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Install GitM on a workstation

Run the GitM installer to put the add-in on a machine and register it with SolidWorks.

Prerequisites

  • Prerequisites reviewed: .NET 4.8, Git, Git LFS all present.
  • Administrator rights on the machine.
  • SolidWorks closed (the installer registers into SolidWorks; closing it avoids file locks).

The installer file

  • Filename: GitM-Setup-1.6.4.exe (the version number bumps with releases; use the latest you were given).
  • Built with Inno Setup. It is currently unsigned during development, so Windows SmartScreen may warn "Unknown publisher."

Steps

  1. Double-click GitM-Setup-1.6.4.exe.
  2. If SmartScreen warns, choose More info → Run anyway (expected while unsigned).
  3. Approve the User Account Control prompt (admin is required).
  4. The installer checks prerequisites. If anything is missing it stops here — see Review prerequisites.
  5. Click through Welcome → install. Default install location is C:\Program Files\GitM\.
  6. The installer registers the add-in (this runs 64-bit RegAsm in the background) and finishes.

Installer welcome screen

What the installer puts on the machine

Files → C:\Program Files\GitM\: - GitM.SolidWorks.dll, GitM.Core.dll, GitM.UI.dll (the add-in) - Third-party runtime DLLs (CommunityToolkit.Mvvm, Newtonsoft.Json, Serilog, etc.) - SolidWorks interop assemblies

Registry — what gets registered with SolidWorks: - COM class registration for CLSID {F4073A99-5C32-4113-9EAD-011F4A6BF3A6} (InprocServer32 → mscoree.dll, with the managed assembly details), under both HKCU and HKLM. - …\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks\Addins\{F4073A99-…} — enables the add-in, with Title = "GitM" and a description. - …\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks\AddInsStartup\{F4073A99-…} — loads the add-in on SolidWorks startup.

The GUID is fixed and permanent for the product — it must never change between versions.

Expected result

  • GitM is installed to C:\Program Files\GitM\.
  • The add-in is registered and set to load on SolidWorks startup.
  • On post-install, the installer verifies the COM CLSID key exists; if not, it warns you to re-run as Administrator.

Next: Configure GitM on first launch.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Cause Fix
Installer aborts at the start Missing prerequisite. Review prerequisites.
"COM registration may be incomplete" message at the end RegAsm didn't write the CLSID key (often a privilege issue). Re-run the installer as Administrator.
SmartScreen blocks the file Installer is unsigned. More info → Run anyway.
Install seems to work but no task pane in SolidWorks Registration or load issue. Verify the installation.

Known limitations

  • Unsigned during development. Expect SmartScreen warnings until the installer is Authenticode-signed.
  • The installer registers against the SolidWorks registry paths but does not enumerate and confirm each installed SolidWorks version individually; if you run multiple SolidWorks versions and one doesn't show GitM, see Verify and troubleshoot deployment.