Update procedure and configuration across deployment options

This article explains how updates work for each Draftable Legal installer type, including automatic updates for the default installer and manual update procedures for the MSI installer.

Draftable Legal offers different installer types, each with distinct update behaviors. Understanding these differences helps IT administrators maintain version control and plan update rollouts effectively.

Default Installer (EXE)

The default installer for Draftable Legal includes automatic updates enabled by default. When a new version is available, Draftable will download and prepare the update automatically.

How updates are applied

Updates are downloaded in the background and installed when the application is restarted. To ensure updates are applied correctly:

• Restart Draftable properly by exiting from the system tray (not just closing the New Comparison window). For detailed instructions, see How to properly restart Draftable Legal.
• Alternatively, a system restart will also apply pending updates.

If Draftable reports it is up to date but the version number doesn’t match the latest release, a proper restart is usually required to complete the update process.

You can check your current version and manually trigger an update check from the Settings window. The version number, the update status (for example Up to date) and the Check for updates link are shown in the bottom-left corner of every Settings page.


From version 26.9.1, you can also check the installed version without opening Draftable. In File Explorer, go to %LocalAppData%\DraftableDesktop (or C:\Program Files (x86)\Draftable\Draftable Desktop for a machine-wide MSI installation), right-click DraftableDesktop.exe, select Properties, and open the Details tab. File version shows the Draftable version, for example 26.9.1.0.


Disabling automatic updates

For organizations that require strict version control, automatic updates can be disabled via the registry. When disabled, updates can only be triggered manually from the Settings window.

Key: HKCU:\Software\Policies\Draftable\Compare
Value name: AutomaticUpdatesEnabled
Value type: REG_DWORD
Value data: <value>

Value	Behavior
1	Automatic updates enabled (default)
0	Automatic updates disabled

This setting can also be deployed via Group Policy. See Configuring settings with Group Policy for more information.

For a complete list of registry configurations, refer to Most common Draftable Legal registry configurations.

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Machine-Wide MSI Installer

The MSI installer is designed for enterprise environments where administrators require full control over software versions. Unlike the default installer, the MSI version does not include automatic updates.

Why MSI does not have automatic updates

The MSI installer is intentionally designed without automatic updates to provide:

• Version control – Administrators can test and approve specific versions before deployment
• Predictable rollouts – Updates only occur when explicitly deployed by IT
• Compliance requirements – Organizations can maintain approved software versions across all machines

How to update the MSI installation

To update Draftable Legal installed via MSI, install the new version over the existing installation:

1. Download the new version

   Download the desired version of the MSI installer from the Draftable download portal or use the direct download URL format:

   https://dl.draftable.com/desktop/DraftableDesktopSystem-<version>.msi
   

   For example, to download version 26.1.0:

   https://dl.draftable.com/desktop/DraftableDesktopSystem-26.1.0.msi
   
2. Install over the existing version

   Run the MSI installer with administrator rights. The new version will install over the existing installation, preserving user settings and configurations.

3. Verify the update

   Open Draftable Legal and open Settings to confirm the new version number. The version is shown in the bottom-left corner of the Settings window.

If you script your MSI installs with ADDLOCAL, remember to include HttpListener (the required HTTP Listener Service) in your update command as well. Feature selections are not carried over automatically, so any feature omitted from ADDLOCAL will not be present after the update.

Upgrade and downgrade behavior

Scenario	Supported	Procedure
Upgrade (earlier → later version)	Yes	Install the newer MSI over the existing installation
Downgrade (later → earlier version)	No	Must uninstall first, then install the earlier version

Downgrading is not supported via direct installation. If you need to revert to an earlier version, you must first uninstall the current version of Draftable Legal, then install the desired earlier version.

Deploying updates at scale

For enterprise-wide MSI updates, you can use your existing software deployment tools (such as SCCM, Intune, or Group Policy) to push the new MSI version to all machines. For silent installation options, see Silent install & launch options for Draftable Legal.

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Summary comparison

Feature	Default Installer (EXE)	Machine-Wide MSI
Automatic updates	Yes (enabled by default)	No
Update method	Automatic download, applied on restart	Manual installation of new version
Version control	Can be disabled via registry	Full administrator control
Upgrade support	Automatic	Install new MSI over existing
Downgrade support	Via auto-update rollback (if available)	Requires uninstall first
Best for	Individual users, small teams	Enterprise deployments, Citrix/RDS, regulated environments