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DCA Auto-Upgrade Fails — How to Manually Update the DCA

The DCA failed to upgrade automatically. The version in Web Admin is outdated and the DCA may show an upgrade-failed status or access denied error.

Written by Joshua Kern

How DCA Auto-Upgrade Works

Print Tracker automatically delivers DCA updates without requiring manual intervention in most cases. When an update is available, the DCA downloads the new executable, stops the Print Tracker Pro Watcher service, replaces the existing binary, and restarts the service. This process requires the service account running the DCA to have write permission to its own installation directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\Print Tracker Pro\).

Auto-upgrade failures are most common on machines where the service is running under a restricted account, or where security software intercepts the file replacement step.

Common Error Messages

Error

Cause

error updating 'dca.exe': rename ...printtrackerpro.exe printtrackerpro.exe-rollback: Access is denied

The DCA service account does not have write access to the installation folder

DCA stops checking in after an attempted upgrade

Upgrade partially completed and the service failed to restart

Version stuck on old version despite multiple upgrade attempts

Antivirus may be blocking the new binary or the folder permissions are locked

How to Manually Upgrade the DCA

A manual upgrade installs the latest version without changing the entity registration, scan settings, or device history. It is safe to run on any DCA regardless of current version.

  1. On the DCA host machine, download the latest installer from printtrackerpro.com/download.

  2. Right-click the installer and select Run as administrator.

  3. Follow the installation prompts. The installer will detect the existing installation and upgrade it in place.

  4. After the installer completes, the DCA will automatically restart and check in with Print Tracker within a few minutes.

  5. In Web Admin under Installations, confirm the DCA version has updated to the latest version.

Fixing Auto-Upgrade for the Future

To allow auto-upgrades to work reliably going forward, the DCA service needs write access to its installation folder:

  1. Open Services (services.msc) on the DCA host.

  2. Right-click Print Tracker Pro Watcher → Properties → Log On tab.

  3. Ensure the service is set to run as Local System account, then make sure the

    configured account has Full Control permissions on C:\Program Files (x86)\Print Tracker Pro\.

  4. Click Apply, then restart the service.

If Antivirus Is Blocking the Upgrade

Security software (particularly Sophos, CrowdStrike, and Windows Defender) sometimes blocks the upgrade process by quarantining the new DCA binary before it can be written. Signs of this include the upgrade appearing to proceed but then the DCA reverting to the old version, or the service failing to start after the upgrade attempt.

To resolve:

  1. Add C:\Program Files (x86)\Print Tracker Pro\ and printtrackerpro.exe as exclusions in the antivirus software before attempting the manual upgrade.

  2. Run the manual upgrade as described above.

  3. Confirm the new version is running before the antivirus exclusion expires or is removed.

See the article Antivirus or EDR Software Blocking the DCA for product-specific exclusion instructions.

Contacting Support

If the manual upgrade fails or the DCA does not come back online after an upgrade attempt, contact Print Tracker support with the DCA machine name, the current and expected DCA version numbers, the OS version of the host machine, and any error messages encountered.

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