Installing on Windows: Difference between revisions

From FreeCAD Documentation
(revision part 2)
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<!--T:5-->
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If you would like to download a development version (which may be unstable), see the [https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD-Bundle/releases/tag/weekly-builds Weekly builds download] page.
If you would like to download a development version (which may be unstable), see the [https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD-Bundle/releases/tag/weekly-builds Weekly builds download] page.

== Non/Administrative installation == <!--T:24-->

<!--T:52-->
By default FreeCAD will only be installed for the user that executes the installer. When this user has only user permissions, the default installation path is
: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Programs\FreeCAD X.YY

When the installer is executed by an admin user, or you execute it as admin you can choose of FreeCAD should be installed for all users of the system of just for you. The default is for all users.

When installed for all users, the default installation path is
: C:\Program Files\FreeCAD X.YY

<!--T:25-->
an "administrative" (network) installation can be initiated. The files get unpacked into the target directory (which should be a network directory), but no other modification is made to the local system. In addition, another (smaller) msi file is generated in the target directory, which clients can then use to perform a local installation (future versions may also offer to keep some features on the network drive altogether).

<!--T:26-->
Currently, there is no user interface for administrative installations, so the target directory must be passed on the command line.

<!--T:27-->
There is no specific uninstall procedure for an administrative install - simply delete the target directory if no client uses it anymore.


== Silent Installation ==
== Silent Installation ==


To install FreeCAD silently, you can execute the installer the following way from the command line:
To install FreeCAD silently, you can execute the installer the following way from the command line:
{{Code|lang=none|FreeCAD-~.exe /S}}
</translate>{{Code|lang=none|FreeCAD-~.exe /S}}<translate>


Then all choices will be kept with their default settings. To set another installation path than the default, you can specify it the following way:
Then all choices will be kept with their default settings. To set another installation path than the default, you can specify it the following way:
{{Code|lang=none|code=FreeCAD-~.exe /S /D=A path to FreeCAD with spaces}}
</translate>{{Code|lang=none|code=FreeCAD-~.exe /S /D=A path to FreeCAD with spaces}}<translate>


By default there will also with silent installations be a short popup necessary to check the installer is not corrupted. This so-called cyclic redundancy check only takes few second, depending on your system less than a second. Of you are somehow annoyed by this, you can disable the corruption check by
By default there will also with silent installations be a short popup necessary to check the installer is not corrupted. This so-called cyclic redundancy check only takes few second, depending on your system less than a second. Of you are somehow annoyed by this, you can disable the corruption check by
{{Code|lang=none|FreeCAD-~.exe /S /NCRC}}
</translate>{{Code|lang=none|FreeCAD-~.exe /S /NCRC}}<translate>


Note that the ''/NCRC'' flag is '''not recommended''' since the corruption check assures that the installer was e.g. completely downloaded.
Note that the ''/NCRC'' flag is '''not recommended''' since the corruption check assures that the installer was e.g. completely downloaded.
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to get the latest version available on Chocolatey repository. If there are any issues with the chocolatey package, you may contact maintainers on [https://chocolatey.org/packages/freecad this page].
to get the latest version available on Chocolatey repository. If there are any issues with the chocolatey package, you may contact maintainers on [https://chocolatey.org/packages/freecad this page].

== Command line installation == <!--T:6-->

<!--T:45-->
With the ''msiexec.exe'' command line utility, additional features such as non-interactive installation and administrative installation are available. See examples below.

=== Non-interactive installation === <!--T:7-->

<!--T:46-->
With the command line

</translate>
{{Code|lang=none|code=
msiexec /i FreeCAD<version>.msi
}}
<translate>

<!--T:8-->
installation can be initiated programmatically. Additional parameters can be passed at the end of the command line, for example

</translate>
{{Code|lang=none|code=
msiexec /i FreeCAD-2.5.msi TARGETDIR=R:\FreeCAD25
}}
<translate>

=== Limited user interface === <!--T:9-->

<!--T:47-->
The amount of user control permitted by the installer can be controlled with /q options:

<!--T:10-->
* /qn - No interface
* /qb - Basic interface - display only a progress dialog with Cancel button
* /qb! - Like /qb, but hide the Cancel button
* /qr - Reduced interface - display all dialogs that do not require user interaction (skip all modal dialogs)
* /qn+ - Like /qn, but display "Completed" dialog at the end

=== Target directory === <!--T:11-->

<!--T:48-->
The property TARGETDIR determines the root directory of the FreeCAD installation. For example, a different installation drive can be specified with

</translate>
{{Code|code=
TARGETDIR=R:\FreeCAD25
}}
<translate>

<!--T:12-->
The default TARGETDIR is [WindowsVolume\Programm Files\]FreeCAD<version>.

