Solidworks 2018 Download And Install Direct
Assume you have administrator rights on your Windows machine.
Step 1: Prepare the System
Step 2: Launch the Installer
Step 3: Select Installation Type The installer will automatically check for missing prerequisites (e.g., Visual C++ Redistributables, SQL Server). Let it install these.
Step 4: Enter Serial Number
Step 5: Configure Installation Settings
Step 6: Run the Installation
Step 7: Activation (Crucial Step) After installation completes:
Real-time antivirus and Windows Defender often flag SolidWorks installers as false positives because of the licensing service. Temporarily disable all security software before starting the download and installation. Re-enable it after the final reboot. solidworks 2018 download and install
After a successful SolidWorks 2018 download and install, fine-tune the software for performance.
| Error Code | Likely Cause | Solution |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Error 1402 | Registry permission issue | Use Microsoft’s SubInACL tool or manually grant full control to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks. |
| Missing CAB file | Corrupt download | Re-download the specific .cab file from the portal. Do not use download managers. |
| "Failed to load DLL" | Antivirus deleted a license file | Restore the file from quarantine, add SolidWorks folder to antivirus exclusions, and repair installation. |
| VBA (Visual Basic) error | Outdated Microsoft VBA | Download and install VBA 7.1 from Microsoft’s website before installing SolidWorks. |
Cause: Missing Visual C++ Redistributables. Fix: Download and install all Visual C++ Redistributable versions from 2010 to 2017 (both x86 and x64) from Microsoft’s official site. Then re-run the SolidWorks installer in "Repair" mode.
Downloading SolidWorks 2018 is generally painless provided you have a valid SolidWorks ID and active subscription. Assume you have administrator rights on your Windows machine
Authorized methods only:
Physical Media
🛑 Do not use third-party or torrent sites — they may contain malware or lead to license violations.
| License Type | Serial Number Format |
|--------------|----------------------|
| Commercial | 0001 0000 0000 0000 (site-specific) |
| Student | 9020 0000 0000 0000 (example) |
| Trial | Automatically generated during trial request | Step 2: Launch the Installer