The following SolidWorks tutorial explains how to deal with the 1603 (Zombie) error that may occur when installing SolidWorks or updating service packs. This tutorial will show you what you can do to work your way around the problem.
- The methods outlined in this tech tip will view installation errors as “Zombies” in order to characterize the problematic situation that the 1603 error can put the user in.
- Know that when running Windows 7 it is almost always faster to go around the 1603 error instead of trying to understand why it’s there and then trying to fix it.
- You can get around the issue in the majority of installation scenarios by following 3 basic principles:
- Identify you have a 1603 error (Zombie problem) and find it in the installation log
- Uninstalll & reinstall SolidWorks
- As a last resort: Reformat your hard drive and reinstall Window and SolidWorks
The term “Zombie” is generally used as a term for the 1603 error, but other installation Zombies do exist.
Installation errors are a nuisance, reduce your productivity, and there is no known universal fix for all computers. The following is a set of steps you can take to get back up and running if you encounter this error. The diagrams begin where the SolidWorks installation manager may throw an error popup during the installation.
SolidWorks Zombie apocalypse installation emergency tactic:
GO AROUND THE ZOMBIES that are causing the 1603 error! Do not fight them!
If a Zombie error was found during installation follow these steps:
- When the popup error window appears, click on the “in this directory” link.
- Search for the 1603 error in a .txt files in the log.
- You found the 1603 Zombie Error. Now what?
- Uninstall SolidWorks
- Clean Registry
- Re-install SolidWorks
Since Windows 7 was released, it is fair to say that Uninstalling & Reinstalling SolidWorks commonly takes less than 15-20 minutes. Previously in Windows XP it could take 30-60 minutes.
In most circumstances running Windows 7, it’s usually faster to uninstall SolidWorks rather than to troubleshoot installations especially for 1603 errors.
Additional Zombie checklist & options if the Zombie removal above fails the first time or you fear IT has weakened your ability to circumvent the Zombies.
| ✓ | Turn off UAC, Turn off Untested Anti-Virus | These components confuse and excite registry Zombies, which is bad |
| ✓ | Be a REAL local admin on that computer, REAL Zombies can tell the difference. | Avoiding Zombies without proper rank is very difficult. |
| ✓ | Create a “NEW” admin user on the computer and try installing under that user name. | Good technique to promote your rank to help outwit the Zombie colony |
| Although this sounds very scary it can mean the difference between taking 4-16 man hours of lost work time (without full Zombie elimination) on a computer vs. 2-4 of reinstalling Windows and knowing all the zombies are gone for now. | ||
TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE THE ZOMBIES: Reformat your hard drive and reinstall Windows.
This generally keeps Zombie activity to around 0% for at least 6 months (often longer).
Final Zombie Installation FAQ’s
Q: Will upgrading to a newer service automatically eliminate any current “Performance and Function Zombies”?
A: Maybe
SolidWorks strategically adjusts it’s code for each service pack for only the reported issues from SPR’s (Software Performance Reports …otherwise known as bugs). If it’s not on the list IT WAS NOT FIXED. This is good to know, because some user environments and user permission limitations can attract Zombies during the installation of a service pack.
Be prudent, and proceed with caution when choosing to install a service pack
Q: How long will troubleshooting take for an installation problem (frequently the 1603 error).
A: 0.5 to 4.0 hours
Q: What is the success rate of fixing registry issues if troubleshooting lasts more than an hour?
A: It’s about a 50/50 chance
This is the time and place to transcend the Zombies’ inability to think and reason. The majority of registry & hard drive zombies can be eliminated by uninstalling/reinstalling (appx. 1 hour). 100% of those same Zombies can be eliminated by reinstalling Windows & SolidWorks (appx. 2-3 hours).
What is your time worth, and how much debugging is enough debugging?
Request More Info
If you have additional questions about installation troubleshooting, or perhaps you’d like to learn more about our services, all you have to do is ask!
Hi I am having a similar error with installing the solidworks 2014 32 bit premium student edition where it says ” The Installation Manager encountered an error when creating this registry key: . You must have administrative permission when running the Installation Manager. Check the permissions for this registry key using a registry editor or consult the system administrator.
When contacting Technical Support about installation issues, you will need to provide the installation log files available in this directory. Use the button below to save your logs as a zip file for sending to your support representative.
Save Logs for Support… ” I saw lot’s of people on the forums having this particular problem and not being answered. They are told to unistall and reinstall solidworks, wich doesn’t fix it, open the installer as an admin, make an other user -an admin one – , run process monitor and lots of that kind of stuff. Please help me because this problem is something a lot of people have with solidworks
this error make me crazy thank you
Some find it interesting to troubleshoot which can be time consuming. I’ve found getting users up in running quickly is more important for most companies. Cheers, Paul
Step 2
Search for the 1603 error in a .txt files in the log.
Step 3
■Uninstall SolidWorks
■Clean Registry
■Re-install SolidWorks
what do you do with the error files?
You can delete them when you are back up and running. They don’t provide long term value once you have some understanding of the problem that you’re following. Cheers, Paul