When working with SOLIDWORKS PDM, it is sometimes necessary to recreate the local vault view. While the instructions to create the vault view are covered in any number of articles, most of them do not cover the removal of a faulty view that is necessary before you can re-add it. The goal of this article is to provide a linear path through this process and the various scenarios you might run into along the way.
In SOLIDWORKS PDM, options control what you see in the user interface. These are set under the Settings dialog. There are a couple of ways to access this dialog. But, regardless of how you get there, SOLIDWORKS PDM saves these settings with the user account. Furthermore, these settings do NOT change when a user changes groups. In this way, these settings don’t act like other folder or state permissions.
SOLIDWORKS PDM 2026 introduced a new feature that many users and admins will be very excited about – vault view synchronization. We’re going to review this new function, show how it works, and explain why it might be useful to you, so you can make the most of this new backup feature whenever you need it.
We often get asked about recommendations for setting up a server (or servers) for SOLIDWORKS PDM. Dassault Systèmes' System Requirements page contains some information about server specs, but it’s not terribly specific. The hardware requirements are aimed more for a SOLIDWORKS workstation for an end user rather than a PDM server.
SOLIDWORKS PDM manages the lifecycle and history of files through versioning. Each time a file is checked in, a new version is created. Each new version adds new data to the archive storage, using more space for a given document. As time goes on, the vault grows exponentially. Since space comes at a cost, it’s important to understand the ways you can mitigate the expansion of your vault.
For product developers in the defense sector, the transition to structured cybersecurity requirements marks a significant shift in how projects are managed and secured. At the core of this shift is the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). Achieving compliance is not a simple self-attestation, but a tiered CMMC verification process that serves as a prerequisite for contract awards.
Do you have a large vault that is getting a little unwieldy? Or maybe you’ve just reached a limit on how much space your server can have. SOLIDWORKS PDM Cold Storage can help. It is a useful tool that moves or removes file versions from the archive, freeing space on your server, according to a schedule. It lends itself best to scenarios where moving the vault entirely to a new drive is not ideal.
The SOLIDWORKS PDM Vault grows exponentially over time. Eventually, you will need to add storage space. Of course, adding space means moving the archive data. With PDM Relocation, you can easily move part or all of your archive to a new drive. Relocation is the best and recommended way to increase storage. It allows you to add space without needing to move to a new server, extending the life and viability of your current hardware.
SOLIDWORKS PDM is a client/server product. This means that there is a portion installed on the server and a second portion (the Client) installed on each user’s computer. Once the PDM Client has been installed, a Vault View must be created. The vault view is how users interact with PDM. This is where they add files to the vault, check files in and out, etc.