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Many engineering teams keep an older SOLIDWORKS release for one reason: a customer or supplier still uses it. A file saved in SOLIDWORKS 2026 cannot be edited in SOLIDWORKS 2023, so the team keeps 2023 installed to match that partner.
Moving to Windows 11 puts that older release to a test. Some releases install and run on Windows 11 with full support, some install but no longer receive fixes, and some are not supported on Windows 11 at all.
Understanding which SOLIDWORKS versions Windows 11 supports can help you avoid compatibility issues and plan the right upgrade or hosting approach.
Which SOLIDWORKS Releases Support Windows 11
The SOLIDWORKS system requirements list SOLIDWORKS 2022 SP2 as the first release that supports Windows 11. SOLIDWORKS 2021 and earlier releases are not listed for Windows 11 and are not supported on it.
| SOLIDWORKS release | Supported on Windows 11 | Hotfix end date |
| 2021 and earlier | No | Ended |
| 2022 (from SP2) | Yes | Ended 12/31/2023 |
| 2023 | Yes | Ended 12/31/2024 |
| 2024 | Yes | Ended 12/31/2025 |
| 2025 | Yes | 12/31/2026 |
| 2026 | Yes | 12/31/2027 |
Hotfix dates come from the SOLIDWORKS product support lifecycle. After a release’s hotfix date, SOLIDWORKS support is limited to non-software solutions, and no further service packs or hotfixes are released.
What “Supported” Means After the Hotfix Date
SOLIDWORKS adds a second condition in a note on its system requirements page. It supports each Windows 11 release only while that Windows release is covered by both the SOLIDWORKS product lifecycle and the Microsoft Windows lifecycle.
In practice, SOLIDWORKS 2025 and 2026 are the only releases that still receive fixes for problems caused by new Windows 11 updates. SOLIDWORKS 2022, 2023, and 2024 install on Windows 11, but a problem caused by a newer Windows 11 version will not get a SOLIDWORKS fix for those releases.
Windows 11 versions change every year. Microsoft released Windows 11 26H2 on September 29, 2026, and Home and Pro editions of 24H2 stopped receiving updates on October 13, 2026. One user on the SOLIDWORKS forum reported that SOLIDWORKS stalled at license validation after the 25H2 update and only loaded after a rollback to 23H2.
An older release on the newest Windows 11 version works until a Windows update breaks something. At that point, the only fixes are rolling back Windows or moving to a newer SOLIDWORKS release.
SOLIDWORKS 2021 and Earlier on Windows 11
SOLIDWORKS 2021 and earlier are not supported on Windows 11 on any machine, local or hosted. Their hotfix windows have also ended, so they receive no fixes.
For teams that still have files in these releases, the practical options are limited. You can open the files in a supported release and save them forward, which permanently upgrades them. You can also export them to STEP for a partner, or keep one retired Windows 10 machine off the network for occasional access.
Windows 10 is also past its end of support. Commercial Windows 10 devices receive security updates only through paid Extended Security Updates, as covered in SOLIDWORKS on Windows 10 after 2026.
Ways to Work With a Customer on an Older Release
The SOLIDWORKS tech blog on backward compatibility covers four ways to exchange files with a partner on an older release, and they differ in how much design history survives.
| Method | What the partner gets | Main limit |
| Save as Previous Version | Full parts, assemblies, and drawings with feature history | Reaches two releases back only and requires an active subscription |
| Future Version Support | Opens next-year files in SP5 of the previous release | Parts open in a read-only style mode, and existing future-version drawings do not open |
| Neutral formats such as STEP | Geometry as solid or surface bodies | Feature history and design intent are lost |
| A matching older release installed | Full editing in the partner’s release | Needs a second install, a license, and a Windows 11 compatible release |
Save as Previous Version arrived in SOLIDWORKS 2024. SOLIDWORKS 2026 can save to 2025 and 2024, and SOLIDWORKS 2027 will save to 2026 and 2025. Features that the older release does not support have to be deleted before the save, so SOLIDWORKS recommends working on a copy.
