Availability: This feature is available from portier Vision 5.5.0 onwards. Older versions must be upgraded to 5.5.0 manually once before the auto-updater takes over.
From version 5.5.0 onwards, portier Vision updates itself. The old update mechanism on the settings tab is gone. Vision now checks for new versions periodically in the background and installs them, with your confirmation, via a signed MSI installer.
This ends the era of manually distributing Vision updates. New releases reach your workstations without an RDP session, without a software-distribution package, and without intervention from portier or your IT team, as long as Auto mode is active.
The Help menu has a new entry Check for updates. The dialog shows:
The product name and installed version
A control to enable or disable the automatic check at startup
A Check for updates button
Check for updates triggers an immediate query against the update server. If a newer version is available, the update window opens with the release notes and a Download and install update button. The running Vision client closes automatically when the installer launches, the MSI installs the new version, and Vision restarts.
Vision also checks in the background at regular intervals without any user action. If a newer version is found that way, the same update prompt appears.
When the central database has been upgraded to a newer Vision version but the client at the workstation is still on the old one, Vision blocks login with a version-block dialog. It shows:
The required version (database)
The installed version (workstation)
An Update now button
Clicking Update now launches the installer straight from the dialog. The block is no longer a roadblock; it leads directly into the update flow. After the update completes, the user can log in.
Three modes control how Vision behaves on each workstation. They are set per machine via a registry value:
HKLM\Software\portier\Vision\UpdateMode
Auto — Vision checks automatically and prompts users to install updates. Default after a fresh install.
Notify — Vision disables automatic background checks. Updates can still be triggered manually via Help > Check for updates. Suitable for environments where Intune, SCCM, or a similar tool handles software distribution.
Managed — Vision disables update checking entirely. The Help dialog shows a notice that updates are managed by your IT team, and the controls are greyed out.
The registry value can be deployed via Group Policy (GPO), Intune policy, or a deployment script. Vision reads it at startup.
Every Vision install, fresh or in-place upgrade, writes UpdateMode = Auto. IT teams deploying Notify or Managed via GPO or Intune are unaffected: Group Policy is reapplied after installation and overwrites the value. Script-based overrides must be reapplied after an upgrade.
Windows with local administrator rights for installation, since the MSI installs per-machine. Local admin is not required to run the update check itself, only to install the downloaded package.
Network access to dl.portiervision.com over HTTPS.
WinSparkle uses the system-configured proxy. No separate proxy configuration is needed inside Vision.
All MSI packages are signed with the portier code-signing certificate. Windows verifies the signature before installation. Packages without a valid signature are rejected by Windows. The installer runs in the background service context so Vision works in AppLocker or WDAC environments that allow signed MSIs.
Check the registry value HKLM\Software\portier\Vision\UpdateMode. Managed disables updates.
Check that dl.portiervision.com is reachable via browser or curl.
Use Help > Check for updates to test whether Vision can reach the server. If reachable and on the latest version, the message "You are using the current version" appears.
For Citrix or terminal-server deployments, confirm that WinSparkle is compatible with the security model in place. When in doubt, set UpdateMode = Managed and deliver updates via your software-distribution tool.
After a successful update Vision starts directly into the new version. Any database migrations run automatically at the first login. The release notes for the new version appear in the update window before installation and afterwards on https://help.portiervision.com/changelog.
