How to Download & Install Abaqus 2021 Hotfix 6

Abaqus 2021 Hotfix 6 (HF6) introduces new functionality in frequency-based substructure analysis, as well as bug fixes and enhancements to other analysis and material functions.

To find details of each hotfix’s improvements, visit the Program Directories page on the Dassault Systèmes website, then scroll to the bottom of the page to find the SIMULIA section, click on Abaqus which will take you to Program Directories. Finally, specify SIMULIA Abaqus, the release and level you are interested in. This is highlighted in the image below.

Download the Hotfix

As with most downloads from Dassault Systèmes, it’s important that you install with full administrator rights and download the files to the same folder as the 2021 Golden (GA) installation files.

This step-by-step guide demonstrates the download and installation for Abaqus onto a Windows 10 machine, including screenshots of all the important windows.

Navigate to the Dassault Systèmes Support Download page and click on ‘Access your Download’. This will take you to software.3ds.com where you will need to log in to your Dassault Systèmes account. Once logged in, click the SIMULIA icon, indicated by the image below, and specify Abaqus 2021 release and SIMULIA Abaqus 2021 FP.CFA.2117.

Find the files named “Part_SIMULIA_EstPrd  – SIMULIA Abaqus 2021 FP.CFA.2117 – WIN64”, click “Show Details” and click on the .zip folder to start the download.

Specify the download location in the same folder as the GA files. Below you can see HF6 going into the same folder as the previous HF5. Now, extract the files from the zip by right-clicking on the zipped folder, click 7-Zip, then lastly use “Extract here”. Part_SIMULIA_EstPrd.Windows64 will then appear, highlighted in the box below.

The extracted folder will have two folders at the following level:

Part_SIMULIA_EstPrd.Windows64 1Software

The folders are CAASIMULIA_EstPrd.HF6.Windows64 and SIMULIA_EstPrd.HF6.Windows64.

Both folders include setup files, but they need to be executed in the correct order. You need to open SIMULIA_EstPrd.HF6.Windows64 first.

Install SIMULIA_EstPrd.HF6.Windows64

Run setup.exe in Part_SIMULIA_EstPrd.Windows641SoftwareSIMULIA_EstPrd.HF6.Windows641 

Run through the installation process, shown in the screenshots below. Make sure you do not have Abaqus 2021 open as it will disrupt the installation, also make sure you are happy with the installation directory (see highlighted box in image 2 below).

Once the installation is complete, close the window and navigate back to:

Part_SIMULIA_EstPrd.Windows641Software

Install CAASIMULIA_EstPrd.HF6-Windows64

Similar to the previous download, run setup.exc in Part_SIMULIA_EstPrd.Windows641SoftwareCAASIMULIA_EstPrd.HF6.Windows641 and go through the installation process.

The installation windows look almost identical to the previous download. Once again, make sure you’re happy with the installation directory. Once the set-up is complete, HF6 will be installed for the established products. You can then open Abaqus/CAE as normal, and it should display “Abaqus/CAE 2021.HF6” in the top left of the window once loaded.

In Our Experience…

It’s important to keep up to date with hotfixes as they include bug fixes and software optimizations, which means you can achieve greater productivity with each improvement. If you found this blog useful, check out our Hints, Tips & How-tos section. Or sign up for our monthly blog subscription below and keep up to date with all the latest tips and tricks for Abaqus, and all our other Engineering solutions.