Student Edition Technical FAQs
Can students get access to the MySolidWorks web portal?
Yes, students with a valid serial number for Student Edition and Student Engineering Kit (SEK) products can access the MySolidWorks.com web portal. Please note that the Student Design Kit (SDK) does not provide access to the MySolidWorks web portal, except for limited “Guest” access. More information is available here:
www.solidworks.com/mysolidworks_for_students
Link to MySolidWorks : https://my.solidworks.com/
Steps to register: www.solidworks.com/mysw_student_reg
How can I contact the Student Edition support team?
You can contact the Student Edition Support Team by filling in the student support form using this link and providing the required information: www.solidworks.com/studentsupport
When contacting the Student Edition Support Team, please collect and include the following information:
For installation and download issues:
- Installation Logs: Please provide the installation log files for further investigation of your issue. To go to the installation log folder, you can type %appdata% at Start > RUN and press Enter; it will open the "Roaming" folder. In the "Roaming" folder go to the "SOLIDWORKS" folder. Under the "SOLIDWORKS" folder, you will find a folder named “Installation log.” Zip this complete folder and provide it for investigation.
- Screenshot of the error message
- Serial numbers
For Crash and SOLIDWORKS functionality issues, or SOLIDWORKS files related issues:
- SOLIDWORKS Rx: Please capture your problem using the Rx utility and send the zip file back for further investigation. (Default location of Rx is Start > All Programs > SOLIDWORKS Student Edition > SOLIDWORKS Tools > SOLIDWORKS RX) Run Rx utility and go to "Problem Capture” and Click “Record Video.” It will launch SOLIDWORKS and you can follow steps to show your issue. Click “Finish recording” after you have followed the steps to show the issue. Then Click “Package Files Now...” and save the zip file. Now under “Describe Problem" click “Continue” and enter the problem description and required details and click “OK” and exit the Rx utility. Send the zip file as an attachment for further investigation.
My Student Edition installation fails with "Dialog Shown: {0: The Installation Manager encountered a fatal error.: Check the log files and then contact Technical Support.}. How can I troubleshoot the error?
Generally, in this case, installation logs show an error with the installation of VSTA (vsta_aide.msi).
When trying to manually install the VSTA component by running vsta_aide.msi, installation of VSAT fails with error code 1305 "Error reading from file' during installation."
Generally, this occurs when the installation is running from OneDrive and the Installation Manager is unable to read some files from OneDrive leading to installation failure.
To resolve the issue, copy the all the downloaded files to a folder that’s local to the system, then run the installation from the local folder.
SOLIDWORKS crashes when trying to create a new part, assembly, drawing, or trying to open a saved part.
In most of the cases this problem is caused by unsupported graphics cards and drivers. To verify this, try to start SOLIDWORKS with Software OpenGL (if this option is not disabled due to unsupported graphics card). You can either follow the steps in the above question, or follow the steps below:
- Launch SOLIDWORKS and without opening any document go to Tools > Options > Performance
- Enable “Use Software OpenGL”
- Select OK and now try to open a new part, assembly, or drawing
If SOLIDWORKS does not crash in Software OpenGL mode, this confirms that the problem is due to the graphics card or its drivers. To see the list of SOLIDWORKS supported graphics cards and drivers for your system (if your system is not listed please select Any System Vendor) follow the link: https://www.solidworks.com/support/hardware-certification
How do I deactivate/transfer the SOLIDWORKS student license from my computer?
Follow the steps below for deactivating a SOLIDWORKS license:
- Open SOLIDWORKS on your current system.
- In the SOLIDWORKS window, navigate to Help > Deactivate Licenses.
- In the SOLIDWORKS Product Activation window, select the products and click on the 'Next' button.
- Once the deactivation is successful, you will be able to install and activate this license on the new system.
Is SOLIDWORKS supported on Mac OS? Can I install a Student Edition on Mac OS?
SOLIDWORKS is not officially supported in the Mac environment. We are aware of many users who run SOLIDWORKS successfully in a dual-boot Windows environment on Macs. We are not aware of many users running successfully in an emulated Windows environment on Macs. If you choose to run SOLIDWORKS on a Mac, your best chance for success will be choosing a dual-boot "Boot Camp" setup (booting in Windows) on your Mac.
