Can’t find SOLIDWORKS Explorer anymore? Not to worry, you’re not going crazy!

SOLIDWORKS Explorer was replaced by SOLIDWORKS File Utilities in 2020 and can now be accessed quickly with a simple right click in Windows File Explorer. While the familiar graphical interface may be missing, the same functionality exists and allows users to perform the same convenient tasks that they enjoyed before. In this article, we are going to show you where it is and how to install it if you don’t have it already.

What Has Changed?

SOLIDWORKS Explorer was a file management tool that offered a graphical interface and that allowed users to browse through their files. Within this graphical interface, users could perform tasks such as renaming, replacing, and copying files, while still maintaining file references. You could also search for documents, check a document’s references, and see where the document was used.

Now, the right click menu directly in Windows Explorer gives us a more streamlined approach to accessing the same functionality that was previously available using SOLIDWORKS Explorer. To access this, select files and models in the search command found in the upper right corner of your screen. Accessing the tools you need to manage your files while updating references is now easier than ever!

How to Install File Utilities

File Utilities can be installed during the installation of SOLIDWORKS by selecting it from the Product Selection page within the Installation Manager. Simply make sure the box is checked next to “SOLIDWORKS File Utilities.” You can also modify your installation to include File Utilities if you do not currently have access to it within your right click menu.

If your computer doesn’t have the SOLIDWORKS installation files available, you can also download the installer file from my.solidworks.com.

Want to learn about our favorite SOLIDWORKS 2021 Features? See our blog series for complete details and videos.