The Windows hosts file remains a powerful, lightweight tool for controlling name resolution. For those who need to temporarily block telemetry or diagnostic calls for a legitimate, licensed version of the software, editing the hosts file is a fast and effective technical solution. However, its effectiveness has limitations, especially against modern applications that rely less on DNS resolution.
127.0.0.1 updates.solidworks.com 127.0.0.1 download.solidworks.com 127.0.0.1 files.solidworks.com 127.0.0.1 solidworks-updates.com 127.0.0.1 swdownload.solidworks.com
Editing a Hosts File on Windows, Linux, and macOS | MasterDC
If your hosts file is completely clean but the installation still fails, an active software firewall or antivirus program is likely mimicking the host block at the network layer. Configure Windows Defender Firewall
Locate the SolidWorks Installation Manager in the list. Ensure both and Public checkboxes are marked.
You receive messages stating that the SolidWorks servers cannot be reached, despite having a stable internet connection.
| Category | Domain Name | Purpose | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | im.solidworks.com | Instant Messaging / Telemetry. This is the primary "phone-home" domain for usage data, error reporting, and feature usage analytics. It is one of the first domains to block to cut off the main channel of communication back to Dassault Systèmes. | | Diagnostics & Stability | crashdiag.solidworks.com | If SolidWorks unexpectedly crashes, this service is designed to receive the crash report. | | | performance.solidworks.com | Dedicated to transmitting performance metrics, such as start-up times and tool responsiveness, allowing Dassault to optimize the software. | | Certificate Validation | www.digicert.com | Digital certificates help verify the software's authenticity. Blocking these domains can prevent the software from checking if its license file is genuine. | | | ocsp.digicert.com | The Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) domain for real-time certificate validation checks. | | | cacerts.digicert.com | The domain hosting the Certificate Authority (CA) bundle for verifying a chain of trust. | | | crl3.digicert.com / crl4.digicert.com | Certificate Revocation List (CRL) domains that check if a specific certificate has been revoked by the issuer before it was set to expire. |