Just installed SketchUp 2025, imported my plugins using migrator extension and placed on secondary monitor. Each time I open SU 2025, my toolbars are jumbled on my primary screen. I have repaired and reinstalled (as administrator) with no change. In addition, the file association with SKP is non existent and I am unable to launch a SU model from Windows Explorer. I did not have this issue with SU 2024. Help!
What you describe is typical of incorrect installtion on Windows. Correct installation requires you to right click on the installer and choose Run as administrator. This makes Windows grant permissions for SketchUp to write the file that stores your toolbar preferneces and other things.
At this point close SketchUp and LayOut if theyâre open. In File Explorer go to Username/AppData/Local/SketchUp/SketchUp 2025/SketchUp and delete the PrivatePreferences.json file. Next, do a cold reboot of your computer. Power completely off and restart. After Windows starts up, find the SketchUp installer in the Downloads folder. Right click on it, choose Run as administrator and then, when prompted, choose the Repair option. After it completes do another cold reboot. Then start SketchUp and set up your toolbars. You can also create your own custom template at this point and save it. After that, you should be able to close SketchUp and have the toolbars in the correct locations when you restart.
This should also fix the file association issue.
Presumably you mean File Explorer?
Ok, I did all steps except for the JSON file. Good to know. Yes, I meant File Explorer. In addition, as a test, I was able to install SU 2025 on my laptop and did not experience any of the issues.
If your laptop is a Windows machine you should use the right click, Run as administrator thing, too. Even if it appeared to work without it. There are other files that need Windowsâ permissions to be written, too. Go through at least the cold reboot, Run as administrator, and Repair steps just to make sure. No matter what it wonât hurt anything.
I did install with Run as administrator on the laptop so all good there.
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Steps you recommended did not work. Now, SU 2025 wonât even load up. Initially after deleting the JSON and repairing, cold booting, etc. I was notified that the video card had to be reset to default vs. my RTX 3080. I then get notified that a couple plugins are expired (fine) and the interface never comes up. I installed SU 2024 and that loads and I can have the toolbars on another screen and they stay that way. File associated is still not working. This is a major problem for me. I have to get this resolved.
I also contacted SketchUp support and have not heard from them at all. Not even an acknowledgment that a ticket was created.
Problem resolved. After I got 2024 setup, I uninstalled 2025, deleted ANY folders and registry keys and reinstalled and that appears to have resolved the issue. I can place toolbars on secondary monitor and they stay. File association is still not working but I can deal with that. Strange experience as I have installed/deployed SU forever without an issue like this.
Sorry. Iâve been away for a while. Just getting back to it. That cleanup was going to be my next suggestion. Glad you got to it and that took care of it. The lack of permissions from not installing using Run as administrator can be quite far reaching. For many people trying to repair the toolbar thing, just deleting PrivatePreferences.json has worked fine. Others have need to remove more stuff and even clean the registry. When I first installed SketchUp 2025 I did the Run as administrator thingand never had any issues at all with file assoociations, toolbar locations, or any of the other weird things some users report. I havenât had to clear the registry or do any other gymnastics to get things working correctly.
re: File Associations, what version of SketchUp opens if you double click on a .skp file?
Would seem to be a huge flag for a system issue, but not my problem.
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When attempting to open SKP from File Explorer, Windows asks what application to use. SketchUp is not listed there at all. I can drill down to SU 2025 folder and select that I suppose. Will update on this later.
Yeah, Iâve been using SU for a long time and have never run into this issue. Repairs usually always resolve any issues. Wonder if this is a bug that will be squashed later on.
Might be a bug but it clearly doesnât affect everyone. More likely a system problem. I got the exact same installer you did and have had no issues. The difference is in our systems. Kind of like weâre listening to the same radio station in our cars. The music sounds great to you and like garbage to me. Same signal so it canât be fault of the music or the radio station. It must be something else.
This sort of nonsense leaves me speechless. The more years the moreâŚ
I had a chat with @colin about this at Basecamp 2024. As I recall, he said that the whole run as administrator thing shouldnât be necessary, but that some peopleâs systems have permissions or ownerships of critical resources set in ways that interfere with the installer unless it has the elevated privileges needed to overrule the settings. They endorse ârun as administratorâ not because it is essential but because it works in these odd cases as well as more normal ones.
That sounds like s hit to me.
I bet âs hitâ isnât in the forum watch list.
Recently we did have a case where an error would only happen if you did not install as admin. That is being investigated, because the normal install is supposed to work. I have noticed in recent internal installers that I get a message during the install (a non-admin install) that the privileges have been elevated. Donât know what it means, but I should go back and retest the error we were seeing.
The fact that I can install SU 2024 (Run as Admin) and have no issues, means there is something about SU2025 then, otherwise it would be an issue with my station and Iâve never had this issue with previous versions of SU on it.