: On a new line at the bottom of the file, enter the server's IP address, followed by a tab or space, and then the server name. Example: 192.168.1.100 PDM-SERVER-01
Because the hosts file is a critical system file, Windows protects it from standard user modifications. Click the Windows menu. Type Notepad into the search bar. Solidworks Host File Block
: High latency in DNS resolution can cause massive slowdowns when opening or saving files in PDM. Manually mapping the server IP to its name in the hosts file bypasses this delay. : On a new line at the bottom
| Reason | Description | |--------|-------------| | | Prevent the software from continuously phoning home to verify network licenses (can reduce server load). | | Stop Unwanted Updates | Avoid forced updates that may break custom configurations or third-party integrations. | | Data Privacy | Block telemetry or usage data from being sent to Dassault Systèmes (common in sensitive engineering environments). | | Firewall Supplement | Add a lightweight, zero-resource block before traffic reaches the firewall. | Type Notepad into the search bar
To ensure your computer can now successfully talk to the licensing servers, open your Command Prompt again and run a quick ping test. Type the following command and press Enter: ping ://solidworks.com
Security software like SentinelOne, ZoneAlarm, or Webroot may misidentify SOLIDWORKS activation attempts as malicious and lock the hosts file or block network traffic.
) try to reach out to external URLs for updates or usage tracking. In high-security environments or systems with strict firewalls, these attempts can cause the software to "stutter." By "blocking" these URLs (redirecting them to ), you keep the traffic local and the software snappy. How to Do It (The Safe Way) To edit the file, you’ll need to find it at: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts The Steps: Run as Admin: