Install the Creo client

Install the CadActive Creo Parametric client from the downloaded zip and load it when Creo starts.

This article is for installing a specific CadActive version from the zip you downloaded in the web app — without the CadActive Launcher. That is the usual path when a team wants every engineer on the same release.

If you do not have the zip yet, start with Download the Creo client.

Before you start

You have the client zip for your Creo datecode.
Creo Parametric is already installed.
You can edit the Creo config.pro that this workstation uses (your start-in / working directory, or the config your CAD admin deploys).

Unzip into LocalAppData

Open the zip. Inside is a versioned folder named like vX.X.X.X.
Copy the entire contents of that versioned folder. You should have a bin folder, a text folder, and a cadactive.dat file.
In Windows Explorer, go to %LocalAppData% (typically C:\\Users\\<username>\\AppData\\Local).
Create a folder named CadActive if it does not exist.
Inside CadActive, create a folder named cadactive-creo.
Paste the copied bin, text, and cadactive.dat into cadactive-creo.

Default install path:

To install somewhere else (a shared drive, a custom folder), see Install CadActive to a custom location.

Load CadActive when Creo starts

Add this line to config.pro:

If you already use creotkdat / protkdat for other toolkit apps, copy the contents of cadactive.dat into that existing registry file, or ask your Creo administrator how they want third-party apps registered.

Restart Creo. You should see a CadActive tab on the ribbon.

Unsigned application prompt

The first time Creo loads CadActive, it may warn: “This application is from an unknown source.” Select Do not show this again and OK, or add this to config.pro:

If you cannot find `config.pro`

Right-click your Creo shortcut → Properties and note the Start in folder.
Open (or create) config.pro in that folder with Notepad or another text editor.
Add the creotkdat line above and save.

This same creotkdat line is required for command-line / no-graphics runs. CadActive must load with Creo before command-line actions can run. See Creo Parametric Command Line.

Connect Creo to your organization

On the CadActive dashboard, open Creo License Token. That creates a session token the client uses to authenticate.
In Creo, on the CadActive tab, select Login and sign in (or use the token prompt).
Confirm CadActive menus or commands appear for the modules you are licensed to use.

If CadActive does not start with Creo

You can register it for the current session from Home → Utilities → Auxiliary Applications. See Start the CadActive application manually.

Command-line jobs cannot use Auxiliary Applications — they must load from config.pro.