> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getthread.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deploy Messenger on Windows via command line

> Deploy Thread Messenger on Windows with msiexec: retrieve your App ID, choose per-user or system context, the full argument reference, PowerShell examples, and uninstall scripts.

Messenger ships as an **MSI** on Windows, so you can install it from a command prompt or push it
at scale through your RMM, MDM, or other deployment tool.

## Before you start

* Finish [setting up Messenger](/inbox/messenger).
* Know whether you're doing a **partner-level** or **customer-level** deployment — it determines which App ID you use.

Messenger lives in the system tray and starts with Windows by default. Open it from the tray icon.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/thread/Zhw8nEn5bwT65_HT/images/dedc6d5f-thread-messenger-tray.gif?s=a4de22fb8e850d11c26194683862270c" alt="Thread Messenger icon in the Windows system tray being clicked to open the app" width="512" height="878" data-path="images/dedc6d5f-thread-messenger-tray.gif" />
</Frame>

## Retrieve your App ID

You need an App ID so Messenger inherits your branding. Find your partner-level App ID in the
Thread Admin Panel under **Messenger → Installation**.

## Choose an install context

This is the decision that matters most, and it's hard to change later.

|               | **Per-user (recommended)**                      | **System**                                                           |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Best for      | People on their own machine                     | Shared machines, terminal servers, or when you want to pin a version |
| Auto-updates  | **Yes** — each user stays current automatically | **No** — you must schedule re-installs                               |
| Maintenance   | None                                            | IT keeps it patched                                                  |
| Versioning    | Each user has their own                         | One version for the machine                                          |
| Data location | Per user                                        | `%ROAMINGAPPDATA%`                                                   |

<Tip>
  Use **per-user** unless you have a specific reason not to. It's the only context that
  auto-updates, so users always run the latest Messenger.
</Tip>

### Per-user context

Installs silently and skips the sales-versus-service question:

```powershell theme={null}
msiexec /i "https://assets.getthread.com/messenger/downloads/desktop/messenger.msi" APP_ID=YOUR-APP-ID-HERE FLOW=customer INSTALL_TYPE=user msiinstallperuser=1 /qn
```

<Note>
  `INSTALL_TYPE` tells Messenger whether to enable auto-updates. It does **not** control where
  Messenger installs — `MSIINSTALLPERUSER` does that.
</Note>

The installer only adds Messenger if it was never installed for the currently logged-in user.

### MSI system context

```powershell theme={null}
msiexec /i "https://assets.getthread.com/messenger/downloads/desktop/messenger.msi" APP_ID=YOUR-APP-ID-HERE FLOW=customer INSTALL_TYPE=system MSIINSTALLPERUSER="" /qn
```

<Warning>
  System-context installs **do not auto-update**. You have to manage scheduled re-installs
  yourself and make sure users are on the current version.
</Warning>

## Argument reference

| Argument               | What it does                                                                                              |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `APP_ID=YOUR_APP_ID`   | **Required.** Your parent or client App ID — this applies your branding.                                  |
| `FLOW=customer`        | Skips the first end-user screen that asks whether they want sales or service, giving a support-only flow. |
| `MSIINSTALLPERUSER=""` | Installs at system context instead of the default per-user. Remember: no auto-updates.                    |
| `STARTUP=disabled`     | Stops Messenger auto-starting with Windows.                                                               |
| `/qn`                  | Installs silently.                                                                                        |
| `/norestart`           | Prevents a restart. Only needed when uninstalling.                                                        |

## PowerShell examples

### Keep system-context installs current

Only per-user installs auto-update, so schedule this for system-context deployments:

```powershell theme={null}
# Kill any running instance
taskkill /f /im Messenger.exe

# Install the latest version
msiexec /i "https://assets.getthread.com/messenger/downloads/desktop/messenger.msi" APP_ID=YOUR-APP-ID-HERE FLOW=customer INSTALL_TYPE=system MSIINSTALLPERUSER="" /qn
```

### Uninstall without a restart

Find the MSI's `IdentifyingNumber`, then uninstall with it — keep the braces:

```powershell theme={null}
Get-WmiObject -class Win32_Product | ? {$_.Name -eq "Messenger"}
```

```powershell theme={null}
taskkill /f /im Messenger.exe ; msiexec /x "{IDENTIFYING_NUMBER}" /qn /norestart
```

## Uninstall Messenger

### From user context

Run these two scripts in order. First, a batch file:

```batch theme={null}
@echo off
echo Killing any running instances of Messenger...
taskkill /F /IM Messenger.exe /T
taskkill /F /IM ChatgenieMessenger.exe /T

echo Uninstalling applications...
wmic product where "Name like 'Chatgenie Messenger%%'" call uninstall /nointeractive
wmic product where "Name like 'Messenger%%'" call uninstall /nointeractive

set "packageName=Messenger*"
powershell.exe -Command "Get-Package -ProviderName Programs -Name '%packageName%' | ForEach-Object { Uninstall-Package -ProviderName Programs -Name $_.Name -Confirm:$false }"
echo Applications were successfully uninstalled.
pause
```

