docs/main/deployment-guide/desktop/desktop-msi-installer-and-group-policy-install.mdx
This page provides guidance on installing the desktop app MSI and use Group Policies in Windows for Mattermost Enterprise or Professional. The MSI installer package can be downloaded here.
Per-machine installation from v6.1.0: From Mattermost Desktop v6.1.0, the Windows MSI installer defaults to per-machine (system-wide) installation to meet enterprise compliance requirements. This changes deployment strategies and upgrade paths. See the Deployment considerations for v6.1.0+ section below for details.
From desktop v6.1, organizations deploying on Windows have 2 primary distribution options:
The desktop v6.1 app includes in-app update notifications that check the Mattermost website for new versions. All distribution channels (Windows Store, MSI, Mac App Store, Flathub, APT/RPM) release simultaneously to ensure users receive consistent update notifications regardless of their installation method.
Users upgrading from earlier Desktop app versions using the MSI installer may need to recreate taskbar shortcuts once after the upgrade. The v6.1.0 installer uses a more reliable method for shortcut icons that prevents shortcuts from breaking during future upgrades. This fixes a long-standing issue where shortcuts could break during MSI upgrades. This is a one-time action for the upgrade to v6.1.0. Future upgrades to v6.1.2 and later won't require shortcut recreation. Windows Store deployments aren't affected by this change.
We recommend telling your users in advance that they may need to re-pin the taskbar shortcut after upgrading to desktop app v6.1. Desktop shortcuts are typically unaffected while taskbar shortcuts are most commonly impacted.
If a user reports a broken shortcut after upgrading to v6.1.0, the user should:
Using a newly created Windows VM or dedicated Windows computer, make sure to use a Windows version that supports Edit group policy out of the box (i.e. Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise).
Navigate to the Mattermost Desktop repository on GitHub.com.
Navigate to the release page for version v6.2.2 and download the appropriate installer for your version of Windows (32-bit vs. 64-bit).
Download the source.zip file as well to extract group policy files.
The following group policies are available supporting a state option of Not Configured, Enabled, or Disabled:
<table style={{width: '99%'}}> <colgroup> <col style={{width: '19%'}} /> <col style={{width: '42%'}} /> <col style={{width: '16%'}} /> <col style={{width: '20%'}} /> </colgroup> <thead> <tr> <th>Group policy</th> <th>Description</th> <th>Mattermost release</th> <th>Setting</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Enable Server Management</td> <td>If disabled, management of servers in the app settings are disabled.</td> <td>v4.3 or later</td> <td><code>EnableServerManagement</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Default Server List</td> <td>Define one or more default, permanent servers.</td> <td>v4.3 or later</td> <td><code>DefaultServerList</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Update Notifications</td> <td>If disabled, in-app update notifications are not shown.</td> <td>v5.1 or later</td> <td><code>EnableAutoUpdates</code></td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
Browse to the folder the above files were downloaded to and unzip the desktop-6.2.2.zip file in place.
Navigate to the unzipped desktop-6.2.2\resources\windows\gpo folder and copy the contents.
Navigate to the C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions folder and paste the files copied in the last step.
Verify the mattermost.admx file is in the C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions folder.
Verify the mattermost.adml file is in the C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US folder.
\\FQDNDomain\sysvol\FQDNDomain\Policies\PolicyDefinitions can be used instead of C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions if available.\\FQDNDomain\sysvol\FQDNDomain\Policies\PolicyDefinitions\en-US can be used instead of C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US if available.Disable update notifications
Update notifications can be disabled by configuring the supported group policy. Changes to group policies require you to restart Mattermost for those changes to take effect.
Run the Edit group policy application by selecting Start, typing gpedit into the search field, then selecting the resulting Edit group policy search option.
In the Edit group policy window, navigate to Local Computer Policy\Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Mattermost. In this example, double-click on DefaultServerList to set one or more default servers that will appear on app launch.
In the resulting window for DefaultServerList, select Enabled to turn the feature on, then select the Show… button in the Options: section of the window to add default servers.
In the resulting window, add desired Mattermost servers using a memorable name (i.e., Community) and the web URL of the Mattermost server (i.e., https://community.mattermost.com).
Select OK twice, then close the Edit group policy app.
From Mattermost Desktop v6.1.0, the Windows MSI installer defaults to per-machine (system-wide) installation to meet enterprise compliance requirements. The application installs to C:\Program Files\Mattermost with registry keys in HKLM (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE), and requires administrator privileges for deployment.
Users upgrading from v5.9 to v6.0.4 with per-user installations must manually uninstall the old version before installing v6.1.0 to avoid duplicate installs. See Desktop troubleshooting for detailed upgrade instructions.
From desktop v6.0, users can run multiple Mattermost workspaces at the same time in the desktop app. Use existing methods to pre-provision multiple workspaces for users, as follows:
DefaultServerList Group Policy.config.json on first run to include multiple entries in the teams array. See the Silent Windows desktop distribution documentation for details.EnableServerManagement Group Policy.EnableAutoUpdates to turn off update notifications.Open up the Registry Editor by selecting Start, typing Registry Editor in the search field, then selecting the Registry Editor option in the search results.
In the Registry Editor window, navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mattermost\DefaultServerList and verify the servers you added using the Edit group policy app are listed.
Once verified, close the Registry Editor.
Mattermost.exe process is stopped, and then restart the MSI installation.Within the folder the MSI installer was downloaded to, double-click on the MSI installer to begin the Mattermost Desktop installation process.
Installation of the MSI requires admin permission, so accept the resulting request to allow the installer to make changes to your device.
Select Finish when the installation is complete.
Launch the newly installed Mattermost app from the Start menu.
Verify the app loads the first server you defined in the Edit group policy app.
You must be a system admin to run these commands, or you must run them from an admin command prompt or PowerShell.
Perform a silent installation of the MSI by running the following command:
Ensure the desktop app is closed before proceeding with a silent installation. Because it's a silent installation, Mattermost won't prompt you to close the desktop app.
Command Prompt: msiexec /i mattermost-desktop-v6.2.2-x64.msi /qn
PowerShell: Start-Process -FilePath "$env:systemroot\system32\msiexec.exe" -ArgumentList '/i mattermost-desktop-v6.2.2-x64.msi /qn'
- Replace <version> with the actual version number (e.g., v6.2.2). - From v6.1.0, the MSI installs per-machine by default, requiring administrator privileges.
From version v5.9.0 of the Mattermost desktop app, the following silent MSI installation options are also available.
Use the APPLICATIONFOLDER parameter to specify an installation directory for the MSI installation:
msiexec /i mattermost-desktop-v6.2.2-x64.msi APPLICATIONFOLDER="<install directory>"Start-Process -FilePath "$env:systemroot\system32\msiexec.exe" -ArgumentList '/i mattermost-desktop-v6.2.2-x64.msi APPLICATIONFOLDER="<install directory>"'Change this command as new versions of the Mattermost Desktop App are released.
From Mattermost Desktop v6.2.0, admins can manage supported Desktop App configuration on macOS using managed preferences delivered through an MDM solution, in addition to the Windows group policy support described above. macOS managed preferences support the same configuration items as the Windows group policies listed in the Install group policy files locally section, including predefined server lists, server management controls, and update notification controls.
To apply managed configuration on macOS, deploy a configuration profile that sets the supported keys to client Macs through your MDM solution. The Mattermost Desktop App reads managed preference values on launch; restart the app after changing managed configuration for new values to take effect.