=== Installation for All Users === <!--T:13-->

<!--T:49-->
Adding

</translate>
{{Code|code=
ALLUSERS=1
}}
<translate>

<!--T:14-->
causes an installation usable by all users. By default, a non-interactive (/i) installation makes the package usable by the current user (the one performing the installation) only; an interactive installation presents a dialog which defaults to "all users" if the user performing the installation is sufficiently privileged.

=== Feature Selection === <!--T:15-->

<!--T:50-->
A number of properties allow selection of features to be installed, reinstalled, or removed. The set of features for the FreeCAD installer is

<!--T:16-->
* DefaultFeature - install the software proper, plus the core libraries
* Documentation - install the documentation
* Source code - install the sources
* ... ToDo

<!--T:17-->
In addition, ALL specifies all features. All features depend on DefaultFeature, so installing any feature automatically installs the default feature as well. The following properties control features to be installed or removed

<!--T:18-->
* ADDLOCAL - list of features to be installed on the local machine
* REMOVE - list of features to be removed from the local machine
* ADDDEFAULT - list of features added in their default configuration (which is local for all FreeCAD features)
* REINSTALL - list of features to be reinstalled/repaired
* ADVERTISE - list of features for which to perform an advertise installation

<!--T:19-->
There are a few additional properties available; see the MSDN documentation for details.

<!--T:20-->
With these options, adding

</translate>
{{Code|code=
ADDLOCAL=Extensions
}}
<translate>

<!--T:21-->
installs the interpreter itself and registers the extensions, but does not install anything else.


== Uninstallation == <!--T:22-->
== Uninstallation == <!--T:22-->


<!--T:51-->
<!--T:51-->
To uninstall FreeCAD use preferably the Windows' tools to uninstall software. Alternatively you can execute the uninstaller directly. This is the file
With
:Uninstall-FreeCAD.exe

you find in the folder where FreeCAD is installed.
</translate>
{{Code|code=
msiexec /x FreeCAD<version>.msi
}}
<translate>

<!--T:23-->
FreeCAD can be uninstalled. It is not necessary to have the MSI file available for uninstallation; alternatively, the package or product code can also be specified. You can find the product code by looking at the properties of the Uninstall shortcut that FreeCAD installs in the start menu.

== Administrative installation == <!--T:24-->

<!--T:52-->
With

</translate>
{{Code|code=
msiexec /a FreeCAD<version>.msi
}}
<translate>

<!--T:25-->
an "administrative" (network) installation can be initiated. The files get unpacked into the target directory (which should be a network directory), but no other modification is made to the local system. In addition, another (smaller) msi file is generated in the target directory, which clients can then use to perform a local installation (future versions may also offer to keep some features on the network drive altogether).

<!--T:26-->
Currently, there is no user interface for administrative installations, so the target directory must be passed on the command line.

<!--T:27-->
There is no specific uninstall procedure for an administrative install - simply delete the target directory if no client uses it anymore.

== Advertisement == <!--T:28-->

<!--T:53-->
With

</translate>
{{Code|code=
msiexec /jm FreeCAD<version>.msi
}}
<translate>

<!--T:29-->
it would be possible, in principle, to "advertise" FreeCAD to a machine (with /ju to a user). This would cause the icons to appear in the start menu and the extensions to become registered, without the software actually being installed. The first usage of a feature would cause that feature to be installed.

<!--T:30-->
The FreeCAD installer currently only supports advertisement of start menu entries, but no advertisement of shortcuts.

