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Verify and troubleshoot deployment

When the add-in doesn't show up in SolidWorks, the cause is almost always COM/SolidWorks registration or the add-in being disabled. This page is the registry-level checklist.

Quick verification per machine

  1. Files present: C:\Program Files\GitM\ contains GitM.SolidWorks.dll, GitM.Core.dll, GitM.UI.dll.
  2. Add-in listed: SolidWorks → Tools → Add-Ins shows GitM, enabled (both boxes ticked).
  3. Task pane: the GitM PDM task pane opens.
  4. Version: hover the ? in the task pane to see the build (e.g. V1.1.1).

The registry keys to check

The add-in's CLSID is {F4073A99-5C32-4113-9EAD-011F4A6BF3A6}.

COM registration:

HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{F4073A99-5C32-4113-9EAD-011F4A6BF3A6}
  \InprocServer32   →  default = mscoree.dll, Class = GitM.SolidWorks.GitMAddin, ...

(The installer's post-install step checks exactly this key exists and warns if not.)

SolidWorks add-in registration (HKCU and HKLM):

…\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks\Addins\{F4073A99-5C32-4113-9EAD-011F4A6BF3A6}
  (default) = 1   Title = "GitM"   Description = "Git PDM system for SOLIDWORKS"
…\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks\AddInsStartup\{F4073A99-5C32-4113-9EAD-011F4A6BF3A6}
  (default) = 1

Addins\{GUID} default 1 = enabled; AddInsStartup\{GUID} default 1 = load on startup.

Symptom → fix

Task pane / add-in missing entirely

  1. Restart SolidWorks — registration happens at install, loading happens at startup.
  2. Tools → Add-Ins: if GitM is listed but unchecked, tick it (both columns).
  3. If GitM is not listed, COM registration didn't take:
  4. Re-run the installer as Administrator (RegAsm needs to write the CLSID key).
  5. Confirm the …\CLSID\{F4073A99-…}\InprocServer32 key exists.
  6. Confirm the DLLs exist in C:\Program Files\GitM\.

Add-in listed but won't load / errors on load

  • Confirm .NET Framework 4.8 is present (the add-in won't load without it).
  • Confirm the SolidWorks interop DLLs shipped into C:\Program Files\GitM\ (they're part of the install).
  • Check the GitM log at %APPDATA%\GitM\logs\ for the load error.

Registered for the admin but not the end user

  • The install writes both HKCU and HKLM keys. If HKCU landed under the installing admin's profile rather than the end user's, the HKLM keys should still make SolidWorks discover the add-in. Confirm the HKLM Addins\{GUID} and AddInsStartup\{GUID} keys exist.

Multiple SolidWorks versions, only one shows GitM

  • The Addins\{GUID} path is shared across versions, so this usually means the add-in was disabled in that version's Tools → Add-Ins. Enable it there.

Collecting diagnostics for a report

  • In-app: Settings → Diagnostics → Export produces a sanitized report (no token).
  • Logs: %APPDATA%\GitM\logs\.
  • Note the ?-tooltip build version and the installer filename version.

Expected result

  • Files present, CLSID + SolidWorks keys present, add-in enabled, task pane loads.

Known limitations

  • Manual RegAsm runs done outside the installer can leave stray registration that the uninstaller won't clean; prefer installing/uninstalling through the .exe.
  • The installer doesn't produce a per-machine install log by default; add /LOG="path" to the silent command line to capture one.