CAD Forum

I am cleaning up our company setting file, but it seems the following registry keys are not changing at all if I change them from SW UI

HKCU\Software\Solidworks\Solidworks <version>\General

the keys beginning with
"autorecover" and "backup" does not affect what I check and uncheck in the UI.

I even traced the activity of sldworks.exe with process monitor, but I cannot see where those settings are applied or changed.
I backed up the registry keys before and after and there is not difference in autorecovery and backup values.

While looking at the registry I open SW, change the autorecover settings, close SW to apply them to their supposed registry location, refresh the registry, nothing changes...

How many versions of Solidworks do you have installed on that computer?

I have seen registry stuff be affected by this.

Try that after you reboot the computer.
If that is another SW running, SW went crazy.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\SOLIDWORKS 2019\General]
"AutoRecover Directory"="C:\\SolidWorks 2019 Temp\\swxauto"
"AutoRecover Mode"=dword:00000001
"AutoRecoverIntervalBkp"=dword:0000000a
"AutoRecoverModeChanged"=dword:00000000
"Backup Copies"=dword:00000005
"RemoveBackupsDays"=dword:0000000e
"Backup to original path"=dword:00000000
"EnableBackups"=dword:00000001
"Backup directory"="C:\\SolidWorks 2019 Temp"
"EnableRemoveBackups"=dword:00000001

DanPihlaja wrote: ↑Mon Oct 17, 2022 7:47 am How many versions of Solidworks do you have installed on that computer?

I have seen registry stuff be affected by this.

SW2021 is the only version installed.
To be clear: I want to find out how those keys affect the system options in SW.
The current registry file SOMEHOW does the job, but I don't know HOW.

For example the "customer user experience" check box cannot be forced checked or unchecked from its apparent registry key even if its value is formally correct, it must be checked manually from the UI as there was another check somewhere else.

I also tried to delete the whole HKCU\solidworks\solidworks 2021 and let it rebuild from the defaults stored In HKLM

then overwrite it with our company registry file.

the recovery and backup check boxes remain on or off, but the registry keys are unchanged so I guessed there should be some "real" flag value somewhere else.

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Mon Oct 17, 2022 9:01 am [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\SOLIDWORKS 2019\General]
"AutoRecover Directory"="C:\\SolidWorks 2019 Temp\\swxauto"
"AutoRecover Mode"=dword:00000001
"AutoRecoverIntervalBkp"=dword:0000000a
"AutoRecoverModeChanged"=dword:00000000
"Backup Copies"=dword:00000005
"RemoveBackupsDays"=dword:0000000e
"Backup to original path"=dword:00000000
"EnableBackups"=dword:00000001
"Backup directory"="C:\\SolidWorks 2019 Temp"
"EnableRemoveBackups"=dword:00000001

In theory those are the keys.
If you force them to a certain value manually in the registry and try to run solidworks are your changes applied if you look at the system options in the UI?

e.g. For me autorecovermode or enablebackups from 0 to 1 do nothing on my pc. If I check or uncheck them from the UI, the registry does not change, but the check box is still checked or unchecked the next time I open SW.
Those paths settings, on the other hand, can be forced from the registry and I even use the %useprofile% variable to make SW generate the correct path and it works as expected.

SW2021sp5.1 btw

You need to close all running SW before you change Registry.
SW "should" save settings to registry every time it close.
Check your "company registry file", change or add those keys if necessary.
The keys I show are from SW setting export.
Check your registry and see how many different SW are there. Make sure you're changing correct one.

Last, you or SW may not have permission to change registry.

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Mon Oct 17, 2022 11:14 am You need to close all running SW before you change Registry.
SW "should" save settings to registry every time it close.
Check your "company registry file", change or add those keys if necessary.
The keys I show are from SW setting export.
Check your registry and see how many different SW are there. Make sure you're changing correct one.

Last, you or SW may not have permission to change registry.

I know that SW must be closed to save the registry changes and I have been careful checking the task manager all the time.
I have admin rights on the machine and I can erase and recreate all the keys without a problem. I also did it to install and configure silently other programs we use together with SW and it has never be a problem apparently.

If you try change the backupenable to 0 or 1 does the UI changes accordingly?
ie 1= option checked/enabled 0=unchecked/disabled

Not running SW at the moment.
It's on Citrix server. I'll try when I get to it.

Maybe check the following registry option also?

"Interval for AutoSave"=dword:00000000


I cant really recall but when i was creating a macro for toggling autosave, the interval is causing some issue where if it is non zero, it will just turn back the auto save regardless the setting

Yes, "Interval for AutoSave".
0 = Turn off
>0 = Turn on

I turned off Recover, export setting.
Turn on Recover, export setting.
Use Notepad++ to compare the files.

From the Knowledge Base:

=================================
Solution Id: S-044873
Product: SolidWorks 2010 Network
Created: 12/10/2009
Technically Reviewed Date: 4/18/2022
Area: User Interface
Sub-Area: Customization
Question: Where in the registry are the keys for the Auto Recover and Backup settings located?

The locations for of these keys are listed below.

Note: SOLIDWORKS® does not support users manually editing the registry.
The copy settings wizard can be used to take the settings from one PC and apply them to another so it should be necessary to change these manually.

Auto Recover on/off:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\Interval for Autosave
1 on 0 off

Auto Recovery interval:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\Interval for SaveNotification

Auto Recover file location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\AutoRecover Directory

Backup on/off:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\Enable backups
1 on 0 off

Number of Backups:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\Backup Copies

Backup Directory:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\Backup directory

Save backup files in the same location as the original:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\Back up to original path
1 on 0 off

Remove Backups older than:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\EnableRemoveBackups
1 on 0 off

Remove Backups older than (days):
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\RemoveBackupsDays

Save notification on/off:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\SaveNotification
1 on 0 off

Interval for save notification:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Solidworks\SolidWorks \General\Interval for SaveNotification
===============================

From exported setting SW2019, Left AutoRecovery off, Right 10 minutes: