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How to Disable SOLIDWORKS Add-Ins

Published in SOLIDWORKS Settings 3 mins read

To disable SOLIDWORKS add-ins, you can access the Add-Ins manager through the software's menu or options flyout.

Disabling add-ins in SOLIDWORKS can help improve performance, especially if you have many add-ins installed that you don't use regularly. It allows you to control which additional functionalities are loaded when SOLIDWORKS starts.

According to the provided reference, SOLIDWORKS Add-Ins can be enabled or disabled using two primary methods:

  1. Using the Options Flyout:

    • Locate the Options flyout. This is often found near the top of the SOLIDWORKS window, usually associated with the gear or settings icon.
    • From the flyout menu, select Add-Ins.

  2. Using the Tools Menu:

    • Go to the Tools menu at the top of the SOLIDWORKS window.
    • From the dropdown menu, select Add-Ins.

Both methods will open the SOLIDWORKS Add-Ins dialog box.

Steps to Disable Add-Ins

Once the SOLIDWORKS Add-Ins dialog box is open, you will see a list of available add-ins.

+---------------------------------+--------------------+-----------------+
| Add-In Name                     | Start Up           | Active          |
+---------------------------------+--------------------+-----------------+
| SOLIDWORKS Simulation           | [ ]                | [ ]             |
| SOLIDWORKS Motion               | [ ]                | [ ]             |
| SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation      | [ ]                | [ ]             |
| ... (Other Add-Ins)             | [ ]                | [ ]             |
+---------------------------------+--------------------+-----------------+

The dialog box typically has two columns of checkboxes for each add-in:

  • Start Up: Controls whether the add-in loads automatically every time SOLIDWORKS is launched. Unchecking this disables the add-in upon SOLIDWORKS startup.
  • Active: Controls whether the add-in is currently loaded in your current SOLIDWORKS session. Unchecking this disables the add-in immediately for the current session.

To disable an add-in:

  1. For the Current Session: Uncheck the box in the Active column next to the add-in you want to disable.
  2. For Future Sessions (Prevent Auto-Loading): Uncheck the box in the Start Up column next to the add-in.

Note: To completely disable an add-in from loading at all unless manually activated during a session, you should uncheck both the Start Up and Active boxes. If you only uncheck Start Up, the add-in won't load automatically, but you can still enable it manually during a session by checking the Active box. If you only uncheck Active, it disables it now but will load again next time if Start Up is checked.

After making your selections, click OK to apply the changes.

Disabling unnecessary add-ins can lead to faster SOLIDWORKS startup times and potentially smoother performance during your design work.

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