Error Solidworks Toolbox

Error Solidworks Toolbox:

1. Failed to get writable document
2. Unable to open read-only file
3. Failed to  save Toolbox library: Access to the path is denied
4. You appear to have experienced problems the last time you loaded the Solidworks Toolbox add-in

Failed to get writable document

In this case, you need to check the access rights to the Toolbox directory (by default C: \ Solidworks Data can be viewed in the Toolbox settings)

Solidworks Options

Change Solidworks Toolbox Location

To do this, right-click on the Toolbox-Properties - Security tab. Check that your account has write permissions.

Unable to open read-only file

With this error, you must tick the "Change the status of the read-only document to the record" in the Toolbox- "User Settings" configurator settings

Change the status of the read-only document to the record

Failed to  save Toolbox library: 

Access to the path is denied

In the third case, you need to check the write permission of the "ToolboxFiles.index" file, which is located in the Toolbox - \ Browser directory. This error may appear in SW2012 and higher versions. This is due to the fact that starting from Solidworks 2012 the toolbox does not depend on the SWBrowser.mdb database, but stores the structure in the "ToolboxFiles.index" file.

You appear to have experienced problems the last time you loaded the SOLIDWORKS Toolbox add-in

Article by LeninSW

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How to change the default SOLIDWORKS Smart Fastener

SOLIDWORKS Smart fasteners have their own page in the SOLIDWORKS Toolbox Settings: Step 5 – Configure Smart Fasteners. This is where washer size and fastener length are set and a default fastener is specified for the holes created without Hole Wizard.

Smart Fasteners Options

The option to change the default SOLIDWORKS Smart Fastener type for Hole Wizard holes can be found in the Step 1 – Hole Wizard of the Toolbox Settings. 
That is where each hole type gets a matching fastener from the Toolbox selection.
The Reassign button can be used to change the default fastener for the selected hole type.

Reassign Default Smart Fasteners

Article by Sanja Srzic

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Repairing SOLIDWORKS with the Installation Manager Step-by-step Guide

If you encounter problems with an installed SOLIDWORKS product
(e.g. SOLIDWORKS Premium, Simulation, PDM, Inspection, Electrical etc.), you can use the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager to repair the installation.

 However, to repair an installation, your machine must have all the source files from the previous installation and any service packs that were applied, in the location where they were originally installed.
You can repair an individual installation. You cannot repair an administrative image; you must uninstall and then reinstall the administrative image

Repairing SOLIDWORKS installation

Here are the steps for repairing SOLIDWORKS:

Step 1. Make sure you have the SOLIDWORKS installation files. If you installed from the SOLIDWORKS DVD, place the DVD into the drive. 

 If you installed from a file set downloaded directly from solidworks.com, make sure the files are present in the SOLIDWORKS Downloads folder.

Step 2. If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, disable the User Account Control as directed in the article Avoid potential problems using SolidWorks with Windows Vista & 7

Step 3. Ensure that any antivirus and /or antispyware software services have been stopped. 

 This can be done by going to the Start menu and launching the Run dialog. Type in: services.msc then click Run. Find the antivirus and antispyware services in the list and select Stop.

Step 4. Go to the Control Panel and open Add/Remove Programs if using Windows XP, Programs & Features if using Windows Vista or Windows 7.

Step 5. Select the SOLIDWORKS installation from the list and click Change.

Windows Control Panel

Step 6. Select the “Repair the individual installation” option and click Next.

Repair installation Manager

Step 7. On the Products to Repair screen, select the product to repair

Products to Repair

Once the repair is complete, launch SOLIDWORKS to test if the issue has been resolved.

Article by Andrew Lidstone 

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How to remove the Toolbox flag from a SolidWorks file

All SOLIDWORKS Toolbox parts have an internal file flag that sets them apart from regular SOLIDWORKS parts. 

This flag enables SolidWorks to recognize them as standard parts and places a Toolbox icon beside them in the FeatureManager Design Tree. If you have created custom fasteners by copying files out of the Toolbox folders, these will still be recognized as a Toolbox part. As these are now stand-alone parts, SolidWorks will not need to search for the references within the Toolbox. Therefore you should remove the internal flag to avoid file reference conflicts.
When copies of Toolbox files are saved externally from Toolbox, it is sometimes necessary to remove the flag which identifies the file as originating from Toolbox. This article explains how to remove the Toolbox flag as well as how to determine what the current flag status is.

