How Do I Disable Add-Ins in SolidWorks?

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In this tutorial, we will learn how to disable add-ins in SolidWorks. Add-ins are additional software components that enhance the functionality of SolidWorks by providing extra features and tools. However, sometimes you may encounter issues or conflicts with certain add-ins, which may require you to disable them temporarily or permanently.

Disabling Add-Ins Temporarily

If you want to disable an add-in temporarily without uninstalling it, follow these steps:

  1. Open SolidWorks: Launch the SolidWorks application on your computer.
  2. Go to Tools: From the menu bar at the top of the screen, click on “Tools. “
  3. Select Add-Ins: In the drop-down menu that appears, select “Add-Ins.

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  4. Disable Add-In: In the Add-Ins window, you will see a list of all the installed add-ins. To disable a specific add-in, simply uncheck the box next to its name.
  5. Click OK: Once you have unchecked the desired add-in(s), click on “OK” to save your changes.

This will temporarily disable the selected add-in(s) for your current session of SolidWorks. The next time you launch SolidWorks, these add-ins will be enabled again unless you disable them again following the same steps.

Disabling Add-Ins Permanently

If you want to permanently disable an add-in in SolidWorks, follow these steps:

  1. Open Windows Explorer: Open Windows Explorer by pressing “Windows Key + E” on your keyboard or by clicking on the File Explorer icon in the taskbar.
  2. Navigate to the SolidWorks Installation Folder: In Windows Explorer, navigate to the installation folder of SolidWorks. The default location is usually “C:\Program Files\SolidWorks”.
  3. Open the Add-Ins Folder: Within the SolidWorks installation folder, locate and open the “Add-ins” folder.
  4. Find the Add-In Files: In the Add-ins folder, you will find various files related to different add-ins. Look for the file corresponding to the add-in you want to disable.
  5. Rename or Remove the Add-In File: To disable the add-in, you can either rename its file extension (e.g., change “.dll” to “.dll.disabled”) or remove the file from the Add-ins folder altogether.

By renaming or removing the add-in file, SolidWorks will no longer be able to load it, effectively disabling it permanently. However, if you ever want to re-enable the add-in, you can simply rename or restore its file in the Add-ins folder.

Note: Disabling an add-in permanently may require administrative privileges on your computer. Make sure you have sufficient permissions before making any changes to system files or folders.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have learned how to disable add-ins in SolidWorks both temporarily and permanently. Temporarily disabling an add-in can help troubleshoot issues or conflicts with specific functionality, while permanently disabling an add-in is useful when you no longer require its features or want to improve performance. Remember to exercise caution when modifying system files and folders and always keep backups of important files.

We hope this tutorial has been helpful in understanding the process of disabling add-ins in SolidWorks. Happy designing!