Desktop Client and Network Manager Update Help
This article provides information on updating both the 4Matrix Desktop client and the 4Matrix Network Manager. If you experience any issues with updating, please work through the following information prior to contacting us.
In this article:
- 4Matrix Desktop Client: Update Modes
- 4Matrix installed pre-2019
- Requirements for the Windows Service
- Setting up the Windows Service Update Mode
- Additional notes on Update Modes 1 - 4
- Updating the 4Matrix Network Manager application
1. 4Matrix Desktop Client: Update Modes
Since January 2019, the 4Matrix client installer has included a Windows Service ('4Matrix Desktop Service'), which can be used to download and apply updates on clients.
- Whether or not the software uses this method to install updates is controlled by an ‘update mode’ option, contained within a LauncherSettings.xml file.
- This update method is recommended. It is more robust than the legacy ‘Run As’ method.
- If you are not sure which update mode you are using or you're already using the Windows Service and it is failing, please log a support ticket.
4Matrix installed pre-2019
Some 4Matrix customers have been using 4Matrix for many years, and may not have redeployed 4Matrix since the original installation. These schools may find that despite the correct user/update settings being supplied in the 4Matrix Network Manager application (in the 'Run Updates As' field) that client updates continue to fail.
- It is highly likely that Launcher.exe will be out of date on clients, and therefore the client will need to be reinstalled using the latest msi; see section 2, below.
- Once this is done, the 'Run As' settings in the 4Matrix Network Manager are ignored and the Windows Service will be used to install updates.
Requirements for the Windows Service
We recommend that to use the Windows Service update method, you have a 'base version' of the 4Matrix client application that is no older than 1 year. This is because improvements and fixes continue to be made to the service.
- Check your 'base version' of the 4Matrix client by referring to the date stamp on the Launcher.exe file on your client(s).
- If the Launcher.exe is older than 1 year, move to section 2, below.
- If you are already using a recent version of 4Matrix and updates are failing, please contact us for advice.
2. Setting up the Windows Service Update Mode
Use this guide to setup the 4Matrix Windows Service update method / update your 'base version' of 4Matrix on clients:
1) Download the latest 4Matrix client msi. See www.4Matrix.com/downloads for the latest client version number and client msi download link. (Please email info@4Matrix.com if login credentials are not known).
2) The client msi will install the Windows Service as part of the deployment process. The msi should be placed in the same directory as the LauncherSettings and Settings files prior to deployment (see next steps).
3) Download a LauncherSettings file from this link and place it in the client installation directory.
4) The Settings file is unique to each school; it is what tells 4Matrix which server and database to use. It must be placed in the same installation directory as the client msi and LauncherSettings. This can be obtained from an existing client deployment folder, or from a working client (from the C:\Program Files (x86)\4Matrix folder).
5) Once the latest client msi, LauncherSettings and Settings are all present in the installation directory, deploy or run the client msi on the affected client.
Additional notes on Update Modes 1 - 4
If you need to utilise the new update mode across all clients, re-deploy 4Matrix so that all clients are instantly using the latest version. Future updates should now apply without issue.
- Settings and LauncherSettings files should automatically install with the client msi. If one or both files do not deploy automatically, please contact us.
The LauncherSettings file contains a parameter for <UpdateMode>2</UpdateMode> which is what tells 4Matrix to use the Windows Service to manage updates. Using ‘Update Mode 2’, updates are checked for, downloaded and run as Local System (ignoring the ‘Run As’ option in the 4Matrix Network Manager).
- The parameter <UpdateMode> can be added to any existing LauncherSettings file, if required.
- The parameter <UpdateMode> can use 1 of 4 values:
1 = Use the old/default ‘run as’ method (e.g. <UpdateMode>1</UpdateMode>)
2 = 4Matrix Update Service checks for, downloads and applies updates
3 = Logged in user checks for updates, 4Matrix Update Service downloads and runs updates
4 = Logged in user checks and downloads updates, 4Matrix Update Service runs updates.
So to use option 4 above, you can insert the following code into an existing LauncherSettings file:
<UpdateMode>4</UpdateMode>
- Options 2-4 above ignore the ‘Run As’ setting in the 4Matrix Network Manager.
- Options 2-4 above will still use the Custom Temp folder setting, as defined in the 4Matrix Network Manager.
- If the update process fails, it may go into a loop. Holding CTRL and cancelling the process will stop it. If this happens, please try an alternative UpdateMode value (2, 3 or 4).
3. Updating the 4Matrix Network Manager application
Updating the 4Matrix Network Manager is a relatively simple process:
1) Open the 4Matrix Network Manager and create a backup of the database (using Databases > Backup). This is precautionary and you should not need to use this backup file. If you see an error saying that the backup has failed, please double check the location you have tried to save to because the error may be false i.e. the backup has actually been created. This is a known glitch on older versions of the Network Manager.
2) Close the 4Matrix Network Manager and make a note of where it’s installed e.g. C:\4Matrix
3) Uninstall the 4Matrix Network Manager using Control Panel > Programs and Features.
4) Download the latest full installer from www.4Matrix.com/downloads
5) Begin the installation and install it in exactly the same place as before. All your settings will be recalled automatically.
Article revised: 11/12/2024