SOLIDWORKS eDrawings and the free 2D CAD product DraftSight are supported in native Mac OS.
Please refer to this link providing system requirement information for installing SOLIDWORKS:
How do I troubleshoot the activation error ‘Activation Wizard initialization issue code 72’?
This issue can occur if the SOLIDWORKS® License Service is not installed properly on the machine. In most of the cases, this issue is resolved by performing a repair installation of SOLIDWORKS. Follow the below steps for a repair installation:
- Login as an administrator
- Go to Start > Control Panel > Program and Features > SOLIDWORKS and click ‘Change’ to repair the installation
- Select ‘Repair the individual installation (on this computer)’
- Click ‘Next’
- Follow the instructions to complete the modification
After the repair is successful, try following the steps to perform the activation:
- Rename the FLEXnet folder and try activation again:
Go to C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet and rename the folder FLEXnet (maybe to FLEXnet_old) (The ProgramData folder is a hidden folder. Either you can enable to show hidden folders from Folder options or you can directly type c:\Programdata into the address bar and press enter to access this folder. You will be able to find the Flexnet folder) - Try the activation again
How can I troubleshoot the error "Activation transaction failed: Empty response received from the Activation server "?
Please try the following to troubleshoot the issue:
- Rename the FLEXnet folder and try the activation again
Go to C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet and rename the folder FLEXnet (maybe to FLEXnet_old)
(The ProgramData folder is a hidden folder. Either you can enable to show hidden folders from Folder options or you can directly type c:\Programdata into the address bar and press enter to access this folder. You will be able to find the Flexnet folder) - Try the activation again
I was unable to deactivate the license from my old computer. Can I install SOLIDWORKS on a new computer with the same serial number?
Student Edition products allow for 2 activations. If both activations have already been consumed, then you can contact our support team for further assistance by filling in the Student support form. If you only installed and activated SOLIDWORKS once, then you can install and activate the license one more time without contacting SOLIDWORKS for assistance.
Can I install my Student Edition on multiple computers?
Student Edition serial numbers allow for two simultaneous activations. You can install and activate SOLIDWORKS on two systems at a time. Hence you can use the same serial number to install and activate SOLIDWORKS on another system.
Can I upgrade/renew my SOLIDWORKS Student Edition license after it expires?
SOLIDWORKS Student Edition licenses are version-specific, and hence it is not possible to upgrade these products. The licenses will be valid up to 365 days, beginning from the first date of activation. If your current Student Edition license has expired, contact your school/university to issue you a free home use license of SOLIDWORKS. If the school/university is not able to assign you a free home use license, you can purchase a new Student Edition license from the SOLIDWORKS student store website -www.solidworks.com/studentstore
Can I install/license a previous version of the SOLIDWORKS Student Edition, using a newer Student Edition serial number?
Yes. Starting with SOLIDWORKS Student Edition 2020-2021, this serial number will license the previous version of Student Edition 2019-2020. The same will be true for future releases, licensing the previous year's release.
I have a Student Edition serial number; can I upgrade to the latest version or can I download & install the latest version?
No, Student Edition serial numbers are version specific. Hence, it is not possible to install other versions with the same serial number. You can only install the version entitled by your serial number.
I am using the SOLIDWORKS Student Edition. Do I have access to SOLIDWORKS Knowledge Base articles?
Yes, students with Student Edition and SEK serial numbers have access to the MySolidWorks.com portal, through which they can access the SOLIDWORKS Knowledge Base. Please note that Student Design Kit (SDK) users do not have access to the MySolidWorks web portal, except for limited “Guest” access. More information is available here: https://my.solidworks.com/account/student-access
I did not receive an email with my serial number after requesting the download for the Student Design Kit (SDK)? What should I do?
Please check the following:
- If you did not receive a serial number via email, check your spam/junk folder as the email might have been filtered
- When you request a download for a Student Design Kit (SDK) using your SDK-ID, serial numbers are displayed on the download page. Copy the serial numbers and use them during the installation