To install a program on staff computers: confirm each PC runs 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, copy the installer to it on a USB stick or through a shared folder, and double-click it. If the data is local, each PC keeps its own records and you need regular backups. If it is cloud data, add an account for each employee so they sign in and see the shared records. To update, build a newer version and install it over the old one; the data stays.
- how to install a program on staff computers
- install the same software on multiple PCs in an office
- how to update a program on all office computers
- move a program and its data to a new PC
- how to back up shop software
- roll out new software to employees
What does rolling out a program to a team involve?
Installing a program on staff computers sounds like a fifteen-minute job: copy the file, double-click it. On the first PC it really is. What decides whether the program succeeds in your office or is abandoned within a month is everything after that: who signs in with which account, where backups go, and how a new version reaches everyone.
Illustration- What you need
- One .exe installer
- PCs
- Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit
- Admin rights
- Not needed to install
- Number of PCs
- Any
- Updates
- By installing a newer version
This guide is written for people who built their program in Fanann's Windows Studio, but most of the routine and habits apply to any software you bring into your office.
What do I check on each PC before installing?
Ten minutes of checking saves half a day of 'it did not work on mine':
How do I install the program on several PCs?
The first steps are the same; then the path splits according to the data location you chose at build time:
If the data is local
- Download the installer and copy it to the other PC on a USB stick or through a shared folder.
- Double-click it there and wait for the installation to finish.
- The program starts with empty records belonging to that PC.
- To move records from another PC: save a backup there and restore it here.
If the data is in the cloud
- Download the installer and copy it to the other PC.
- Double-click it, then sign in with the account of the employee who will work on it.
- Add an account for each employee from the users screen inside the program.
- Every copy that signs in works on the same records.
Who gets an account, and what is each allowed to do?
With cloud data, each employee signs in with their own account. Do not take the shortcut of everyone sharing one sign-in 'to get it done', because then you will not know who issued an invoice or who deleted it.
| Role | Usually needs | Does not need |
|---|---|---|
| Cashier or salesperson | Issuing invoices and finding products | Changing prices, deleting, financial reports |
| Storekeeper | Receiving, issuing and adjusting quantities with a reason | Prices and discounts |
| Receptionist | Booking, changing and customer notes | Settings and users |
| Supervisor | Discounts, voids and the daily report | User management |
| Manager or owner | Everything, including reports and users | Nothing |
Add three roles to the program. Salesperson: issues invoices and searches products only. Supervisor: everything the salesperson can do, plus discounts and voiding an invoice, with a required reason. Manager: everything, plus the users screen, reports and price changes. Add a users screen where the manager adds an account for each employee, sets their role and disables an account. Record the user name and time with every invoice and every change, with an activity log screen that only the manager can see.
Try it in FanannWhen an employee leaves, delete or disable their account the same day. Deleting the account stops their access to the shared records, but it does not remove the program from their PC. For designing permissions in more depth, see roles and permissions in staff apps.
How do I make sure the data is never lost?
With cloud data the records are not on one device, so a broken PC loses nothing. It is still wise to export your important reports to a file every month. With local data it is all on you, and Fanann cannot restore records from a PC that has failed. Make backups a habit with a time and an owner:
| When | What | Who |
|---|---|---|
| End of every working day | A backup from the program to a USB stick | The employee who closes the till |
| Every week | Copy the week's file to an external disk kept outside the shop | The manager |
| Every month | A restore test on another PC | The manager |
| Before every update | An extra backup | Whoever installs the update |
How do I update the program for everyone?
Updating is currently not automatic: it is a new version you download and install. It installs over the old one and the data stays. There is a good side to that, since the program will not change under the cashier's hands in the middle of a rush.
- 1Collect the changes
Do not release a version for every small request. Gather a week or two of requests into one release.
- 2Try it in the preview, then build
Raise the version number, for example from 1.0.0 to 1.1.0, and write what changed in the 'what is new' field in a sentence or two.
- 3Install it on one PC first
After a backup. Try an invoice, a print and a report.
- 4Roll out at a quiet time
Before opening or after closing, not in the middle of a shift.
- 5Confirm everyone is on the same version
Especially with cloud data, so two employees are not working on the same records with different versions.
What does a first-week plan look like?
- Day 1One PC
Install the program on your own PC. Enter real data and print.
- Day 2One employee
Pick your most patient employee. Let them use it next to the old method and note their comments.
- Days 3-4Changes
Ask for the changes, build a new version and install it.
- Day 5The other PCs
Install on the rest, add the accounts, and brief everyone in fifteen minutes.
- Day 6First backup
Run it in front of the person responsible, and try restoring it.
- Day 7The go-live decision
If the program's numbers match the old method's numbers, stop the old method. If they do not, find out why before you rely on it.
What goes wrong most often, and what do I do?
| Problem | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The installer will not start | A company policy blocks software installation | Contact IT |
| The print button does nothing | The printing ability is off | Switch it on and build a new version |
| The second PC does not see the invoices | The data is local | Restore a backup, or move to cloud data |
| The program is stuck waiting | The internet dropped and the data is in the cloud | Reconnect, and arrange a backup connection |
| Small text or a cut-off table | High display scaling in Windows | Ask for the screen to be adjusted and try the scales in the preview |
| The file will not run on an old PC | 32-bit Windows or an older release | Not supported; use another PC |
If you have not yet settled whether you need installed software at all, desktop app or web app has a comparison that helps, and the whole road from the beginning is in how to make a Windows app.
A program does not succeed on the day it is installed. It succeeds when a full week passes and nobody asks where the old notebook went.
Key takeaways
- Start with one PC and one employee for a week before rolling out to everyone.
- With local data, five PCs means five separate sets of records and five backups.
- With cloud data, every employee has their own account. Remove a leaver's account the same day.
- Updating is manual: a newer version installed over the old one on each PC, and the data stays.
- Name one person responsible for installing, backing up and updating. Shared responsibility gets lost.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the program on more than one computer?
Do I need administrator rights to install the program?
How do I move the program and its data to a new PC?
Is data lost when I install a new version?
Does the program update automatically?
What should I do when an employee leaves?
Ask your AI assistant about this
Copy this prompt into the AI assistant you use, then add the details of your own case.
I am reading this guide: “How to install a program on staff computers and keep it running” https://fanann.com/en/blog/install-and-roll-out-software-to-staff/ My question: how to install a program on staff computers Use that page as a source and explain the answer step by step for my situation, tell me what to check before I start, and cite the page link.