Install Partner on Windows

Partner for Windows comes in two forms, both on the download page:

• PartnerSetup.exe installs Partner for every user of the PC. Use it for a computer you want to reach at any time.
• PartnerPortable.exe runs Partner without installing anything and needs no administrator rights. Use it to try Partner, or on a PC you can't install software on.

Both are 64-bit (x64) and self-contained: there are no Visual C++ redistributables, .NET, or other runtimes to install.

Windows may warn about an unknown publisher. Partner's Windows downloads are not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen can show Windows protected your PC. Click More info, then Run anyway. To confirm you have the genuine file, compare its SHA-256 with the published checksums.

Install

1. Download PartnerSetup.exe.

2. Double-click it and approve the administrator prompt, or install silently from an elevated PowerShell:

   .\PartnerSetup.exe /S

The installer puts Partner in C:\Program Files\Partner, adds it to the Start menu, and starts it in the system tray whenever someone signs in.

Turn on unattended access

Installing Partner does not start a background service. Partner runs in the tray while someone is signed in. To reach this PC when nobody is signed in, turn on unattended access in the Partner app. It asks for administrator approval once, then registers the partnerd Windows service to start at boot.

To confirm the service afterwards, from PowerShell:

Get-Service partnerd

You should see Status: Running and StartType: Automatic.

Run without installing

Download PartnerPortable.exe and double-click it. The first run unpacks Partner into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Partner\Portable\<version> and starts it; later runs start straight away. Nothing is registered with Windows, and Partner stops when you quit it or sign out. For a PC you want to reach at any time, use the installer.

Check your connection details

Open PowerShell and run:

& "C:\Program Files\Partner\partnerd.exe" status

This prints your stable machine ID and a short-lived connection code, which is everything someone needs to reach this PC. Continue with Getting started.

Where things live

Item	Location
Program	C:\Program Files\Partner (the app is in its app folder)
Service	partnerd, only once you turn on unattended access; it is what starts at boot. The app starts only when you open it.
Uninstaller	Settings → Apps → Partner, or uninstall.exe in the program folder

To remove Partner later, see Uninstall.