Every autumn there is a new version of SolidWorks. At this point, many users, Having an active subscription service, considering the installation of the latest software version.

Is this a good time?

I think, that does not. SP0 final version is made available for download, BETA earlier last course tests. During several months of thorough testing program goes from Alpha,, do Beta1, Beta2, Beta3 version and finally the Pre Release.

It is the period, in which the beta testers are catching a lot of errors. Even if there were thousands of testers (and not me) they are not able to catch all the mistakes and shortcomings. Means, the only version released to the public a service pack is subjected to SP0 true test.

It is not uncommon (as it was 2 years ago), SP0 that has so many mistakes, sOlidwOrks that quickly puts on a hot-saving situation fix'a. Usually, however, detected errors are corrected in the next service packu, which appears after a few months.

For example, we now have the first week of the new year, SolidWorks and still not released SP1. It is true that in the EV version (early visibility), but not yet the final version can be downloaded.

My opinion is, SolidWorks that is suitable for installation only from a minimum of SP1 or SP2. This year everything is delayed, as the commercial version of SolidWorks SP01 came a little later and everything shifted in time. In previous years, in the vicinity of the conference CSG (SOLIDWORKS WORLD), that is, at the end of January / February, we already had SP2. This year will not be so.

If someone already has, or wants to install SolidWorks SP0, worth doing as a new installation and not as a replacement for the older version. It remains for us the security buffer, if there are critical errors, preventing normal operation.

It is worth noting, that large corporations, often with a number of international troops, SolidWorks usually have one version back. this ensures, that having such, now SOLIDWORKS 2017 Shf5 (last) everything had to be corrected has already been made.

At the end of recall, that https://files.solidworks.com/Supportfiles/Release_Notes/2018/Polish/relnotes.htm is possible to check, in which the service has been improved packu. These are the so-called. SPR – Service Calls. Once you get SP1 for SolidWorks 2018 you can read, perhaps already allows for reasonably safe to install the latest version.

And how it looks in your companies and we have experience with the installation of a new version of SolidWorks? I am waiting for comments:)