How to update Anchor

The Anchor update tool (AnchorUpdater.exe) allows you to update Anchor on your computer quickly. It is available as of Anchor v5.3+. It performs the necessary steps and restarts your computer when needed. AnchorUpdater.exe can also perform 'silent' updates. Silent updates do not need any user input. Silent updates allow you to manage unattended updates for multiple computers.

Anchor Updater file name changes

In Anchor v5.3, various file names for Anchor installer components have changed. If you are already running Anchor v5.2.1 or earlier, you must update your RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) scripts with the new setup file name.

You can update in one of two modes, regular or silent mode.

How to download the Anchor updater

1. Go to the Anchor admin dashboard, in the menu on the left, click Installers.
2. Click the download icon next to your desired version of Anchor.
3. Finally, unzip the downloaded zip file to get the AnchorUpdater.exe executable.

How to update Anchor in regular mode

To update Anchor in regular mode, perform the following steps:

1. Download the AnchorUpdater.exe file on the computer you want to update Anchor on.

2. Double-click the AnchorUpdater.exe file to run it.

3. A dialog will pop up, informing you that proceeding will result in two system reboots. Click Yes to proceed.

4. Wait for the installation to complete.

5. If prompted, click confirm to reboot the computer.

After the update is complete, your computer will restart a second time. Then finally, the Anchor tray application will prompt you to sign in.

How to update Anchor in silent mode

You can start a silent update using your RMM (Remote Management and Monitoring) tool.

To update Anchor in silent mode, use the following steps:

1. Download the AnchorUpdater.exe file on the computer you want to update Anchor on.

2. Open a Windows Command Prompt ('CMD') in admin mode and navigate to the folder containing AnchorUpdater.exe.

3. Start the update by running the command AnchorUpdater.exe --silent. The update process will begin and AnchorUpdater.exe will perform all the steps without further user input.

After the update is complete, your computer will restart a second time. Then finally, the Anchor tray application will prompt you to sign in.

How to check the progress and status of a silent update

A silent update doesn't provide any feedback in Command Prompt. Instead, AnchorUpdater.exe creates a key in the Windows registry, HKLM\Software\DAtAnchor\FullUpdateStatus.

To access the Windows registry, do the following:

1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit in the Run dialog box and press Enter or click OK. This will open the Registry Editor.
3. The Registry Editor window will appear, displaying the registry's hierarchical structure. It consists of two panes: the left pane shows the registry's folders (keys), and the right pane displays the values and data associated with the selected key.
4. You can navigate the registry by expanding the folders in the left pane. Click on a folder to view its contents in the right pane.
5. To view the value of the Anchor Updater registry key, click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > DatAnchor.

The value of this key represents the different states of the update process as follows:

• 0 - Idle. Zero is the initial value of the registry key when AnchorUpdater.exe creates it.

• 1 - UninstallStarted. AnchorUpdater.exe has begun the process of uninstalling the current version of Anchor.

• 2 - UninstallFinished. AnchorUpdater.exe has finished uninstalling the current version of Anchor.

• 3 - InstallationFinished. AnchorUpdater.exe has finished installing the new version of Anchor. The update process is complete.

Besides the registry key, AnchorUpdater.exe also logs the update and installation processes. You can find these logs in the Public folder under C:\Users.

• Update logs - C:\Users\Public\DAtAnchorSetupLogs\DAtAnchorUpdate_<date and time>.log

• Installation logs - C:\Users\Public\DAtAnchorSetupLogs\DAtAnchorSetup_<date and time>.log

Notes to keep in mind

In Anchor v5.3, various file names for Anchor installer components have changed. If you are already running Anchor v5.2.1 or earlier, you must update your RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) scripts with the new setup file name.

When you start AnchorUpdater.exe, it will create the HKLM\Software\DAtAnchor\FullUpdateStatus registry key. If you subsequently start AnchorUpdater.exe again, it will display the following error message.

This is to prevent concurrent updates. If you are sure you want to run AnchorUpdater.exe again, then remove the HKLM\Software\DAtAnchor\FullUpdateStatus key from the Windows registry and relaunch AnchorUpdater.exe.

What happens during the update process?

AnchorUpdater.exe performs the following steps:

1. Stops any running Anchor services.

2. Uninstalls the Anchor desktop application.

3. Uninstalls Anchor drivers.

4. Reboots the computer for the driver removal to take effect.

5. Installs Anchor driver update.

6. Installs Anchor application update.

7. Reboots the computer for a second time for the new driver installation to take effect.