Documentation

Large Scale Deployments

Automated installation of the Files.com Desktop App for large number of users can be performed by your IT administrators using SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) or MDM (Mobile Device Management) tools such as Microsoft Intune, Microsoft GPO, Munki, jamf, or others.

Deploying the desktop app through these endpoint management tools can minimize user errors and support calls, while also eliminating extra steps for IT admins and end users, such as IT administrator having to log in as an administrator on each individual user's machine to install the desktop app. This method also helps in ensuring consistency across multiple systems. After installation, users will still need to log in to the Files.com Desktop App to transfer files using the app or to access and manage files on their locally mounted volume.

Silent Installations for Unattended Windows Deployments

For large scale or unattended deployments across multiple Windows devices, use the EXE installer provided by Files.com. The EXE binary supports silent installation and is designed for use with deployment and device management tools such as SCCM, Group Policy (GPO), PDQ Deploy, or ManageEngine Endpoint Central. This allows automated, scripted installations and is ideal for environments where manual installation is impractical or where IT teams need centralized control over application delivery.

The EXE installer supports standard silent installation switches such as /S, /quiet, /passive, /s /v/qn /norestart.

The following command performs a fully silent installation without a restart. This setup is ideal for unattended deployments managed by IT administrators.

"Files.com Desktop v6.exe" /s /norestart /v/qn

The quoted file name is required because it contains spaces. The /s option runs the EXE installer silently, /v/qn suppresses the installer user interface in the embedded MSI, and /norestart prevents the system from rebooting after the installation.

For Microsoft Intune, we provide a separate pre-packaged .intunewin binary file and instructions specifically designed for the Windows app (Win32) deployment model.

Silent Installations for Unattended macOS Deployments

For large scale or unattended deployments across multiple devices, use the PKG installer provided by Files.com. PKG files are designed for use with deployment and device management tools including Munki, Jamf, SimpleMDM, Mosyle, and Addigy. This format supports automated, scripted installations and is preferred for any environments where manual installation is impractical or where IT teams need to centrally manage application delivery.

Refer to Apple’s documentation for guidance on deploying PKG files using your organization’s management platform.

Configuration Parameters for Large Scale Deployments

For large scale deployments, configuration parameters (also referred to as a configuration profile or setup configuration) can be distributed to ensure systems are configured consistently and predictably.

These configuration parameters need to be updated in the file named desktopv6.ini, located at C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Files.com\desktopv6.ini on Windows and /Users/<username>/.config/Files.com/desktopv6.ini on macOS. Below are the configuration parameters you can update in the desktopv6.ini file.

Parameter	Details
`disable_updates`	When set to "true", the Desktop App does not automatically check for updates and the Check for Updates option is removed from the menu bar. This gives IT teams full control over which version of the Desktop App runs across the organization. Administrators decide when to deploy approved updates through their endpoint management tools. This is either "true" or "false". Default is "false".
`startup_launch_on_login`	Determines if the application is launched on login. This is either "true" or "false". Default is "true".
`default_mount_drive_letter`	[Windows only] Specifies the default drive letter used when the first Files.com site is mounted. Must include a colon and be within the range `D:` to `Z:`. For example: `default_mount_drive_letter=F:`. See Desktop Configuration Profiles for additional options.
`logging_level`	The verbosity of the logging output. This can be "DEBUG", "INFO", "WARNING", or "ERROR". Default is "INFO".
`logging_show`	Determines whether the logging text output is shown in the main window. This is either "true" or "false". Default is "true".
`automatic_retry_option`	Determines whether to retry on a transfer failure. This is either "On" or "Off". Default is "true". This does not apply to transfers made through a mounted volume in File Explorer or Finder.
`upload_overwrite_action`	The action to always take during an upload when a file already exists in the remote. This is either "Ask for action" or "Overwrite file". Default is "Ask for action". This does not apply to transfers made through a mounted volume in File Explorer or Finder.
`download_overwrite_action`	The action to always take during a download when a file already exists in the local path. This is either "Ask for action" or "Overwrite file". Default is "Ask for action". This does not apply to transfers made through a mounted volume in File Explorer or Finder.
`SAVED_LOCAL_PATH`	The folder to open in the local pane on application launch. This applies to the Application UI only.
`connection_native_browser`	Determines whether the system’s default browser or the app’s embedded browser is used for authentication. This can be required when using a hardware key for two-factor authentication (2FA) or in environments where compliance or IT policies mandate the use of a specific system browser. This is either "true" or "false". The default is "false".

