Resolve SOLIDWORKS PDM Error No Database is Connected to this View

The SOLIDWORKS PDM error message "No database is connected to this view” occurs when a PDM user tries to access a vault view, but the software can’t locate the necessary vault information in the registry. This is often due to missing or corrupted information in the registry, which results in PDM being unable to access the database and prevents the vault view from opening.

The Registry Keys in Question

When a vault view is shared among all Windows users on a PC, the relevant information is shared in the following registry locations:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks\Applications\PDMWorks Enterprise\Databases\[Vault Name]

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\SolidWorks\Applications\PDMWorks Enterprise\Databases\[Vault Name]

When a vault view is set to private, the relevant information is shared in the following registry location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\Applications\PDMWorks Enterprise\Vaults\[Vault Name]

If the vault view is private and was created by a different user, then you might not find any of these registry locations. The reason is that the HKEY_CURRENT_USER folder is specific to the user and will be different for each Windows login. You will need to log in as that user to see the correct registry location.

Deleting the Vault View and Adding it Back Again

Sometimes, resolving this error is as easy as deleting and reinstalling the vault view. This generally works when the view is set to be private when it shouldn’t be, or is missing the registry information necessary to make it visible to other users. The standard process for this should work, and is as simple as right-clicking the view, deleting it, and re-installing as per the instructions found here: SOLIDWORKS PDM Local Vault View Deletion and Creation.

Copying Registry Keys from a Different PC

If reinstalling the vault view doesn’t resolve the issue, the next easiest strategy is to copy these registry keys from a PC with a working vault and import them to the PC that is giving the error message. Using File > Export and File > Import in the Windows Registry Editor will accomplish this.

After importing these registry keys, verify the following values are now populated:

DbName REG_SZ - Name of the file-vault database

DbServer REG_SZ - Name of the SQL server

ServerLoc REG_SZ -Name of the archive server

ServerPort REG_DWORD - Archive server port; by default, the decimal value is 3030

ShellRoot REG_SZ - Full path to the file-vault view folder, including the vault name

Manually Re-Create the Registry Keys

If importing registry keys from another PC doesn’t work or isn’t an option, you can re-create them manually. To do this, first open the attached registry file SHARED_view_details.reg or PRIVATE_view_details.reg using Notepad in Windows. Which one you open depends on whether you have a private or shared vault. Edit the open file with the correct vault information (shown below). The information entered manually will be specific to your vault and can be found in the PDM Admin tool (right-click the vault > Properties) or from the registry of another PC with a working vault.

The final step is to import the updated registry file using the registry editor. The vault view should now work, but if it doesn’t, you can try troubleshooting SOLIDWORKS PDM vault connection issues or contact our Technical Support team for more help if GoEngineer is your SOLIDWORKS partner.

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