Hello all, My SolidWorks keeps crashing on me when I'm opening CAD files. Maybe someone seen this before? My setup: Dell M6600 Laptop Workstation, i7 processor, 8MB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 64Bit Professional. Usually connected to a Dell docking station. I also have a Dell U2410 24 inch monitor connected via the docking station. I have SolidWorks 2013 Standard installed. I've been working with a SolidWorks support guy trying to figure out why SolidWorks keeps crashing on me, but so far he's stumped. I've just got Dell involved and I've been instructed to do a few things. I contacted Dell support because I think maybe the monitor may be causing the problem (?). I did try opening files using only the laptop monitor, with the 24 monitor turned off. This is why I think it could be the monitor. The problem: I run SolidWorks on the 24 inch monitor. When opening CAD files, starting with top assembly drawing, then the assembly CAD files, and working myself down to individual part files and their drawings. At some point, usually between 5 to 8 files opened SolidWorks would close abruptly. Most times with no warning, sometimes the dialog box will open telling me SolidWorks had encountered a problem and will be closing down. The crash usually happens after I’ve clicked on the 'Open File' button. Sometime the window is greyed out, other times SolidWorks closes before I can select a file to open. I've had some crashing when doing something different. I've recorded several sessions and forward this to my support guy. After looking at these files he thought the problem may be with virtual memory. After fallowing his instructions, to do checkdsk, nothing improved. Verious settings were changed as well. Didn’t help. I looked at the possibility of a corrupt file, but I was not able to identify one. I’m sending off a copy of the complete product I’ve been working on to see if he can experience a crash on his system, and maybe identify a corrupt CAD file. I've run a system diagnostic on the laptop, but all hardware passes, including the hard drive and RAM. I’ve changed cables from the DisplayPort cable and replaced it with a standard DVI cable. Didn’t help. What I’m going to do tonight, as suggested by my SolidWorks and Dell support guys: Plug the monitor video cable directly to the laptop. Run another system diagnostic, which is different from the one I ran before. Start a session with SolidWorks and work off the laptop’s monitor (if plugging the 24 inch monitor to the laptop does not work) and see if I get any crashes. If I do, then start SolidWorks up and record the sessions again. If anyone seen anything like this, and found out what was causing it, please let me know. Thanks all!
Any blue screens of death? I've been fighting similar problems but the whole machine keeps dying to BSD's (error 116). It did start with SW, Inv. or other graphics intensive programs dying first, then machine freezing and now just BSD crashes. There is a guy at Dell named Ricky Hagan who has been VERY expert at helping me. I'm not sure you can get to him unless you have their "Pro" level of support.
does your solidworks file use design tables? I once had an issue where solidworks would crash anytime the design table was loaded because there was a corrupted link between the two programs. A simple reinstall fixed it for me. Check if there are any external programs being called by the files. Additionally, have you updated all the drivers, are you using 64-bit solidworks, and have you tried running other graphics intensive programs that would tax the GPU RAM but not the system RAM (eg try a high resolution render). Lastly, is realview on or off? If the issue is with the GPU then try turning off realview.
Very interesting ,maybe the fact that Solidworks uses the OpenGL old standard that often NVIDIA & AMD can lose connection with the display driver and is unable to continue (hence crash). Latest technology is Direct X which the more up-to-date systems like Autodesk Inventor use and therefore do not have this problem take a look att his link and if you want a free trial let me know. http://www.autodesk.co.uk/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=452932&id=16587569 massive value for money and it works on workstations from as litttle as £ 650.00 Dell Precision (T1650 check out www.CADextras.co.uk ). get an Nvidia Quadro 600 or an AMD FirePro V4900 included for that. Hope this helps Best regards Dave 01908 410172
Hi dsgn2mfg, No blue screens of death, so far. SolidWorks just disappears. Sometimes I get that little dialog window telling me that SolidWorks has encountered a problem and will shut down. I spent the weekend cleaning out my project directory of any duplicate parts. I have four projects that use many of the same parts, and some that are similar. One other project that uses the same basic hardware (screws, nuts, etc.). Found a few, some parts having up to 5 or 6 copies. After the clean out, and re-associating parts to assemblies that lost their links, all seemed well. I was able to open one of my projects, top assembly down, and associated drawings with no problems. I thought I found the problem. Then, after opening another project, the problem came back. Same as before, I would open a few files, then POOF! SolidWorks disappears. I'm working with both Dell and my SolidWorks support guy to narrow down what this problem can be. One suggestion, update nVidia drivers. I think I've done that already. I'll post more as this saga continues. M
Hi Patrickjojyce, No, I don't use design tables. I use my copy of SolidWorks at home, so my machine is not connected to a network where other programs would need to access my CAD files. Also, I rarely use other graphic programs at the same time as I am using SolidWorks. I have used both Photoshop and Illustrator when creating graphics for parts I've designed, but only long enough to creat the graphics I need then I would close those programs down. I've never experienced a crash when I have had either one, or both running, while using SolidWorks. I've been advised to update my nVidia Quadro drivers by Dell support, but the suggested driver version I downloaded (not yet installed) seems to be for other Quadro grahic cards, like the FX series not for the one in my machine, 3000M. I'm sure I installed SolidWorks 64bit when I upgraded from 2011 to 2013, but I'll check my machine tonight. I'll also check realview, which I usually tend to keep turned off when working on my parts and assembly. Thanks for your suggestions. I'll post my results. M.
I recommend you change your hard disk drive. I also had a similar problem with AutoCad and after replacing my hard disk, it worked perfectly
Hi OB.YEMOH, I was thinking of upgrading to a Solid State Drive, and adding another 8GB of RAM. Thing is, I've had no issues with any other software. Typical stuff like MS Word and Excel work just fine. I also have Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. No issues there. My SolidWorks support guy is sending me software that does a thorough check of memory. Maybe it will reveal a problem with the hard drive, or RAM. I might have a daft laptop, not built with care. About three months after I received the laptop the graphic card started to fail. The Dell service engineer commented that when he replaced the graphic card he noticed that the right amount of thermal padding was not used, so the board was cooking itself to death. Maybe the overall build is like that. Something is cooking itself to death, thus the crashing problem. ??? I'll keep you all posted.
The graphics card should be always first suspect ! check it against the solid works list of certified cards and make sure your driver is upto date. TO check, you can disable the graphics cards - IIRC its under options, performance and click on the use software opel GL tick box ?? you'll loose some capability, but if its stable then you have a card issue. Tony
We are also facing same problem,we are using x64 bit solid works 2012 .we have reduced the crashes by increasing ram capacity to 8 Gb . Though the crashes still exist but now they are less frequent.u can try increasing the ram capacity.
