CoD Wiki

SOLIDWORKS 2026 INSTALLATION PROCESS (WINDOWS ONLY) 

You must be connected to the eduroam network or the UK Campus VPN before beginning this process. 

(Instructions: Requesting UK Campus VPN Access | UK Campus VPN Installation )

NOTE: THIS INSTALLER REQUIRES UPWARDS OF 45 MINUTES TO COMPLETE & CAN RESULT IN A CORRUPTED INSTALLATION OF SOLIDWORKS IF PREMATURELY CLOSED OR YOUR NETWORK CONNECTION IS LOST DURING THE PROCESS. 

1. RUN 

Hit "Windows Key + R" on your keyboard to open the 'Run' dialogue 

-or- 

Click the Windows Icon in the bottom left corner of your desktop, then type 'run' & click the 'Run' application 

2. INSTALL PATH 

Copy & Paste the text below into the Run dialogue box: 

\\codapps.ad.uky.edu\SOLIDWORKS_BYOD\StartSWInstall.hta

Then click "OK" 

3. START INSTALLER 

A screenshot of a computer error

Then click "Run" in the window that appears for Setup.exe and then for sldIM.exe 

A screenshot of a computer security warning AI-generated content may be incorrect.

(NOTE: It may take several moments for the installer window to appear after this step.) 

5. INSTALLATION 

When the Installation Manager appears, you may see a message similar to one of the following: 

Click "OK", "Restart Later", or whichever option allows you to proceed with the installation process. 

The Installation Manager will then begin installing SOLDIWORKS 2025 - DO NOT close this window until the process is complete. 

When the installer closes on its own (this may occur before the installer visually reaches 100%) check to see if you now have a SOLIDWORKS 2025 icon on your desktop. 

If the icon is there, go ahead and run the software to verify that it launches! 

Finally, when you open the program, it will ask for activation or that you only have a 30 day trial.

Select Activate Now and click Next.

 Enter your UKY email address and press Next.

The activation should complete and show your valid license for all installed SolidWorks products.

IMPORTANT NOTES 

If at any point during the installation process you see a window requesting login credentials: 

Put in your "[LINKBLUE]@uky.edu" as the username, along with your UK login password as shown below 

If you do not have the option to change your username, click "Use a different account" 

-ADDITIONALLY- 

If you have a previous install of SOLIDWORKS that you'd like to remove, during STEP 3 of this process, select all of the boxes below & choose "Uninstall SOLIDWORKS products now"

[Note: If this is done after installing SOLIDWORKS 2025, it will remove the latest version as well.] ____________________________________________________ 

If you encounter any issues during this process and are unable to proceed - please feel free to contact fablab@uky.edu and I will do what I can to assist! 

Troubleshooting