SolidWorks 2025 Main Errors – Solution

SolidWorks 2025 introduces significant performance enhancements and AI-driven features, yet even this robust release encounters technical hurdles on modern Windows environments. From installation roadblocks involving the Toolbox to complex licensing conflicts like the 'Vendor Daemon' error, these issues often stem from strict OS security protocols, graphics driver incompatibilities, or corrupt registry keys. This guide provides validated troubleshooting steps for the most frequent errors reported by the engineering community in early 2026.

Common Errors

• Toolbox Installation Failure: Occurs when the installer cannot upgrade an existing Toolbox database.
• Error: Vendor Daemon is Down: A FlexNet licensing failure preventing startup, common in network environments.
• Visualize 2025 Startup Crash: Immediate crash upon launching SolidWorks Visualize, often linked to hybrid GPU setups.
• Reference Plane Crash: Software termination when creating or editing reference planes (specific to 2025 SP0/SP1).
• SQL Server Connection Failed: Electrical component installation error due to permission conflicts.

Fix 1: Toolbox Installation Failure

This error typically appears during an upgrade when the installer lacks permission to write to the existing C:SolidWorks Data folder, or when the folder is in use.

1. Navigate to your existing Toolbox folder (usually C:SolidWorks Data) and rename it to SolidWorks Data_OLD.
2. Run the SolidWorks 2025 Installation Manager as Administrator.
3. On the Summary page, click Change next to 'Toolbox/Hole Wizard Options'.
4. Select Create a new SOLIDWORKS 2025 Toolbox instead of upgrading the existing one.
5. After installation, you can migrate custom data from the 'OLD' folder using the Toolbox Settings utility.

Fix 2: Error 'The desired vendor daemon is down'

This critical licensing error indicates the SolidNetWork License (SNL) Manager service has stopped or is blocked by a firewall.

1. Open the SolidNetWork License Manager Server on the host machine.
2. Go to the Server Administration tab and click Stop to halt the service.
3. Launch Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and ensure no processes named lmgrd.exe or sw_d.exe are running; end them if found.
4. Return to the License Manager and click Start, then Reread License File.
5. If it fails, verify that TCP ports 25734 and 25735 are open in your Windows Firewall.

Fix 3: Visualize 2025 Startup Crash

Users with hybrid graphics (Intel iGPU + NVIDIA/AMD dGPU) often face this crash due to a conflict in the viewport rendering pipeline.

1. Right-click your desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel (or AMD equivalent).
2. Navigate to Manage 3D settings > Program Settings.
3. Select SolidWorks Visualize 2025 from the list.
4. Set the 'Preferred graphics processor' to High-performance NVIDIA processor specifically.
5. Navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA%DassaultSystemes and delete the Visualize configuration folder to reset cached shaders.

Fix 4: Reference Plane Crash (dll Fault)

A known stability issue in early 2025 builds causes crashes when selecting planar references, often pointing to ntdll.dll or sldu.dll in Event Viewer.

1. Open SolidWorks and go to Tools > System Options > Performance.
2. Uncheck Enhanced graphics performance (requires restart).
3. If the crash persists, open SolidWorks Rx from the Windows Start menu.
4. Select OpenGL mode at the bottom of the Home tab and launch SolidWorks.
5. If stable in OpenGL mode, your GPU driver is likely the culprit; update to the latest Studio Driver (not Game Ready).

Fix 5: SQL Server Connection Failed

This error halts the installation of SolidWorks Electrical, caused by the installer failing to connect to the TEW_SQLEXPRESS instance.

1. Open Services.msc and ensure the SQL Server (TEW_SQLEXPRESS) service is running.
2. If installation fails, choose Install a new instance of SQL Server in the installation options.
3. Name the new instance TEW_SQLEXPRESS_2025 to avoid conflicts with older versions.
4. Ensure your user account has 'Log on as a service' rights in the Local Security Policy.

Prevention Tips

• Use Certified Drivers: Always stick to the 'Studio' or 'Enterprise' branch of GPU drivers certified by Dassault Systèmes, avoiding 'Game Ready' updates.
• Regular Rx Diagnostics: Run the SolidWorks Rx 'System Reliability' tab monthly to catch failing drives or low-resource warnings early.
• Clean Temp Files: Regularly clear %temp% and the SolidWorks backup directory to prevent corruption from bloated cache files.
• Disable Fast Startup: Turn off Windows 'Fast Startup' in power options to ensure drivers and services reload fresh after a shutdown.

When to Contact Support

You should contact your Value Added Reseller (VAR) if you encounter repeatable crashes that persist even in 'Safe Mode' (Software OpenGL). Additionally, if you see 'Journal File could not be created' errors alongside corruption warnings, stop working immediately to prevent data loss. Before contacting support, run SolidWorks Rx and use the 'Capture Problem' tool to generate a ZIP file containing your logs, system info, and a video recording of the error.