Changing or letting the partition grow can cause a segmented or fragmented pagefile.

The virtual memory should be a contiguous file. A separate hard disk (spindle) is recommended. If the virtual memory is not contiguous, remove the swap file (Windows manages the swap), defrag the hard disk, and then turn it back on.

Avoid having the pagefile on the same drive as the systems files or spreading the pagefile on multiple drives or different partitions of the same hard disk. Don't place pagefiles on multiple drives. Don't put a pagefile on a fault-tolerant drive (i.e., RAID-5) volume.

Is the temp directory specified as a system variable within the Environmental Variable dialog box? This should point to a directory that has sufficient free space.

When was the last time the machine was formatted and the operating system installed? If it has been a long time and many changes have been made, the system could stand for a reformatting. This is where imaging software can be very useful. If you created an image of that machine, to re-format the machine is an easy task.

Has anyone changed the Windows registry? Changing the registry should be done very carefully, and only if you know what you're doing. One slip and you can wind up reinstalling your operating system.

When was the last time you cleared out your Temp directory? If you use SolidWorks a lot, delete everything in this directory once a week. This folder may be hidden if you have chosen to hide all system folders. This folder can cause problems if it gets too big.
Clear temporary files:
C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Settings\TempSWBackupDirectory
C:\Documents and Settings\\<user name>\Local Settings\Temp

Defrag – The drives should be defragmented on a regular, scheduled basis. The virtual memory should also completely defragmented and the minimum and maximum values should be the same. This is probably not the direct cause of a crash, although a fragmented drive can contribute to system instability.

When was the last time you restarted your computer? Believe it or not, some people don't reboot their systems daily. This is an obvious one that can make a big difference and should not be overlooked.

How much disk space do you have on the drive where the OS and page files are? If this gets low, bad things happen. Big disks are worth the investment. With hard disks, size does matter. There should be a minimum of 300-500 MB's on the system partition.

Is regular system maintenance currently scheduled?

Are your journal files local on your hard disk? If not, make sure they are set to a local disk.

Are your files on a network server? Running open files across a network can be slow. Do this test: put a SolidWorks part on a floppy disk. Open the part through Windows Explorer without SolidWorks already open. As you edit the part, SolidWorks keeps writing to the floppy because it put the *.swj (SolidWorks journal) file there. If you open SW first and browse to it, this does not happen because the journal file is in your "start in" dir.

What is the speed of your network? Can it handle all the traffic you put on it? Do all the SolidWorks users open or close large numbers of files at the same time (8:05 am or 4:55 pm)? Many companies separate the engineering network from the rest of the company.

Random crashes can also be caused by network problems. Due to the differences and variety in various networks, these problems can often be difficult to diagnose. If you suspect a network problem, disconnect your PC from the network, uninstall the network card, and try working locally. Use the same files and operations that caused the crash, but perform all work from your local hard drives. If the problems go away, then most likely they are caused by network conflicts/errors. If this is the case, seek support from your MIS department or systems manager.

Are you working on a Novell network? Old versions of Novell may have a limit of how many files can be opened across the network at a time. NT/2000 network is generally preferred.

Was antivirus software running when you installed SolidWorks? If so, turn off your anti-virus, reinstall SW and reapply all SPs, then turn AV back on.

Is this the only version of SolidWorks installed on this machine?

Was SolidWorks the last application installed on you system? For companies that use computer imaging applications, install the latest OS service pack, supported by SolidWorks, and then install SolidWorks as the last application.

Do you install a lot of "questionable" applications on your computer? Installs and uninstalls of semi-pro software can sometimes overwrite or remove files you need for other applications. It's obviously safest to leave your CAD box pretty clean.

Did you clean the Windows registry of SolidWorks entries prior to installation? NOTE: This is potentially very damaging to your system. Extreme care, and backups, should be made prior to removing items from the Windows registry.

Are you running the latest SolidWorks service pack? Have the crashes started since a particular SP was installed? Do you notice more or less stability on machines with different SPs?

What add-ins do you have installed? Which are running? Check Tools/Addins. Are they all up to date versions compatible with the current SolidWorks service pack? It's a good idea to turn off add-ins when you're not using them. Use SolidWorks Rx and start SolidWorks using the Bypass Tools/Options Setting. This will start SolidWorks and ignore the Tools/Options and Add-ins for the next session of SolidWorks only.

Does this crash only happen with a particular document? If so, send it in. For big files, arrange for FTP, use Unfrag and zip the drawing with all of the referenced assemblies and parts. Use "File/Find references" to find and copy all the files that you need to send.

If you use design tables and/or BOMs a lot, check your task manager processes (not just applications) for an Excel process running in the background when the Excel window is closed.