Then a PowerShell script:

```powershell theme={null}
taskkill /f /im Messenger.exe

$updatePath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Messenger\Uninstall Messenger.exe"
Start-Process -FilePath $updatePath -ArgumentList "/S" -Wait
```

### From system context

```powershell theme={null}
taskkill /f /im Messenger.exe

$appName = "Messenger"

function Get-ProductCode {
    param([string]$appName)
    $uninstallKey = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall"
    $uninstallKeyWow6432 = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall"
    $appKey = Get-ChildItem $uninstallKey, $uninstallKeyWow6432 |
              Get-ItemProperty |
              Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -eq $appName}
    if ($appKey -ne $null) { return $appKey.PSChildName }
    return $null
}

$productCode = Get-ProductCode $appName
if ($productCode -ne $null) {
    Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList "/x $productCode /qn" -Wait
} else {
    Write-Host "App not found."
}
```

To remove Messenger from a Mac, see [Deploying Messenger to Mac](/messenger/deploying-messenger-to-mac).

## Customise Messenger's behaviour

### Deep links

Open Messenger from another application:

```powershell theme={null}
# thread-messenger://?open=true   (the legacy scheme was chatgenie://?open=true)
Start-Process -FilePath "thread-messenger://?open=true"
```

### Change the desktop icon

```powershell theme={null}
# ================================================
# Customize the values below.
# ================================================
$appId = "<APPIDHERE>"

$chatName = "Thread Messenger"                              # Renames the shortcut file
$shortcutPath = "C:\Users\Public\Desktop\Messenger.lnk"     # Existing shortcut
$newShortcutPath = "C:\Users\Public\Desktop\$chatName.lnk"  # Path after renaming
$targetFolder = "C:\PATH\TO\DESTINATION"

$iconUrl = "URL of your ICO file"
$iconName = "icon.ico"
$iconPath = "$targetFolder\$iconName"
# ================================================
# Do not modify the script below this line.
# ================================================
msiexec /i "https://assets.getthread.com/messenger/downloads/desktop/messenger.msi" APP_ID=$appId STARTUP=disabled INSTALL_TYPE=user MSIINSTALLPERUSER="" /qn
Start-Sleep -Seconds 60

if (Test-Path $shortcutPath) {
    Rename-Item -Path $shortcutPath -NewName $newShortcutPath
    Write-Output "Renamed successfully to '$chatName.lnk'"
} else {
    Write-Output "Original file not found: $shortcutPath"
}

if (-not (Test-Path $targetFolder)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $targetFolder | Out-Null
}

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $iconUrl -OutFile $iconPath

$WshShell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell
$shortcut = $WshShell.CreateShortcut($newShortcutPath)
$shortcut.IconLocation = $iconPath
$shortcut.Save()
```

### Auto-startup on Windows 10 and later

Messenger registers itself as a Windows startup app the first time it's opened. Users can turn
that off from Windows Settings or **Task Manager → Startup**.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/thread/Zhw8nEn5bwT65_HT/images/caa7f54d-image.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Zhw8nEn5bwT65_HT&q=85&s=1ee8f0759ca11917bd501c3ebc44d5cb" alt="Windows Settings startup apps list showing Messenger enabled" width="990" height="466" data-path="images/caa7f54d-image.png" />
</Frame>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/thread/A7qXjnetDekdBndI/images/323210eb-image.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=A7qXjnetDekdBndI&q=85&s=3630df0ea6413a3f80524048b7c0b905" alt="Task Manager Startup tab with the Messenger entry" width="990" height="554" data-path="images/323210eb-image.png" />
</Frame>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/thread/hBAbkSANUQ4VVrOg/images/825994f0-image.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=hBAbkSANUQ4VVrOg&q=85&s=290181e18c7873a8c3b832f2aec93735" alt="Toggling Messenger auto-start off in Windows startup settings" width="990" height="554" data-path="images/825994f0-image.png" />
</Frame>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Antivirus is blocking or quarantining Messenger">
    Per-user installs keep updates in `C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\messenger-updater`, which is expected behaviour. Some tools — ThreatLocker among them — flag this. Add Messenger to the allow list.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Users aren't getting new versions">
    They're almost certainly on a system-context install, which doesn't auto-update. Either schedule the re-install script above, or redeploy per-user.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


## Related topics

- [Deploying Messenger to Mac](/messenger/deploying-messenger-to-mac.md)
- [How to Deploy Desktop Messenger with SSO](/messenger/how-to-deploy-desktop-messenger-with-sso.md)
- [Deploy the Teams Service App to a customer](/messenger/deploy-the-teams-service-app.md)