I hope someone can help

I have not used solidworks for a few weeks. A couple of days ago I was forced to upgrade to hotfix 4.6 when I started it again.

And after the upgarde, when ever I try to start solidworks, it opens the splash screen and indicates "loading registry". After a few seconds, it closes and nothing else happens.

I have tried:

1. uninstall all Dassault systems applications, delete dassault folder, reinstall from the portal
2. uninstall, delete dassault folder, go through the registry to rename all dassault/solidworks keys, reinstall from the portal
3. uninstall, delete dassault folder, clean registry again, rename .../appdata/local/dassault systems to _old, reinstall from the portal

including repeated reboots.

And everytime it leads to the same result - it dies during "loading registry".

Are there more places than these I can try to clean up?

Computer\\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\SolidWorks\\SOLIDWORKS 2024
Computer\\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\SolidWorks

C:\\Users\\\\AppData\\Local\\DassaultSystemes
C:\\Users\\\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\swcefcache
C:\\Users\\\\AppData\\Roaming\\DassaultSystemes

Ok - found a windows log entry relasted to the crashing solid works:

Faulting application name: sldworks.exe, version: 32.4.0.74, time stamp: 0x669e9137
Faulting module name: atio6axx.dll, version: 31.0.12044.3, time stamp: 0x63582573
 

atio6axx.dll seems to be related to an ATI driver - at last someting to pursue...
Found this 4 yr old thread: https://r1132100503382-eu1-3dswym.3dexperience.3ds.com/home?content=swym:prd:R1132100503382:qnaquestion:ma83JI2dTY-hcAV6tRT1Mg

Reinstalled ATI drivers and again it worked once...

Same issue - atio6axx.dll causes it to crash...

Anyone?