== Automatic installation on a group of machines == <!--T:31-->

<!--T:54-->
With Windows Group Policy, it is possible to automatically install FreeCAD on a group of machines. To do so, perform the following steps:
#Log on to the domain controller
#Copy the MSI file into a folder that is shared with access granted to all target machines.
#Open the MMC snapin "Active Directory users and computers"
#Navigate to the group of computers that need FreeCAD
#Open Properties
#Open Group Policies
#Add a new policy, and edit it
#In Computer Configuration/Software Installation, choose New/Package
#Select the MSI file through the network path
#Optionally, select that you want FreeCAD to be de-installed if the computer leaves the scope of the policy.

<!--T:32-->
Group policy propagation typically takes some time - to reliably deploy the package, all machines should be rebooted.

== Installation on Linux using Crossover Office == <!--T:33-->

<!--T:34-->
You can install the windows version of FreeCAD on a Linux system using ''CXOffice 5.0.1''. Run ''msiexec'' from the CXOffice command line. Assuming the install package is in the "software" directory on drive "Y:":

</translate>
{{Code|code=
msiexec /i Y:\\software\\FreeCAD<version>.msi
}}
<translate>


The uninstaller can also be executed silently using the command line:
<!--T:39-->
</translate>{{Code|lang=none|Uninstall-FreeCAD.exe /S}}<translate>
FreeCAD is running, but it has been reported that the OpenGL display does not work, like with other programs running under [[wikipedia:Wine (software)|Wine]] i.e. Google [[wikipedia:SketchUp|SketchUp]].


'''Note:''' to uninstall FreeCAD, FreeCAD must not be running, also no other version of FreeCAD. So when the silent uninstallation does not work, there is a running instance of FreeCAD.


<!--T:35-->
<!--T:35-->

Revision as of 14:56, 14 February 2022

You can install FreeCAD on Windows by downloading the installer below:

Template:DownloadWindowsStable

After downloading the installer, double-click it to start the installation process.

Below is more information about some technical options. But most users don't need more than the above .exe file. Head to Getting started after installation is complete.

Standard Installation

The easiest way to install the latest stable version of FreeCAD is by using the installer linked above.

If you would like to download a development version (which may be unstable), see the Weekly builds download page.

Non/Administrative installation

By default FreeCAD will only be installed for the user that executes the installer. When this user has only user permissions, the default installation path is

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Programs\FreeCAD X.YY

When the installer is executed by an admin user, or you execute it as admin you can choose of FreeCAD should be installed for all users of the system of just for you. The default is for all users.

When installed for all users, the default installation path is

C:\Program Files\FreeCAD X.YY

an "administrative" (network) installation can be initiated. The files get unpacked into the target directory (which should be a network directory), but no other modification is made to the local system. In addition, another (smaller) msi file is generated in the target directory, which clients can then use to perform a local installation (future versions may also offer to keep some features on the network drive altogether).

Currently, there is no user interface for administrative installations, so the target directory must be passed on the command line.

There is no specific uninstall procedure for an administrative install - simply delete the target directory if no client uses it anymore.

Silent Installation

To install FreeCAD silently, you can execute the installer the following way from the command line:

FreeCAD-~.exe /S

Then all choices will be kept with their default settings. To set another installation path than the default, you can specify it the following way:

FreeCAD-~.exe /S /D=A path to FreeCAD with spaces

By default there will also with silent installations be a short popup necessary to check the installer is not corrupted. This so-called cyclic redundancy check only takes few second, depending on your system less than a second. Of you are somehow annoyed by this, you can disable the corruption check by

FreeCAD-~.exe /S /NCRC

Note that the /NCRC flag is not recommended since the corruption check assures that the installer was e.g. completely downloaded.

Chocolatey

However, it is highly recommended that you use a package manager such as Chocolatey to keep your software updated. You can installed Chocolatey following these instructions and then open a PowerShell terminal as admin and run:

choco install freecad

every once in a while you can update your software with

choco upgrade freecad

to get the latest version available on Chocolatey repository. If there are any issues with the chocolatey package, you may contact maintainers on this page.

Uninstallation

To uninstall FreeCAD use preferably the Windows' tools to uninstall software. Alternatively you can execute the uninstaller directly. This is the file

Uninstall-FreeCAD.exe

you find in the folder where FreeCAD is installed.

The uninstaller can also be executed silently using the command line:

Uninstall-FreeCAD.exe /S

Note: to uninstall FreeCAD, FreeCAD must not be running, also no other version of FreeCAD. So when the silent uninstallation does not work, there is a running instance of FreeCAD.