Multiple Versions of Solidworks

It's no big deal, just do a "new" install to a different directory (as opposed to an upgrade)

I have three versions on my machine including 06.

Mark

You just start a regular install. Choose to do it as a new installation, not an upgrade, and don't put the SW common data in the same location as your other version unless you aren't looking back. There's really not much to it. As always, be careful about updating Toolbox data so that you can't use it with your old software, and if you save existing models, do it with a save as and use a different name unless you don't want to use the old software with that file anymore.

matt

YouGoFirst wrote:

Any customized templates should be copied to the new data and lang folders. Be sure to go through the tools/options/file locations on the system options tab before starting a new project, and reset them to the new install directory. Otherwise your old templates may stop be usable in the earlier version. It's kind of a pain to do, but worth the time if you need backward compatability.

Miles

During Beta I had 2003 thru 2006 installed on the same box. 2005 was even installed from an administrative image. No problems with SW running. Where you have to be careful is with things like part, assy, and drawing templates which can be overwritten by a new version and which will cause an older version to have trouble. My procedure is to copy my whole templates directory over so I have templates from 2003 on up to 2006.

Thanks, I thought there was a trick to making things work.

1. Tiffany, Wayne M. Aug 30, 8:48 am show options

From: "Tiffany, Wayne M." - Find messages by this author Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 08:48:01 -0500

I generally run 2 or 3 versions on mine. My installation practice is to put each in its own area. Example installation:

C:\Program Files\SolidWorks2004\ C:\Program Files\Common Files\Solidworks Data2004\

C:\Program Files\SolidWorks2005\ C:\Program Files\Common Files\Solidworks Data2005\

Doing it this way, things stay separated and I can run any that I have installed. I can also easily tell which one is which.

WT

Then how do you handle all the different versions of plug-ins? cosmos, camnetics, pdmworks, edrawings, etc...

I am going to have to make a partial retraction. It would appear that Photoworks doesn't work when 2004 and 2005 are installed on the same machine. It works on 2005 but crashes 2004.