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Updating PacketPilot Config

How to update PacketPilot Config — online with the built-in updater, or offline with a manual installer package.

Updating PacketPilot Config

PacketPilot Config checks for updates via a manifest hosted at packetpilot.db-electronics.no/updates/config.json. You can also update offline using a manually downloaded installer.

Finding Your Current Version

Click the About button at the bottom of the sidebar.

The About dialog shows:

  • Current installed version (e.g. 1.0.0)

Online Update

Manual Update Check

  1. Click About at the bottom of the sidebar
  2. Click Check for Updates in the About dialog
  3. Config calls https://packetpilot.db-electronics.no/updates/config.json
  4. One of the following happens:

| Condition | Result | |-----------|--------| | Server unreachable | Shown: "Update server unreachable. You can still update manually using an offline installer package." | | No newer version | Shown: "You're on the latest version (X.Y.Z)." | | Newer version available | Shown: version, release date, severity badge, and a Download & Verify button |

Downloading the Installer

Clicking Download & Verify fetches the installer from the downloadUrl in the manifest, saves it to a temporary location, and verifies the SHA-256 checksum against the checksum field in the manifest.

If the checksum passes, the verified installer is moved to your Downloads folder.

If the checksum doesn't match, the download is discarded and an error is shown: "Downloaded file failed integrity check. Please try again or download manually."

Running the Installer

  1. Locate the downloaded PacketPilot-Setup.exe in your Downloads folder
  2. Double-click to run — no need to uninstall first
  3. Follow the prompts; your settings, device inventory, and credentials in %LOCALAPPDATA%\PacketPilot are preserved

Do not delete %LOCALAPPDATA%\PacketPilot during installation. This folder contains your master password hash, credentials, and session history. It is never affected by the installer.

Offline Update

For air-gapped or offline machines, use the manual offline installer workflow.

Step 1: Download on a Connected Machine

On a machine with internet access:

  1. Go to packetpilot.db-electronics.no
  2. Download the latest installer: PacketPilot-Setup.exe
  3. Verify the checksum against the value published at packetpilot.db-electronics.no/updates/config.json (the checksum field)

To verify the checksum on Windows:

# Using PowerShell
Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 .\PacketPilot-Setup.exe

Compare the output to the checksum value in the manifest. They must match exactly.

Step 2: Transfer to the Air-Gapped Machine

Transfer the installer via USB drive or your internal file transfer process. Do not email the installer.

Step 3: Verify and Install

  1. On the air-gapped machine, verify the checksum before running:
Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 .\PacketPilot-Setup.exe
  1. Double-click the installer to run it

Manifest Format

The update manifest at packetpilot.db-electronics.no/updates/config.json has the following schema:

{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "releaseDate": "2026-05-11",
  "releaseNotesUrl": "https://packetpilot.db-electronics.no/docs/updates/config",
  "downloadUrl": "https://packetpilot.db-electronics.no/api/download/exe",
  "checksum": "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855",
  "minimumSupportedVersion": null,
  "severity": "recommended",
  "offlinePackageUrl": null
}

| Field | Required | Description | |-------|----------|-------------| | version | Yes | Semantic version of the latest release | | releaseDate | Yes | ISO 8601 release date | | releaseNotesUrl | Yes | Link to these docs or a changelog | | downloadUrl | Yes | Installer download URL | | checksum | Yes | SHA-256 hex digest of the installer | | minimumSupportedVersion | No | Older versions are forced to update | | severity | No | critical / recommended / optional | | offlinePackageUrl | No | URL to an offline .zip package |

Troubleshooting

"Check for Updates" hangs or times out

The manifest server is unreachable from your network. Use the offline update path. Your current version continues to work normally.

Checksum mismatch on download

The downloaded file was corrupted during transfer. Delete it and try the download again. If the problem persists, use the offline update path instead.

Installer fails to launch — "Windows protected your PC"

This is expected for unsigned executables. Click More info → Run anyway. A code signing certificate is planned for a future release.

New version shown but installer download fails

Your firewall is blocking the download. Use the offline update path: download the installer on a connected machine, transfer via USB, verify checksum, then install.

Settings and credentials lost after reinstall

The installer preserves %LOCALAPPDATA%\PacketPilot. If you deleted this folder, the credentials cannot be recovered — you will need to re-add devices. Your master password cannot be recovered either.