Solidworks Licence Issue 3

[CADDESIGNER100]

Hi there,

Ok this is a bit of a random one so bare with me.

I recently bought a second hand PC and it turns out it may have had a dodgy install of Solidworks on it.

I'm a little bit hesitant now to transfer my work licence onto this home PC as I'm worried I may get in trouble with Solidworks. (The whole point of this PC was so I could work from home a couple of days a week)

I may be being paranoid, but I know Solidworks uses Hardware based ID's for licencing, and so potentially this second hand PC I have bought is tainted.

I would just speak to my VAR but I am worried by doing so I may incriminate myself and my company, purely for having the PC.

I can't take the PC back unfortunately

Anyone got any Ideas?

Many thanks

 

[MikeHalloran]

I last used SW in 2010, so this may have changed, but at that time, every work license allowed a corresponding home-use install without additional fees or fuss or hassle of any kind.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[CADDESIGNER100]

Thanks for the quick response Mike,

I guess my worry is that when I transfer my work licence onto this PC that I have bought, it may trigger to Solidworks that there used to be a dodgy/illegal/cracked licence on the PC.

It might sound daft, but Solidworks licences are linked to a hardware ID based on the Motherboard/ Hard-drive Serial numbers. So this PC that I have bought may have had it's hardware tainted due to a previous illegal install.

I'm basically worried that by me adding my legal licence onto this 2nd hand PC, Solidworks may be notified that it used to have an illegal copy and send in the lawyers.

I'm hoping someone can tell me I'm being ridiculous and completely overthinking this?

 

[MikeHalloran]

Yes, you're being paranoid.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[berkshire]

CADDESIGNER100
To make sure, you can do a complete uninstall, then re-install your legitimate Solidworks files from work onto your new machine. If you cannot do this , there are greater problems there than I can address.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[CADDESIGNER100]

Thanks for the response Berkshire,

I would do this, but my concern would be that my PC ID may be on solidworks servers as a cracked version so when it phones home activating the legal copy, it may flag something up. My work had some pretty aggressive letters and phone calls from some external lawyers recently as a contract designer bought in a laptop which had a cracked copy on it. When they logged onto our network to work this was flagged up immediately to dassault and it was very difficult to straighten out. So it's basically made me worry about how the licences work and if this new PC of mine will trigger a similar response. I may be being paranoid, however a fine from solidworks would not be a good start to the year!

 

[MikeHalloran]

Okay, ask your VAR to do the installation and deal with any related issues for you.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[AnnaWood]

Take the hard drive out of the system and put a new hard drive in. Re-install your OS and software.

Anna Wood
SW2015 SP5, Windows 7 x64

 

[CADDESIGNER100]

Hi Anna,

Thanks for the reply.

So I did a little searching after you replied and it sounds like as the Hardware ID is tied to the motherboard and Hard drive, just replacing one will make the PC be viewed as a new PC as far as Solidworks are concerned.

So a huge thank you as I can finally get this PC up and running.

Cheers!

 

[DrBwts]

I dont think there is an issue as long as you have a currently legal license.

 

[berkshire]

If you have completely uninstalled the Illegal copy and run a registry sweep with a utility program, then you should not have any problems installing a legitimate copy. If you are still unsure , As Mike Halloran says , " Get your VAR to do it for you.".
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[looslib]

Reformat the hard drive and do a clean install.

"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[marty007]

Why are you afraid of picking up the phone and asking your VAR? You haven't done anything wrong.