On Windows, connection settings (including the API key) are securely stored in the Windows Credential Manager. On macOS, they are securely stored in the macOS Keychain.

Desktop Configuration Profiles (Windows Only)

Desktop Configuration Profiles let Site Administrators and Workspace Administrators centrally define which drive letters map to which Files.com folders. Each profile can map multiple drive letters. For example, W: to /Shared/Corporate, P: to /Projects/ActiveBuilds, Z: to /Archive/Completed. The Desktop App mounts all configured drives automatically and prevents users from changing them.

Site Administrators and Workspace Administrators can assign a profile to an individual user, to every member of a Group, or to every user on a site or Workspace.

This feature is Windows only because drive letter mapping is a Windows-specific concept and is skipped entirely on macOS.

When to Use Desktop Configuration Profiles

Organizations migrating from on-premises Windows file servers to Files.com often have thousands of users whose Office documents, macros, and VBA scripts rely on hard-coded drive letter paths. If those letters change or vary between users, documents break and workflows stop. Allowing individual users to configure their own drive letters at this scale creates misconfiguration risk, help desk tickets, and broken automations. Profiles eliminate this by making drive letter assignments centrally managed, consistent, and enforced.

Profiles also guarantee that every user on every machine gets the same drive letter assignments from Files.com. New employees get the correct drive mappings from day one without IT intervention or training, and IT teams can update assignments across the entire organization from one place instead of touching hundreds of machines individually.

Multi-division organizations benefit as well. Different Workspaces often need different mappings. For example, a Site Administrator might create a company-wide profile that maps W: to /Shared/Corporate for all users, while a Workspace Administrator for the Mortgage division creates a profile that maps P: to /Mortgage/Projects for their Workspace users, and a Workspace Administrator for Insurance maps P: to /Insurance/Projects for theirs. Each Workspace Administrator manages the mappings for their own users without needing site-level access.

Enterprise organizations that already arrange their users into Groups benefit from Group-level assignment. Rather than editing each user record individually, a Site Administrator or Workspace Administrator attaches a profile to a Group once, and every current and future member of that Group receives the correct drive mappings automatically during the pairing process. This keeps drive letter policies aligned with organizational structure and scales cleanly across thousands of users without per-user record maintenance.

How to Set Up and What to Expect

Site Administrators create profiles under the Client Apps section in the left navigation, and Workspace Administrators can do the same for their own Workspaces. A profile can apply to all users on a site or Workspace by enabling the Use for all users option. Once at least one profile exists, administrators can also assign it to individual users.

Site Administrators and Workspace Administrators can assign a profile to a Group, and all Group members automatically inherit that profile during the pairing process.

When a profile is active, the Desktop App hides the drive letter controls in the Manage Connections window and shows Drive letters are managed by your administrator. Users cannot override the mappings.

If a configured drive letter is already in use by another application or device on a machine, that drive fails to mount with an error, while the remaining drives continue to mount normally. If the profile defines multiple drives and one fails due to a missing folder or network issue, the others continue to mount. The Desktop App returns an error only if all configured drives fail.

If an administrator later removes the profile, the lock clears after the app restarts and the next mount, and the user regains manual control.

How Assignments Resolve When a User Qualifies for Multiple Profiles

A user can qualify for more than one profile at the same time, and the Desktop App resolves conflicts in a fixed order. It applies the first available profile in this order: user-specific, group-level, workspace default with Use for all users enabled, then site default with Use for all users enabled.

This precedence lets administrators set a broad default, layer Workspace or Group-specific mappings where needed, and override individual users when necessary.