Custom sizes of the default fasteners can be added directly to the Toolbox, but sometimes it is necessary to take a copy of the Toolbox file in order to adjust the geometry. This may be done as an alternative to remodelling the fastener from scratch.

One of the issues that arise when copying fasteners from Toolbox is that the resultant part file maintains an internal flag. This internal flag can force SolidWorks to revert back to the original Toolbox item instead of the saved out part file when opening an assembly.

One solution to this problem is to deflag the Toolbox item. The result of this will be that the file is no longer recognised as having originated from the Toolbox and instead becomes a standard part file.

sldsetdocprop

Set Document Property

• Browse to your SOLIDWORKS installation folder (by default C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\Toolbox\data utilities)

• Add the individual part file or folder of files to be deflagged by selecting ‘add files’ or ‘add directories’
• Set the property state to ‘No’
• Click "Update Status"

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Error loading SOLIDWORKS Toolbox Library or add-in tools

Sometimes when you launch SOLIDWORKS and try to load SOLIDWORKS Toolbox Library or Utilities add-in, SOLIDWORKS delivers a message stating “You appear to have experienced problems the last time you loaded the SOLIDWORKS Toolbox add-in”. This issue is only experienced in SOLIDWORKS 2017 SP3.0

Error loading Toolbox Library 

• If you pick yes, continue to load Toolbox, SOLIDWORKS possibly stops responding!
• However, if you pick No, disabling Toolbox, everything seems to work fine.

To fix this error you should delete the ‘tb_default.sldedb’ from ‘<C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS 2017\Toolbox\data’.

In Windows 7/Vista a  user can open his/her application data folder by running the command ‘appdata’ from Run window.

Navigate to the specified path and delete ‘tb_default.sldedb’.

Then launch SOLIDWORKS, you should have no issues adding the Toolbox Library or Utilities add-in.

This issue has been fixed in SOLIDWORKS 2017SP4.

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Viewports

SolidWorks help

You can view models through one, two, or four viewports.
To open four viewports:

• Click Four View   (Standard Views toolbar) or Window > Viewport > Four View.

Viewports

You can choose the following viewport arrangements from the Window menu or the Standard Views toolbar:

Tooltip	Views Displayed
Single View	User-specified
Two View - Horizontal	Front and Top
Two View - Vertical	Front and Right
Four View	Front, Right, Top, and Trimetric (Third Angle), or Front, Left, Top, and Trimetric (First Angle). Specify First Angle or Third Angle in Tools > Options > System Options > Display .

The lower left corner of each viewport displays the current orientation.

To choose a different orientation, click the View Orientation   (Heads-up View toolbar).

When you switch from multiple viewports back to a single viewport, the model displays the orientation of the active viewport. If you then switch back to multiple viewports, the orientations are the defaults again.

You can change the orientation or rotation of a model in any viewport independently as long as the viewports are not linked.

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SOLIDWORKS System Requirements

These requirements apply to all SOLIDWORKS products except where noted. Use this information to ensure you are always working with a SOLIDWORKS supported and optimized system for hardware, operating system and Microsoft products.

Operating Systems	SOLIDWORKS 2013		SOLIDWORKS 2014		SOLIDWORKS 2015		SOLIDWORKS 2016		SOLIDWORKS 2017		SOLIDWORKS 2018
Windows Vista>
Windows 7 64-bit (SP1 required for SOLIDWORKS 2014)
Windows 7 32-bit (SP1 required for SOLIDWORKS 2014)
Windows 8.1 (64-bit only)			(2014 SP1)
Windows 8 (64-bit only)
Windows 10, 64-bit					(2015 SP5)
Hardware
RAM	8GB or more recommended<
Video Card	Certified cards and drivers
Processor	Intel or AMD with SSE2 support. 64-bit operating system required
Install Media	DVD drive or broadband internet connection
Microsoft Products
Internet Explorer	IE 8, 9, 10	IE 8, 9, 10 ,11		IE 9, 10 ,11		IE 10,11		IE 11		IE 11
Excel and Word	2007, 2010,	2007, 2010, 2013		2010, 2013		2010, 2013, 2016 (SW2016 SP3)		2010, 2013, 2016		2010, 2013, 2016

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