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You cannot save changes to this file without administrative privileges. Start Menu , right-click it, and select Run as Administrator In Notepad, go to File > Open Paste the path C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc into the address bar.
: At the bottom of the file, add the IP address, a tab space, and the server name. Example: 192.168.1.100 PDMSERVER .
Violating the terms of the license agreement can have cascading consequences:
# SolidWorks Block List 127.0.0.1 localhost 127.0.0.1 solidworks.com 127.0.0.1 www.solidworks.com 127.0.0.1 login.solidworks.com 127.0.0.1 activation.solidworks.com 127.0.0.1 license.std.3ds.com 127.0.0.1 std.3ds.com 127.0.0.1 events.3ds.com 127.0.0.1 swym.3ds.com
If a computer previously hosted a cracked or unauthorized version of SolidWorks, the cracking tools almost always alter the hosts file. They do this to prevent the software from contacting Dassault Systèmes (the makers of SolidWorks) to check if the license is valid. When transitioning back to a legitimate license, these old blocks remain and break the official software. Common Symptoms of a License Block
⚠️ Dassault Systèmes changes domains and uses IP rotation. Host file blocking is never fully reliable long-term.
| Domain | Primary Association | Typical Service Purpose | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | im.solidworks.com | License Management & Installation | Activation checks, license validation, user authentication. | | crashdiag.solidworks.com | Crash Reporting | Sends software crash and error diagnostic data to Dassault. | | performance.solidworks.com | Performance Analytics | Transmits usage metrics and performance statistics back to Dassault. | | www.solidworks.com | Web Services | The main company web portal, can be a fallback for some checks. | | licenses.solidworks.com | Dedicated License Verification | Directly tied to license authentication and online licensing. | | activate.solidworks.com | Activation Process | Handles the license activation and deactivation workflow. | | backupactivate.solidworks.com | Redundant Activation Service | An alternate activation server, often used if the primary is unreachable. | | files.solidworks.com | Download Services | Used by the Installation Manager to download updates and components. | | help.solidworks.com | Online Help & Documentation | Accesses integrated online help guides and resources. | | blog.solidworks.com | Telemetry & Content | Could host web-based content and additional telemetry calls. | | sw.www.solidworks.com.edgekey.net | CDN for Web Assets | Part of Akamai's CDN for delivering web content and assets. |
Some users wish to use SolidWorks entirely offline, perhaps for security reasons on an isolated workstation. SolidWorks’ licensing model often requires periodic re-activation to confirm the license is still valid.
file to prevent the SolidWorks application from communicating with validation or telemetry servers. This is often done to bypass license checks or stop unwanted data collection. 1. Locating the Hosts File
: Using a local hosts file for a long period is discouraged, as it can lead to connection instability if the server's IP address eventually changes. 4. Blocking Log-ins (Administrative)
SOLIDWORKS PDM relies heavily on server names. When DNS fails, the client machine "blocks" itself from seeing the vault until a manual entry is added to the host file.
This isn't a "set it and forget it" fix for everyone. You should consider a hosts file tweak if: Your license takes more than 30 seconds to pull.