To block these connections, copy and paste the following text into your hosts file:
A "ping" test to the server's name fails, but pinging its IP address works. Dassault Systèmes How to Configure the Hosts File solidworks host file block install
# SolidWorks Block List - Added on YYYY-MM-DD # Licensing 127.0.0.1 activation.solidworks.com 127.0.0.1 license.solidworks.com To block these connections, copy and paste the
In conclusion, editing the Hosts file to block SolidWorks is a powerful demonstration of the user’s technical control over their own machine—a local veto over a software vendor’s remote oversight. Yet, it is a fragile and illegitimate peace. The user gains a fortress of free functionality, but at the cost of legal safety, software integrity, and moral high ground. For learning, free alternatives like FreeCAD or Onshape offer a legitimate path, while for production, the licensing cost is ultimately the price of admission to a reliable, supported, and professional ecosystem. The blocked Hosts file is not a solution; it is a temporary, high-risk truce in the perennial war between software access and software value. The user gains a fortress of free functionality,