Updating Client Registry Keys After A SOLIDWORKS PDM Server Move

After the SOLIDWORKS PDM Server components have been moved to another system, it is very important to point the PDM Client to the new server.

To do this process, the SOLIDWORKS PDM Client Windows registry information must be updated with the new server name. This is also applicable in cases where the vault database name or the Microsoft SQL Server instance has been changed.

Why Update the Client Registry After a Server Move?

When you move your Microsoft SQL or Archive servers, every SOLIDWORKS PDM client still references the old server stored in their registry. You must go into each client’s registry and change the DbServer and ServerLoc values to reflect the new server names.

The Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS PDM Installation Guide states that updating the registry keys ensures clients can correctly locate and authenticate with the new archive and database servers. Without this update, users may experience failed logins, missing vault views, or connection errors.

Pre-Requisites Before You Start

Editing Windows Registry keys is a challenging task when editing or deleting any entries. Changing the wrong entry can lead to major issues on your system. It is imperative to take a backup before making any changes and have full knowledge of the ramifications before proceeding.

Before updating the client machine’s registry keys, there are a few requirements:

1. Full administrative permissions are required to edit the registry.
2. The PDM Server components have been successfully moved to another system.

If you want to ensure your SOLIDWORKS PDM server move goes as smoothly as possible, contact us to see how our team of experts can handle the service for you.

How to Update SOLIDWORKS PDM Registry Keys

Be sure to close the SOLIDWORKS PDM Administration tool before proceeding. Additionally, if you are making changes to a private vault view, open the registry as the user who created the view.

To update SOLIDWORKS PDM registry keys, do the following:

1. Open the Windows Registry Editor
   Search for “Registry Editor” in the Windows search bar, and be sure to run the program as an administrator for elevated permissions.
2. Navigate to the required directory
   The keys that need to be updated can typically be found under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SOLIDWORKS\Applications\PDMWorks Enterprise\Databases\$vaultname.
   
   • For 64-bit machines, the keys can be found in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\SOLIDWORKS\Applications\PDMWorks Enterprise\Database\$vaultname.
   • For private vault views, update the keys found in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\Applications\PDMWorks Enterprise\Vaults\$vaultname.
3. Update the DbServer and Server Loc keys
   These keys will point to the old server. Update them so they reflect the new server’s name.

   DbServer and ServerLoc Windows Registry keys

4. Delete the ConisioAdmin key
   This key can be found under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SOLDIWORKS\Appications\PDMWorks Enterprise\ConisioAdmin.
   
   

   Accessing the ConisioAdmin keys in the client registry

5. Close the Windows Registry Editor

Updating Multiple SOLIDWORKS PDM Clients

If you have multiple client machines, going into the Windows Registry every time and making the edits can be cumbersome. Furthermore, it can introduce errors in the process from having to repeatedly perform the same task.

After adjusting the client registry keys on one machine, right-click on the vault name, and Export the keys. You will need to do this for all locations where the keys were updated, including the 64-bit and private vault view keys.

Exporting SOLIDWORKS PDM registry keys

After exporting, you can name them as “1 HKLM-$VaultName.reg” & “2 HKLM-Wow-$VaultName.reg”. Make sure to number them, as it determines the order in which they will be applied. Finally, you can transfer the exported keys to the new clients and double-click them to import. All that’s left is to delete the ConisioAdmin key.

Automating the Deletion of ConisioAdmin

We can also use the script to generate a .bat file that can automate the deletion of the ConisioAdmin registry key. Make sure to run it as an Administrator and save any work in the PDM Administration tool before running the script.

To run the script, copy the code below into Notepad and save it as “3 Delete ConisioAdmin Key.bat”:

@echo off
echo Closing PDM Administration tool...
taskkill /IM "ConisioAdmin.exe" /F
echo Deleting ConisioAdmin Reg Key...
reg delete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\Applications\PDMWorks Enterprise\ConisioAdmin" /f
echo Done.

Getting Help With A SOLIDWORKS PDM Server Move

The above information should get your team moving in the right direction and updating client registry keys after a server move. As mentioned, however, editing the Windows Registry is a dangerous thing to do if you aren’t fully prepared for the potential of editing the wrong key.

Our team of certified experts provides a variety of SOLIDWORKS PDM Services to take the risk out of your hands. Why take the risk on something you only do every few years when we have the expertise from doing it daily?

To learn more about our SOLIDWORKS PDM Services, click here.