Installing SolidWorks 2017 with Activator by Team SolidSQuads: A Better Approach

Legal Action: Dassault Systèmes (the maker of SOLIDWORKS) actively monitors for unauthorized use and may pursue lawsuits or civil penalties against individuals and businesses.

Security Threats: Third-party executables often bypass standard Windows security. Analysis of "SolidWorks.2017-2018.Activator.SSQ.exe" has flagged it for containing remote access strings and behaviors that could indicate data harvesting.

  1. A modified SW_Distribution folder – to disable the installer’s license check.
  2. A license file (sw_d.lic) – telling SolidWorks to look for a "local server" rather than Dassault’s servers.
  3. An "Activator" (usually SolidWorksActivator.exe or SSQ_Activator.exe) – which manipulates system services (like the SolidWorks Licensing Service) and applies registry patches.

System Stability: Users have reported "Error 6" and registry issues when using the activator, particularly on newer operating systems like Windows 11.

System Instability: Cracked software often lacks critical updates and patches, leading to frequent crashes, corrupted save files, and compatibility issues with official plugins.

Phase D: The Firewall Rule (Post-Activation)

The "better install" isn't finished until you create an outbound firewall rule in Windows Firewall:

Follow Installation Prompts: Pay attention to the installation prompts. Some installers may bundle additional software you might not want, so make sure to carefully review each step.