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Installation

Get S3 PDM Vault up and running on Mac or Windows in minutes

Free & Open Source

S3 PDM Vault is completely free. No software licenses, no subscription fees. Download it now—no registration required.

Step 1: Install Python

S3 PDM Vault requires Python 3.8 or later. Check if you have it installed:

python --version

If Python is not installed:

  1. Go to python.org/downloads
  2. Download the latest Python installer for Windows
  3. Run the installer
  4. Important: Check the box "Add Python to PATH" during installation
  5. Click "Install Now" and wait for it to complete
  6. Restart your computer

Step 2: Download S3 PDM Vault

  1. Visit the GitHub Releases page
  2. Find the latest release (top of the list)
  3. Under "Assets", download the file labeled source_code.zip or similar
  4. Right-click the downloaded .zip file and select "Extract All..."
  5. Choose where to save it (e.g., C:\Users\YourName\S3 PDM Vault)
  6. Click "Extract"

Step 3: Install Python Dependencies

S3 PDM Vault needs some Python libraries. Here's how to install them:

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the S3 PDM Vault folder
  2. Hold Shift and right-click in the empty space
  3. Select "Open PowerShell window here" or "Open command window here"
  4. Copy and paste this command:
    python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
  5. Press Enter and wait for it to finish

Step 4: Run S3 PDM Vault

To launch the application:

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the S3 PDM Vault folder
  2. Hold Shift and right-click in the empty space
  3. Select "Open PowerShell window here" or "Open command window here"
  4. Type this command:
    python s3vault_gui.py
  5. Press Enter
  6. The S3 PDM Vault window should open

On Windows (hide the console window):

If the black console window bothers you, use this command instead:

pythonw s3vault_gui.py

Troubleshooting: If you see an error, make sure you completed Step 3 to install dependencies. If Python still isn't found, restart your computer and try again.

Advanced: Build a Standalone App (Optional)

For advanced users: you can package S3 PDM Vault as a standalone Windows/macOS app so you don't need Python installed to run it.

  1. Install PyInstaller:
    python -m pip install pyinstaller
  2. In the S3 PDM Vault folder, run:
    python -m PyInstaller --onefile --windowed --name S3Vault s3vault_gui.py
  3. The executable will be in dist/S3Vault.exe (or dist/S3Vault on macOS)
  4. You can now run S3 PDM Vault without Python installed

Step 5: Configure Cloud Storage

Choose any S3-compatible provider (recommended for beginners: Backblaze B2):

  • Backblaze B2 — $0.006/GB/month (free trial available) ✅ Recommended
  • AWS S3 — $0.023/GB/month (free tier for first year)
  • DigitalOcean Spaces — $5/month for 250 GB
  • MinIO — Self-hosted option
  • Any S3-compatible service — No vendor lock-in

Setting up Backblaze B2 (easiest option):

  1. Go to backblaze.com and sign up for B2 (free trial)
  2. Create a new "Bucket" — give it a name like my-solidworks-vault
  3. Go to Account Settings → App Keys
  4. Click "Create Application Key"
  5. Copy the Application Key ID and Application Key — you'll need these

Configure S3 PDM Vault with your credentials:

  1. In the S3 PDM Vault window, click Settings
  2. Select your cloud provider (e.g., "Backblaze B2")
  3. Paste your Application Key ID and Application Key
  4. Enter your bucket name
  5. Choose the vault folder (where your SOLIDWORKS projects are stored)
  6. Click Save
  7. Click Refresh to sync with the cloud

Ready to Get Started?

Now that you have S3 PDM Vault installed, check out the Usage Guide to learn how to use it.

Download from GitHub