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

The DCA failed to upgrade automatically and the version in Web Admin is outdated. How to trigger an upgrade from Web Admin, how to upgrade manually on the host, and how to fix auto-upgrade permanently.

Written by Joshua Kern

How DCA Auto-Upgrade Works

Installs automatically upgrade themselves within 24 to 48 hours of a new release, with no action required. 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.

That process requires the service account 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 runs under a restricted account, or where security software intercepts the file replacement step.

Why an Install Stays Outdated

There are three common reasons an install does not upgrade itself:

  1. The service account cannot write to the installation folder. This is the most frequent cause.

  2. The host is running an unsupported, end-of-life operating system. Confirm the Windows version has not reached end-of-life. Print Tracker supports Windows versions that Microsoft still supports.

  3. Auto-upgrades are disabled on the install. This normally only happens when you have been working directly with Print Tracker support to troubleshoot an issue.

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 an old version despite multiple attempts

Antivirus is blocking the new binary, or folder permissions are locked

Option 1: Trigger the Upgrade From Web Admin

Try this first, because it requires no site visit and no remote session to the host.

  1. Using the sidebar, click Installs, then View installs.

  2. Find the install you want to upgrade.

  3. Click the three-dot menu icon in the last column on the right side of the table.

  4. Click Upgrade install.

Within a few minutes the install should upgrade itself. If the version does not change, the underlying cause is one of the permission or antivirus problems below, and you will need the manual upgrade.

Option 2: Upgrade Manually on the Host Machine

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 its 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 prompts. The installer detects the existing installation and upgrades it in place.

  4. The DCA restarts automatically and checks in within a few minutes.

  5. In Web Admin under Installs, confirm the version has updated.

Fixing Auto-Upgrade for the Future

A manual upgrade fixes today's version but not the cause. Unless you correct the permissions, the same install will fall behind again at the next release. To allow auto-upgrades to work going forward:

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

  2. Right-click Print Tracker Pro Watcher, choose Properties, and open the Log On tab.

  3. Set the service to run as the Local System account.

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

  5. Click Apply, then restart the service.

If Antivirus Is Blocking the Upgrade

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

To resolve:

  1. Add C:\Program Files (x86)\Print Tracker Pro\ and the full path to printtrackerpro.exe as exclusions before attempting the upgrade.

  2. Run the manual upgrade described above.

  3. Confirm the new version is running and that the exclusion is permanent rather than a temporary override.

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

Finding Outdated Installs Across Your Fleet

It is worth reviewing your install fleet periodically rather than waiting for a problem. From Home, open the Install tab and review the Installs by operating system section. Clicking any row marked Unsupported lists the installs and customers running an operating system that will block future upgrades.

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 version numbers, the host OS version, and any error messages encountered.

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