If you are a student, you can often get a free, legal license through the SOLIDWORKS Student Access program Activation Help:
This method is unofficial and may expose your system to malware or unexpected crashes. Official Support & Safe Alternatives For a reliable experience, consider these official paths: Official Compatibility: solidworks 2018 activator for windows 11
If you have a valid license, you can activate it manually by launching the software and selecting "I want to activate my SOLIDWORKS product now" in the Activation Manager. SolidWorks Hardware Requirements for Smooth Performance If you are a student, you can often
If you do manage to get it running, ensure your hardware meets the minimum needs to avoid crashes: If you are a student