Installation and setup

RebootGuard has two components: the Master Console, a Windows app installed on the admin or cashier PC, and the Client agent, a Windows service installed on each gaming PC. All devices are managed from the Master, and the license is activated on the Master only.

• Take a full backup or disk image of every PC before enabling protection, especially Windows Pro PCs, which need their disk layout prepared.
• Prepare each PC in the clean state you want first: drivers, games, launchers and Windows settings. The state the PC is in when protection is enabled is the state it returns to after every restart.
• Make sure you have administrator rights on every PC.
• Check the system requirements page to confirm the Windows edition and free disk space are suitable.

The Master communicates with clients over the local network. A stable wired network is recommended, with the Master and the gaming PCs on the same subnet.

The installers create Windows Firewall rules for these ports automatically. If you use a third-party firewall, you may need to add the rules manually.

1. 1Download the Master installer from the Downloads page and verify it (see the verification section below).
2. 2Run the installer as administrator on the admin or cashier PC.
3. 3The required .NET runtime is included with the installer; no separate download is needed.
4. 4Allow the installer to create the firewall rules when prompted.
5. 5When installation finishes, open the Master Console and continue to license activation.

The license is activated on the Master only, using the activation code from the Customer Portal on our website. Activation requires an internet connection.

1. 1Sign in to the Customer Portal and copy your license's activation code.
2. 2In the Master Console, open the license screen, paste the code and choose Activate.
3. 3After activation, the Master shows the license status, the number of allowed devices and the expiry date, if any.

Each license has an offline grace period, after which the Master must reach the license server again to renew. To move the license to another PC, deactivate it on the current Master first, or request a transfer from the Customer Portal.

The enrollment bundle is a file exported from the Master and passed to the Client installer, so the client knows which Master it belongs to and trusts only that Master.

• The bundle contains the Master id, its public key and its TLS certificate thumbprint.
• It contains no secrets, private keys or passwords.
• Keep a backup of the bundle and your license details in a safe place outside the Master PC.

1. 1Copy the Client installer and the enrollment bundle to the gaming PC (USB drive or shared folder).
2. 2Run the Client installer as administrator and select the enrollment bundle when asked.
3. 3The installer creates a Windows service and the required firewall rules.
4. 4After installation, the client looks for the Master on the LAN and appears there as 'Awaiting approval'.

To check that the gaming PC can reach the Master's port, run the following, replacing the address with your Master PC's address:

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName 192.168.1.10 -Port 47811

No new device is managed until an admin approves it. New devices appear in the Master grid with the state 'Awaiting approval'.

1. 1Check that the device name and address match a PC you know is in your venue.
2. 2Approve the device, and optionally add it to a group (for example: VIP room or first floor).
3. 3Once approved, the device starts reporting its status about every 30 seconds.

RebootGuard uses only Windows-supported technologies and picks the engine based on the Windows edition:

To check the Windows edition on a PC:

(Get-CimInstance Win32_OperatingSystem).Caption

On Windows Pro, the setup wizard prepares the disk layout: it creates the parent VHDX that holds the operating system, reserves space for the differencing disk and adds the boot entry.

1. 1Take a full backup or disk image before you start.
2. 2Make sure there is enough free space: at least 64 GB free is recommended for the parent VHDX and the differencing disk.
3. 3Run the setup wizard from the client or the Master and follow the steps.
4. 4The PC will restart one or more times during setup; do not power it off.
5. 5When finished, confirm the device appears in the Master with the expected state.

To see free space on your volumes:

Get-Volume | Where-Object DriveLetter | Select-Object DriveLetter, FileSystemLabel, SizeRemaining, Size

Every file on the Downloads page comes with a SHA-256 hash and an Authenticode digital signature. Check both before running it:

Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 .\RebootGuard-Setup.exe
Get-AuthenticodeSignature .\RebootGuard-Setup.exe

• The Hash value must match the hash published on the Downloads page exactly.
• The signature status must be Valid and the publisher must be Star Soft.