How to Fix “A Sharing Violation Occurred while Accessing an Unnamed File” in SOLIDWORKS Simulation

One error that may pop up when running studies in SOLIDWORKS Simulation is the message ‘A sharing violation occurred while accessing an unnamed file’.

Which file? And where?!

Thankfully, this is an error which is less impactful than the effusive wording may lead us to believe. This blog will explore the causes of this error message, and how you can avoid the message all together.

What Causes the “Sharing Violation” Error in SOLIDWORKS Simulation?

The three most common causes which prompt SOLIDWORKS Simulation to display this error are:

1. BR10000366012 – A known bug affecting SOLIDWORKS 2023 SP4.0 – 2024 SP1.0.
2. Results Directory – Users may have insufficient privileges or network connection issues.
3. Security Policies – Restrictive policies may prevent necessary executables from running.

Common Cause #1: A Known Bug

This message pops up most frequently for users of SOLIDWORKS 2023 SP4.0- 2024 SP1.0 due to a known bug that has been fixed by the SOLIDWORKS development team in SOLIDWORKS 2024 SP2.0 and later.

If one of the following workflows was carried out whilst a Simulation was running, the error would show.

• Open another SOLIDWORKS part or assembly document.
• Switch to an open document.
• Saving the file containing the study
• ‘Auto Recover’ saves backup information (Tools -> Options -> Backup/Recovery).

Fortunately, if the error populates due to this bug, the results have not been impacted and the message can be dismissed. Holding down the ‘Esc’ key can quickly clear the messages.

If you have a SOLIDWORKS subscription, you are entitled to download and install the latest release of the software. Follow the steps outlined in the guide or please contact our support team on 01926 333777 and a member of our Technical Support team can assist you.

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Common Cause #2: Results Directory

Another reason you can encounter this message is when the working results location is set to a network drive, or a drive with insufficient permissions.

A user is required to have full privileges to the results location to avoid any potential issues. When working over a network drive, read/write permissions are more likely, which makes the issue more likely to appear.

If possible, we recommend working with locally saved files to improve stability with both SOLIDWORKS and Simulation projects.

Additionally, any network blips when solving can cause issues where the solver is unable to access the results location.

The default behaviour is for the results to be stored in the open document folder. This can be altered through the Simulation Default Options before creating a study, or from within the study properties.

It is recommended that the results folder is always local to the user, and they should have full privileges. Consider changing the directory, re-mesh and run the Simulation again if you encounter this error.

Common Cause #3: Security Policies

If you have confirmed the results directory is local, then it would be recommended to consult your IT. Your IT department should be able to review current security policies and add exceptions to the necessary Simulation executables.

Below is a list of executable files that should be added to the exceptions list if the issue is believed to be related to security policies:

• ghs3d.exe: Meshing uses this program for the volume filling process.
• star.exe: For static and drop test analysis.
• dstar.exe: For frequency and buckling analysis.
• hstar.exe: For thermal analysis.
• solidworks.exe: For the SOLIDWORKS application.
• nstar.exe: For nonlinear analysis.
• astar.exe: For dynamic analysis.
• cwanalysisproc.exe Every Simulation uses this program multiples time during the solve.

If you’re still having issues after following the steps above, then please reach out to our Technical Support team on 01926 333777, or email support@solidsolutions.co.uk.

Take the Next Steps

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