Solidworks Host File Block Install Jun 2026

: Confirming the entitlement of the entered keys.

Follow these steps to edit your hosts file. You must have Administrator privileges. Step 1: Open Notepad as Administrator Click Start and type Notepad .

In the case of SolidWorks, a popular computer-aided design (CAD) software, the installation process may be blocked by modifying the hosts file. This can be useful in environments where SolidWorks is not allowed to be installed or used, such as in a company with strict software usage policies.

Even experienced users mess this up. Here is how to fix the top three failures. solidworks host file block install

SolidWorks uses a licensing daemon (usually SW_D or SolidWorks_Flexnet_Server ). Depending on your license type:

The is a powerful, legitimate tool for system administrators and professional users who understand the trade-offs. It stops unwanted telemetry, prevents "license drift" on networked machines, and can rescue an installation that refuses to validate due to a dead activation server.

If your legitimate installation is being blocked, it may not be the hosts file at all. Common culprits include: CurrentWare How to Block Websites Using the Hosts File on Windows 10/11 : Confirming the entitlement of the entered keys

Double-click the file named (it will not have a file extension). Step 3: Identify and Remove SolidWorks Blocks

: You may need to create a specific Security Exclusion Policy through your management console.

At the bottom of the file, add the following lines to block connectivity to SOLIDWORKS activation servers (using 0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1 ensures the connection fails): Step 1: Open Notepad as Administrator Click Start

If you need to re-activate later, you must remove the lines added in Step 4.

The installer hangs indefinitely at the "Verifying Serial Number" screen.

Inside the elevated Notepad, go to File > Open . You must navigate to: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\ Important: In the bottom-right corner of the Open dialog box, change the filter from "Text Documents ( .txt)" to **"All Files ( .*)"**. You should then see the hosts file appear. Select it and click Open.

Change the file type filter (bottom right) from Text Documents (*.txt) to All Files (*.*) . Select the file and click Open . Step 3: Add the Block Rules