solidworks 2011…solidworks background downloader

SolidWorks 2010 offered us a major overhaul to the installation process of SolidWorks.  The enhancements in this release are more geared towards the admin images but there is 1 part of the installation process that can benefit everyone.

SolidWorks 2011 offers a new function called the SolidWorks Background Downloader.  This is a tool that is continuously running on your computer and as soon as an update becomes available it starts the download process for your in the background.  It works similar to what you would expect with the Windows Update functionality.

It is kind of hidden during the original process of installation but once it is checked you are good to go.  On the installation screen, once you get to the Summary page there is an option to Edit the Download Options.  Once there, on the bottom of that screen there are 2 checkboxes for you to review.  The first checkbox is “Use the background downloader for all future service packs” and the second is “Use the background downloader for this download”.  You can see a screenshot of this below.

For a more detailed explanation of what it is and how it works, you can click the question mark icon by the “Do you want to use the Background Downloader” heading and it will take you to the popup shown below.

This is very nice new functionality.  No more sitting around waiting for your downloads, you can do it while you continue to model.  A side note is that the download will pause if you shut your system down for the night and then resume once you fire it back up in the morning.

This is definitely a tool that you will want to experiment with.