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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cyberdesk.io/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Cyberdriver is the desktop companion app that connects a machine to Cyberdesk. The current Cyberdriver is based on RustDesk, so it can stream the local desktop, control the Windows login screen when installed as a service, and route all traffic outbound through Cyberdesk without opening inbound firewall ports.
Cyberdriver 1.x is currently supported for Windows only. The older Python executable is documented on Legacy Cyberdriver for customers who still need it.

Windows install

Most users should install the Windows MSI.
Administrator is required for the current Windows installer because Cyberdriver installs a system service. After installation, users can open and use the Cyberdriver app normally; they do not need to run the app as Administrator day to day.
1

Run the PowerShell installer

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run this installer script. It downloads the MSI, installs Cyberdriver as a Windows service, adds Cyberdriver to PATH, verifies the CLI, and opens Cyberdriver.
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$MsiUrl = "https://github.com/cyberdesk-hq/cyberdriver-new/releases/download/v1.0.1/Cyberdriver-1.0.1-windows-x64.msi"
$MsiPath = Join-Path $env:TEMP "Cyberdriver-1.0.1-windows-x64.msi"
$InstallDir = Join-Path $env:ProgramFiles "Cyberdriver"
$Cyberdriver = Join-Path $InstallDir "Cyberdriver.exe"

function Test-IsAdmin {
  $identity = [Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()
  $principal = New-Object Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal($identity)
  return $principal.IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)
}

if (-not (Test-IsAdmin)) {
  throw "Run PowerShell as Administrator, then rerun this installer."
}

try {
  Write-Host "Downloading Cyberdriver..."
  [Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
  Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $MsiUrl -OutFile $MsiPath -UseBasicParsing

  Write-Host "Installing Cyberdriver..."
  $install = Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList @("/i", "`"$MsiPath`"", "/qn", "/norestart") -Wait -PassThru
  if ($install.ExitCode -notin @(0, 3010)) {
    throw "Cyberdriver MSI install failed with exit code $($install.ExitCode)."
  }

  if (-not (Test-Path $Cyberdriver)) {
    throw "Cyberdriver.exe was not found at $Cyberdriver after install."
  }

  $machinePath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "Machine")
  $pathParts = @($machinePath -split ";" | Where-Object { $_ })
  $alreadyOnPath = $pathParts | Where-Object { $_.TrimEnd("\") -ieq $InstallDir.TrimEnd("\") }
  if (-not $alreadyOnPath) {
    [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", (($pathParts + $InstallDir) -join ";"), "Machine")
  }
  if (($env:Path -split ";") -notcontains $InstallDir) {
    $env:Path = "$env:Path;$InstallDir"
  }

  Write-Host "Verifying Cyberdriver CLI..."
  & $Cyberdriver --version

  Write-Host "Opening Cyberdriver..."
  Start-Process -FilePath $Cyberdriver

  Write-Host "Cyberdriver install complete. Restart PowerShell to pick up PATH in new shells."
} finally {
  Remove-Item $MsiPath -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
If Windows warns that the installer is not commonly downloaded, choose More info, then Run anyway. The beta MSI is not yet code-signed.
2

Paste your API key

Open Cyberdriver from the Start menu. In the Cyberdesk tunnel card, paste an organization API key from the Cyberdesk dashboard and click Save.After the key is saved, the desktop should appear in Cyberdesk → Desktops.
3

Connect and test

From the Cyberdesk dashboard, open the desktop and click the Desktop Tools button. Verify that it connects and you can control the computer. Cyberdriver will now persist on your machine, even across shutdowns.
4

Create your first workflow and run

Now that your desktop is connected, create your first workflow and then create your first run. Let us know if you have any trouble.

Why Administrator Is Required On Windows

The current Cyberdriver 1.x Windows release is service-first. The MSI installs into Program Files, registers a Windows service, and adds Cyberdriver to the machine PATH, which requires Administrator. This is what enables:
  • Cyberdriver starting when the machine boots.
  • Remote access before a user logs in.
  • Windows login screen access.
  • More reliable unattended automation after shutdowns and restarts.
A fully non-admin Windows setup is not supported by the current public MSI. Cyberdriver’s upstream UI has a “Run without install” concept, but Cyberdesk does not currently ship or document a supported portable/non-admin Windows artifact. If we add one later, expect tradeoffs: it would only run while that user session is active, would not start at machine boot, would not control the Windows login screen, and may have weaker access to elevated/UAC contexts.

Updating Cyberdriver

You can update Cyberdriver 1.0.0+ from the Cyberdesk dashboard without manually opening RDP as long as the existing Cyberdriver service is healthy enough for Cyberdesk to connect.
We are working on making this process even more seamless. For now, the dashboard update flow is the recommended way to update Cyberdriver 1.0.0+ without manually RDPing into the machine.
1

Open Cyberdriver Web

In the Cyberdesk dashboard, open the desktop and click Desktop Tools. For Cyberdriver 1.0.0+, this opens the live Cyberdriver Web stream by default.
2

Start the update from the sidebar

If an update is available, the right sidebar shows an Update button. Click it to start the guided update flow.
3

Confirm there are no active runs

Cyberdesk blocks the update if the desktop currently has a running or scheduling run. If no run is active, confirm that no run is about to start on that desktop.
4

Approve Windows prompts if needed

Cyberdesk runs the update through the existing Cyberdriver tunnel. If Windows shows an administrator prompt in the stream, approve it. The stream may briefly disconnect while the MSI updates or restarts the service.
5

Wait for version verification

Cyberdesk waits up to 5 minutes for Cyberdriver to reconnect and report the new version. If verification fails, reopen Desktop Tools after the desktop reconnects and try the update again.

What should happen after setup

Once connected:
  • The machine appears online in the Cyberdesk dashboard.
  • Other users in the same Cyberdesk organization can connect through Cyberdriver.
  • RustDesk peer IDs stay under the hood; the UI shows Cyberdesk machine names and IDs.
  • Desktop Tools can screenshot, click, type, scroll, use clipboard, access files, and run shell commands.

Advanced topics

Desktop Tools

Use screenshots, mouse, keyboard, files, clipboard, and shell commands from Cyberdesk.

Diagnostics and logs

Collect logs and state when something goes wrong.

Keepalive

Keep idle machines lightly active during long-running operations.

Remote management

Understand remote update and shutdown behavior.

Display reliability

How Cyberdriver handles RDP disconnects and virtual displays.

Custom hosts

Route Cyberdriver through your own proxy domain.

Legacy Cyberdriver

Reference for the old Python-based client.