Proliferate on Windows (beta)
Install, update, and troubleshoot the Windows x64 desktop build, including the SmartScreen first-install warning.
Proliferate ships a Windows x64 desktop build in beta. It is the same application as the macOS build, with the same features, agents, and workspaces, cut from the same release train, so a Windows build goes out with the same version number on the same day as macOS.
The one real difference is installation: the Windows installer isn't code-signed yet, so Windows warns you about it the first time you run it.
Install#
- Download the app. The endpoint auto-detects your OS; on
Windows it hands you the NSIS
.exeinstaller. You can force it with/api/download?os=windows. - Run the downloaded
.exe. - Microsoft Defender SmartScreen shows a blue "Windows protected your PC" wall instead of the installer. Choose More info, then Run anyway.
- The installer proceeds normally. Launch Proliferate and sign in.
You only see SmartScreen on the first install. It fires because the installer is unsigned and was downloaded by a browser, not because anything is wrong with the download.
Updates#
Updates are automatic. The desktop updater fetches new versions in the background and verifies them before installing, so:
- No SmartScreen on updates. The mark-of-the-web flag that triggers SmartScreen is attached only to files your browser downloads. Updater downloads don't carry it, so the warning doesn't come back.
- No manual reinstall. You don't need to re-run the installer or uninstall the old version; your workspaces, settings, and connected repositories are preserved.
- A corporate proxy or firewall that blocks outbound requests can silently stall updates.
macOS vs Windows#
| macOS | Windows (beta) | |
|---|---|---|
| Installer | Signed .dmg | NSIS .exe, unsigned (beta) |
| First-launch prompt | Gatekeeper, on freshly downloaded builds | SmartScreen, on the first install only |
| Architectures | Apple Silicon and Intel (?arch=x64) | x64 only, no Windows on Arm build |
| Updates | Automatic, in-app updater | Automatic, in-app updater |
| Release train | Same version, same day | Same version, same day |
Known limitations#
- x64 only. There is no native Windows on Arm build yet.
- Unsigned installer. Code signing is in progress; until it lands, the first install goes through the SmartScreen More info → Run anyway path, and managed fleets that block unsigned installers will need an exception.
- Beta. Windows-specific rough edges (path handling, terminal behaviour, a shortcut that collides with an OS shortcut) are still being shaken out. Everything else, including agents, workspaces, worktrees, workflows, and integrations, behaves as documented.
Hitting a problem installing or updating? See install issues.