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FAQ

Applies to
Windows
MacOS
Linux

Commonly asked questions about Velopack.

  • My application was detected as a virus?
    Unsigned applications are more likely to be flagged by antivirus software and Windows SmartScreen. Code-sign your app and build up reputation over time to reduce false positives. See the SmartScreen & Antivirus guidance for details.
  • What happened to SquirrelAwareApp? / Shortcuts
    This concept no longer exists in Velopack. You can create hooks on install/update in a similar way using the VelopackApp builder. Although note that recreating shortcuts or registry entries yourself during hooks is no longer required.
  • Can Velopack bootstrap new runtimes during updates?
    Yes, this is fully supported. Before installing updates, Velopack will prompt the user to install any missing runtimes.
  • How do I install the vpk tool? / I've installed the tool but it doesn't work You need to install the .NET 8 SDK or later for your platform, and then run dotnet tool install -g vpk. It's recommended to use the same version of vpk as the Velopack package referenced in your application to ensure compatibility. Alternatively, you can run vpk without installing it globally using the dnx command: dnx vpk --version 1.0.0 (replace 1.0.0 with your Velopack package version). If you get a message that it was installed successfully, but running it in your terminal results in a "binary/command not found" message, it's probably because your PATH is not set-up properly. For windows, %USERPROFILE%\.dotnet\tools should be on the PATH. For macos, see this issue. In general, dotnet should set these paths up for you, but that is what you should check if things are not working.
  • Can I use a 4 part version (1.0.0.0) instead of SemVer2? Velopack only supports a 3 part version with tags and metadata (1.0.0-build.23+metadata) following the SemVer2 standard. Some people choose to version with the date, 2024.01.12 for example. It's also possible to get automated git commit based versioning using something like nbgv. The reason Velopack supports SemVer2 and not traditional 4 part versions is that it's possible to provide a lot more information in SemVer2 versions, and it is not feasible for us to support both formats throughout the framework.
  • Why do I get a NotInstalledException? The UpdateManager throws NotInstalledException from check/download operations when the current app is not a real Velopack installation. This most commonly happens when running a development/debug build (for example from your IDE or dotnet run) rather than an app that was installed via Setup.exe / the packaged build. Update operations only work once the app has been packed with vpk and installed. See the integrating guide for how to test updates against a real install.
  • Does Velopack collect any telemetry or analytics? No. The Velopack runtime library and the binaries shipped with your application (Setup.exe, Update.exe) collect no telemetry, analytics, or tracking data. Your users' data stays private. (The vpk build tool performs its own update check, which is not telemetry about your end users.)