CAD Forum

I have a computer with a licensed copy of Solidworks 2020 on it, though I'm no longer on subscription.

The physical computer is getting replaced and I need to move my installation of SW to the new machine. I know all about deactivating and reactivating the license, that's not my question (bet you were thinking that weren't you). My issue is that I didn't get installation disks with 2020, so how do I get SW onto my ew machine?

I have the disks for every year from 2012 through 2019, but a healthy majority of my files have been updated to 2020, so they're all useless to me.

I didn't realize in 2020 that they never sent out install disks, apparently that was a decision by SW cause no one really used them anymore.

My old VAR told me it would cost $5500 to let me download the current version (re-buy a license + one year's maintenance) but for the amount of work that requires Solidworks, it's not really worth that much to me.

Are there any ways to move my current installation into the new machine short of copying and rewriting out my entire registry?

Your VAR should send you the download files for 2020. You can also check around in your area or SW User group and I'm sure someone should be able to share you the installation files.

Which SP are you using? You need to get same SP for your license to work.
Your VAR might be up selling you to higher SP.

If you have an account on MySolidworks.com, I believe you could download the required install files from there.

I'm pretty sure the downloads aren't available if you are off subscription.

SPerman wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:21 am I'm pretty sure the downloads aren't available if you are off subscription.

Well, it depends.

If he bought a subscription plan, then he doesn't have access to them. If he bought a 'physical' copy, I believe SolidWorks would still allow him to download them, and since he has disks up until 2019, I would believe his 2020 version would be concidered a physical copy. At least, that's how I dealt our stuff, when they offered to stop sending the physical copies as a 'rebate' on the cost. It was obvious what was the intention behind it and we didn't want to get fooled into it.

I should have been clearer. I'm pretty sure the downloads aren't available on the website if you are off subscription. They are available from your VAR. (I can't remember if they provided me a link or sent me discs, but I was able to get the software from my VAR when I was off subscription.)

Always download and store installation of each SP.
The SP update install are always problematic.

VAR will send link to a full install download.

Well, it depends.

If he bought a subscription plan, then he doesn't have access to them. If he bought a 'physical' copy, I believe SolidWorks would still allow him to download them, and since he has disks up until 2019, I would believe his 2020 version would be concidered a physical copy. At least, that's how I dealt our stuff, when they offered to stop sending the physical copies as a 'rebate' on the cost. It was obvious what was the intention behind it and we didn't want to get fooled into it.
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I don't recall being offered a rebate for not taking the physical copy, they just didn't send it. All the prior years that I was on subscription I had gotten a physical disk of SP 0 in Sept or October, but not in 2020.

The SW web site still recognizes my license, and gives me the option to deactivate/reactivate but the link to the download page (for any year) is locked out.

Thanks for all the good advice everybody, I'll try to see if my VAR will still talk to me (having not heard from me for 2 years, I'm not too hopeful)

Its really a shame they got rid of the $500 penalty for renewing an expired subscription. I wouldn't mind spending 2k (500 + this year's subscription) but $5,500 just isn't worth it for how much I use the software anymore.

JustaWelder wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:17 am
I don't recall being offered a rebate for not taking the physical copy, they just didn't send it. All the prior years that I was on subscription I had gotten a physical disk of SP 0 in Sept or October, but not in 2020.

The SW web site still recognizes my license, and gives me the option to deactivate/reactivate but the link to the download page (for any year) is locked out.

Thanks for all the good advice everybody, I'll try to see if my VAR will still talk to me (having not heard from me for 2 years, I'm not too hopeful)

Its really a shame they got rid of the $500 penalty for renewing an expired subscription. I wouldn't mind spending 2k (500 + this year's subscription) but $5,500 just isn't worth it for how much I use the software anymore.

Maybe it has to do with the different locations we live at, I'm in the province of Quebec, Canada.They had to notice us that they were cutting the physical disk and knew that we'd ask for a good explanation and rebate as to why that was. The rebate came, but the explanation was that they were doing it to offer us a rebate, which obviously wasn't the case. They then agreed that we would still have access to download SolidWorks from our admin portal page even if we were to eventually cut subscriptions for whichever reasons. Our subscriptions are going to be up for renewal in 2024 and I wonder what direction we'll go then to be honest. I really like SolidWorks as a program and the fundation we have with it and so does my boss, but if it comes down to being forced into the cloud system and all the crap that seems to come with it, I'm not sure we'll be renewing. Still have a year or so before we start looking into that, so hopefully SolidWorks 2023 will be looking better then the last few versions.

Let us know if you need the files.
It is not illegal to give someone the files.
The installation allow 30 days trial.

Ok, so update a few weeks later...

I emailed my old account rep with the Solidworks VAR I used to have and and hour or so later he sent me a link to 'how to download Solidworks files' Which, of course, did not solve my problem.

I wrote him back politely thanking him for his timely response, but I need to get into the download portal for the files from the years that I was a subscriber for. But as it stands I am locked out of the download section completely.

Gave it a couple days, and I haven't heard anything so I'm pretty sure that's the end of that.

So... Mr. Law, if that was a serious offer to send me the install files, I'd like to take you up on that. I'm happy to compensate you for your time, of course.

Which SP does your license entitle to?
You can't install anything newer.

SP 0... my subscription ended right after the initial release dropped.

Didn't find installation for 2020 SP0, yet. Got a few backup to check.
Most will advice to use 2019 SP5 because it'll be more stable.

well even the SW download site doesn't have SP0

Because it's so bad they replaced it with 0.1
LOL

Now I don't know if 0.1 will work the license.

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Fri Sep 09, 2022 12:40 pm Because it's so bad they replaced it with 0.1
LOL

Now I don't know if 0.1 will work the license.

WELL at least SW is still perpetual, runs until your PC dies unlike AD having to pay every year just to keep using your files. unless you haven't jumped to AD's subscription model.

I found SW2020 sp0
15gig file
how do you want it delivered?

I could setup a GrabCAD that you can pull it from, we still have time before it die in June, 2023