A partner on SOLIDWORKS 2023 or earlier falls outside the two-release window once your team moves to 2026. For that partner, a matching older release is the only way to exchange fully editable files.
Running Two SOLIDWORKS Releases Side by Side
SOLIDWORKS allows several major releases on one computer, and its tech blog recommends installing them from oldest to newest. Give each release its own installation folder and data folder so that Toolbox, templates, and settings stay separate.
SOLIDWORKS PDM has to be the same version year as the newest SOLIDWORKS installed or newer, according to the PDM 2026 release notes. Graphics drivers are certified per release on the SOLIDWORKS hardware certification page, so check that one driver is listed for both releases.
The older installer can also be hard to find. SOLIDWORKS Downloads covers only the past three releases, so a 2023 installer has to come from your SOLIDWORKS reseller once 2027 is out.
A GPU-powered cloud desktop keeps a second release ready for customer files while your team works on the current one.
Keeping Older Releases on a Cloud Desktop
A second release on an engineer’s workstation adds a second set of folders, settings, and driver checks to a machine that has to stay stable for daily work. A cloud-hosted desktop moves that older release off the workstation.
Ace Cloud Hosting delivers GPU-powered desktops through Managed Citrix DaaS solutions on the latest Windows version with active support. The Ace Cloud Hosting team installs the SOLIDWORKS releases you need and tunes the desktop for them, and you bring the SOLIDWORKS licenses. Any release from SOLIDWORKS 2022 SP2 onward can run on these Windows 11 desktops, and releases inside their hotfix window give you the most protection against Windows update problems.
The GPU applies to every release. SOLIDWORKS states in its system requirements that SOLIDWORKS and eDrawings require a GPU for optimal performance in a virtualized environment, so the desktop for an older release needs an allocated NVIDIA vGPU profile just like the production desktop.
CASE STUDY
What if an older SOLIDWORKS release could run without touching your main workstation?
A GPU-powered cloud desktop keeps a second release ready for customer files while your team works on the current one.
Planning Your Release Mix for Windows 11
Start with a list of every SOLIDWORKS release your team uses and the reason for each one, such as a named customer or an archive of old projects. A release kept only for archives can be retired once its files are saved forward or exported.
Next, check each remaining release against the table above. Releases from 2022 SP2 onward can move to Windows 11, and releases inside their hotfix window give you the most protection. A release from 2021 or earlier needs a file upgrade, a STEP export, or a retired machine.
Then confirm the PDM version, the graphics driver, and the installer source for every release you keep, and test a real customer file in each release before the move. If your PDM server also needs an upgrade, see upgrading SOLIDWORKS PDM for 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does SOLIDWORKS 2021 work on Windows 11?
SOLIDWORKS 2021 is not supported on Windows 11. Windows 11 support starts with SOLIDWORKS 2022 SP2.
Is SOLIDWORKS 2024 supported on Windows 11?
SOLIDWORKS 2024 supports Windows 11, but its hotfixes ended on December 31, 2025. Problems caused by newer Windows 11 updates will not receive a fix for that release.
How many versions back can SOLIDWORKS save files?
Save as Previous Version reaches two releases back. SOLIDWORKS 2026 saves to 2025 and 2024, and it requires an active subscription.
Can I install two SOLIDWORKS versions on one computer?
Yes. Install the older release first, give each release its own folders, and keep PDM at the newest SOLIDWORKS version year or higher.
Where can I download an older SOLIDWORKS release?
SOLIDWORKS Downloads covers the past three releases. For anything older, contact your SOLIDWORKS reseller.
Can a cloud desktop run SOLIDWORKS 2021?
No. Cloud desktops from Ace Cloud Hosting run the latest Windows version with active support, and SOLIDWORKS 2021 is not supported on Windows 11.
Hosted virtual desktops run current and older releases on supported Windows 11 with GPU acceleration.
