This guide will describe how to install Solidworks 2008 on a 64 bit operating system. This has been tested on Windows 7 Professional x64 and with Solidworks 2008 SP4.0.
Update (Dec 8, 2009): I know that there is a copy of Solidworks 2008 that was released for 64 bit operating systems, but this article is talking purely about getting the 32 bit copy to work.
INSTALLING SOLIDWORKS
- Download and Install Orca MSI Editor.
- link: http://www.technipages.com/download-orca-msi-editor.html
- its use should be very straight forward
- Open English_i386_Solidworks.MSI inside the Solidworks set up files. It should be in “Solidworks 2008 Office Premium SP 3.0 w COSMOS\swwi\data”
- Under “LaunchCondition”, change the “Not” to an “Or” in the line that has a description saying “x64 operating systems are incompatible/not supported”
- Disable any anti-virus programs
- I’ve never had an anti-virus program cause any problems until now. I had Bitdefender 2010 on my computer and it caused the installation to hang.
- Install Solidworks and apply the updates
troy 2011-07-29
I have solidworks 2011 32-bit. i need to install in to my PC with OS Windows7 Home Premium 64-bit. please help me. TY
hp 2011-07-29
I’d imagine that it’d work the same! I never tried it myself, so I don’t really know how to help you here. Maybe you could just take my instructions here and modify them.
Nijo 2011-10-22
I have solidworks 2011 32-bit. i need to install in to my PC with OS Windows7 Home Premium 64-bit. please help me.
Thanks
Nijo 2011-10-22
when itz about to finish the installation it gets rolling back
hp 2011-10-22
Thanks for your question.
I believe your problem may be due your computer not having the prerequisite programs installed. These are the programs you need to install:
You will find this in the prereq folder of your SolidWorks install files.
toluen 2011-12-29
Where i can find the crack? I looking everywhere and find nothing.
Thanks in advance!!!
toluen 2011-12-29
crack for sw 2008 sp4.0. You write a super instruction but the crack is the last thing i can’t find. Sorry for double posting.
hp 2011-12-29
I would just look on the usual torrent websites.
As far as I know, SolidWorks 2010 is already out, so there isn’t really a need to use 2008 if you don’t have to.
toluen 2011-12-30
The problem is that i must use 2008. The torents sites are empty. The PirateBay etc.
I only need the version of crack from Your text above. If You don’t have it, it’s a pity.
I don’t know where I can find it.
hp 2011-12-30
As far as I know, there are other cracks available (they just don’t work in the same way), but the instructions should still mostly apply. At least the installation part will. But if you are replacing a dll (say sldappu.dll), the instructions should already be included in the new crack.
rupert 2012-05-08
Thank you so much. This was the most useful notes I found on this, I had an old copy of 2008 so not SP4 like yours but you method still worked! Thanks again.
hp 2012-05-08
That’s good to hear! But to be honest, I thought people are moving onto the newer versions now.
Steve 2012-05-18
I tried every thing to install SW08 on my new W7PRO computer and nothing worked until reading your article. this is different than the sldappu.dll which does not work on 7.
Follow the instructions and this really works.
Thanks so much
If any one needs help I can let you know how to go about it.
Thanks again
Scott 2022-12-02
Yes please I am trying to install 2008 and have the .DLL which am I replaciceing
Thanuja 2012-10-29
I have solid works 2008 software. My operating system is windows 7 64 bit. I can not install solid works 2008 due to critical massage come as follow ” windows x64 vista is not a supported operating system . Please install on a recommended operating system”. What i do now?
hp 2012-10-29
Hi there,
Thanks for your comment. Please refer to the section labeled “Installing SolidWorks” in the article. Thanks,
fixnflyr 2013-03-07
Hi HP,
Sounds like you know a lot about Solidworks. I have loaded solidworks 2013 without disconnecting the internet and when I try to unstall it after the 30 day trial ran out I can’t get a clean unstall even when I go into regedit and manualy do a clean up. Any ideas how to get the licence registration file out of my machine so I can reload it.
Thanks
hp 2013-03-07
Hi, I’ve never encountered that problem before so I don’t know. You could always just delete the files and remove the registry keys. That *usually* does the trick.
pit 2014 ulgi 2013-07-28
Hello, I check your blogs on a regular basis.
Your humoristic style is awesome, keep up the good work!
Brennan Harris 2014-07-15
Thank you so, so much! Seriously, this saved me from getting fired, probably! Again, thanks a ton!
hp 2014-07-15
Thanks for letting me know! Glad it helped.
MF 2014-07-22
Hi, Ive got the pirate bay copy with SP3, I followed these instructions and it opens up the intro window and the main window before crashing, saying
SldWorks has stopped working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available. (I have the Solid works program open, but all I can do is click close program. Running Windows 7 pro.
Thanks in advance!
hp 2014-07-22
I think that’s a separate issue since you were able to install it!