: If you have a newer version of SolidWorks (2021 SP2 or later) installed, it uses a newer version of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA 7.1) that the 2018 installer does not recognize, causing installation errors. Recommended Troubleshooting Steps
The is a common licensing registry collision that occurs when attempting to apply third-party activation tools (like the SolidSQUAD / SSQ utility) on modern operating systems—most notably Windows 11 . This error typically flags an "Access Violation" or a "Failure to write registry keys", which completely prevents the CAD software from obtaining a functional startup license.
: If your machine runs Microsoft Office 365 or a version of SolidWorks newer than 2021 SP2, a newer version of VBA 7.1 is already present on your machine. The 2018 installer fails to recognize this newer framework, attempts to overwrite it, and throws an installation manager error. solidworks 2018 activator ssq error 6 new
Because SolidWorks 2018 was never certified for Windows 11, running the installer and activator in compatibility mode can eliminate many errors.
Launch SolidWorks 2018. If a license agreement appears, click . : If you have a newer version of
Antivirus programs often move essential activator files to quarantine without notifying the user. Temporarily disable your and Windows Defender . Delete the previously extracted _SolidSQUAD_ folder.
Understanding and Fixing SolidWorks 2018 Activator SSQ Error 6 : If your machine runs Microsoft Office 365
The activation process can be blocked or interfered with by online validation checks. before running the activator:
Error 6 is frequently an "Activation Library Initialization" error. In the context of SSQ (SolidSquad) activators, this typically means:
Once the service is installed, you can proceed to activate the licenses.
If the activator fails to patch the hosts file automatically: