Getting back into SketchUp Pro

Technical Problems
#1

Hello folks.
I bought SketchUp Pro umpteen years ago … I believe it was when Brad Schell (@Last Software) still owned it – pre-Google. Anyway, very LONG story short – as the result of a failed 30-year marriage, I lost access to and control of my computers and related software CDs. I recently located a printout of software serial numbers, version IDs, authorization codes, etc … for a BUNCH of software that I once had functional.
I have purchased new computers (desktop & notebook) and would very much like to get my SketchUp Pro installed & functional on both computers. In the case of SketchUp Pro I have scraps of information for version 7 and version 2016. Can anyone please advise how I can best get up and running?

  • Where can I download 2016, for example
  • Will my serial number, authorization code, maintenance & support number, etc still be of any use?

I would REALLY appreciate your help, good people.
By the way, I just bought a building lot in Washington state, on which I expect to use my SketchUp Pro software (plus my 48 years of mechanical & architectural design experience) to build my retirement beach house. I just bought a new HP DesignJet T210 printer/plotter (color) for construction drawing output. I’m lookin’ to have some serious fun. =)

#2

Someone else may be able to reply with a link to a 2016 archive. The one that was on a Trimble site was taken down.

Your 2016 license should still work, though it was previously activated on two computers. You would manage to activate it on one more computer.

If what you are going to be doing with SketchUp is non-commercial work, you could get SketchUp Make 2017 from here:

If you would be curious to try the latest version, and get support and access to updates for the next two years, having a 2016 license would mean you can get a 60% discount on the SketchUp Pro subscription. That’s $240 total for the two years instead of $598. If after that you decide you don’t need a subscription you would still be able to use your 2016 license.

1 Like
#3

Official sources for SU2016 appear all to have been taken down.

If you are desperate to use that version, I have an installer .exe file for it, and could send it by private message. It’s for 2016 Make, but if you have licence details you could enter them and have a licensed Pro 2016 version.

But Colin’s suggestion to use Make 2017 makes sense, and you would (I believe) be using it for a personal non-commercial project.

It starts as a Pro version, but reverts to Make after 30 days elapsed time.

The principal differences are that after 30 days you lose Pro-only features, of which the main ones are Solid Tools, some import/export file formats (importantly including .dwg), and the use of Layout and Style Builder.

Or pay a modest amount for 2 years use of the current version 2021.

#4

It might be important to understand that there are a number of features that no longer support SketchUp 2016 such as Add Location, 3D Warehouse and other things. The loss of those things may be no big deal for your use but maybe they would be important features which along with other capabilities such as those added in LayOut might make Colin’s suggestion of updating to SketchUp 2021 appealing.

#5

Thanks a million for your input … DaveR, john_mcclenahan, & colin. I would probably prefer to get the latest & greatest SketchUp Pro, but certainly don’t want to unnecessarily start over. I suspect that I’ll upgrade to 2010 from my previously purchased version 2016 (hopefully getting reasonable credit for the money that I have already invested). If I do, will I be able to run SketchUp Pro 2021 on both my notebook PC and my more powerful desktop computer? Thanks again.

#6

That kind of upgrade isn’t around anymore, and your 2016 license was out of support for long enough that you may not have been allowed to update it anyway.

With the subscription you could have SketchUp on any of your computers, and be able to be signed in on two of them. So, your notebook PC and desktop would be ok.

One thing to double check, if the notebook is an ARM based Surface Pro X, those can run SketchUp 2016 32 bit version, but can’t run any of the 64 bit versions of SketchUp. Hopefully your notebook isn’t one of those.

#7

I’m sorry … but I mistyped. I meant to write, “I suspect that I’ll upgrade to 2021 from my previously purchased version 2016.” I didn’t mean to type “2010”. I must be gettin’ old. I will do some serious checking this weekend to see what my upgrade options might be. I’ll hopefully be running on both computers by Monday. :nerd_face:

My notebook computer is an ASUS VivoBook. I can run 64-bit apps without problem.

#8

I did know what you meant to say, and I was answering the question about updating 2016 to 2021. That update is no longer available, but you can use the 2016 license as a way to get 60% discount on the first two years of subscription.

#9

I tried to upgrade online, but the process didn’t like my contact email. I no longer have access to the email address that I used to register my SketchUp Pro 2016. I have used the option of sending them a detailed message. The initial response that I get from Customer Support Center is, “A helpful member of our team will reach out to follow up with you.” I am hoping so.

#10

Thanks, colin. I’m sure that eventually I’ll get all this worked out. Your future advice is always welcome.

#11

We can change the email address on a license, though normally only do that when requested from the existing email address. If you can’t do that, still make the request, and hopefully it will be clear enough that you are still the owner of the license, and are just modifying your own email address.