> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.usefluency.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Enabling Silent Startup on Windows

> Deploy the Fluency Agent with a fully hidden window (tray icon only) for zero-disruption enterprise rollouts.

By default, the Fluency Agent opens its window when it starts. For enterprise fleets deployed by MDM, that window appearing on every machine (at rollout and again after every reboot) is disruptive. Silent startup removes it entirely.

With silent startup enabled, the agent:

* Starts with **no window at all** at install, at every login, and after updates.
* Sits in the system tray, signs the user in silently (via [Silent Authentication](/silent-authentication-entra-id)), and captures as normal.
* Opens its window **only when the user chooses to**, by clicking the tray icon.

**Availability:** Fluency Agent **0.15.5 or later**, Windows **per-machine installer** only.

***

## Requirements

| Requirement            | Detail                                                                                                                            |
| :--------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Agent version          | 0.15.5 or later                                                                                                                   |
| Installer              | Windows **per-machine** installer (`Fluency-Agent-Machine-setup.exe`), the second download option at `https://api.usefluency.com` |
| Install privileges     | Administrator (the per-machine installer writes to `Program Files` and `HKLM`)                                                    |
| For zero-touch sign-in | [Silent Authentication via Entra ID](/silent-authentication-entra-id) configured (admin consent granted)                          |

<Note>
  The per-user installer does not support the `/STARTHIDDEN` flag. If your fleet currently runs the per-user agent, see [Migrating from a per-user install](#migrating-from-a-per-user-install) below.
</Note>

***

## Deployment

### Install command

```plaintext theme={"system"}
Fluency-Agent-Machine-setup.exe /S /STARTHIDDEN /DISABLEAUTOUPDATE
```

* `/S`: silent install (no installer UI).
* `/STARTHIDDEN`: enables silent startup for the machine.
* `/DISABLEAUTOUPDATE`: recommended for silent fleets, see the note below.

<Note>
  **Why disable auto-update?** A per-machine install lives in `Program Files`, so the agent's built-in auto-updater needs elevation to apply an update. On standard-user machines this surfaces a UAC prompt, which defeats the purpose of a silent deployment. Disable auto-update and roll out new agent versions through your MDM instead, the same way you deployed initially.
</Note>

The `/STARTHIDDEN` flag writes a machine-wide policy that the agent reads at every launch, so silent startup survives reboots, autostart, and agent updates:

```plaintext theme={"system"}
HKLM\Software\Fluency\Agent
  StartHidden  REG_DWORD  0x1
```

### Starting the agent after install

A silent install does not launch the agent. Trigger it from your deployment tool, or let it start at the next user login (autostart is registered on first run):

```plaintext theme={"system"}
Start-Process "C:\Program Files\Fluency Agent\fluency-agent.exe"
```

No window will appear. The Fluency icon shows in the system tray (often in the hidden-icons overflow next to the clock) and the agent signs in and begins capturing in the background.

### Migrating from a per-user install

The per-machine installer does **not** remove an existing per-user installation, so deploying it directly would leave two copies on the machine. Uninstall the per-user agent first:

```plaintext theme={"system"}
# 1. Remove the per-user agent (run as the logged-in user)
Start-Process "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Fluency Agent\uninstall.exe" -ArgumentList "/S" -Wait

# 2. Install per-machine with silent startup (run elevated)
Start-Process "Fluency-Agent-Machine-setup.exe" -ArgumentList "/S /STARTHIDDEN /DISABLEAUTOUPDATE" -Wait
```

Users keep their sign-in: credentials are stored per user account and are not removed by reinstalling the agent.

***

## Behavior Reference

| Event                                               | Standard install | With `/STARTHIDDEN`                                     |
| :-------------------------------------------------- | :--------------- | :------------------------------------------------------ |
| Agent launched (install trigger, login, reboot)     | Window opens     | **Nothing appears**                                     |
| MDM re-triggers a launch while the agent is running | Window opens     | **Nothing appears**                                     |
| User clicks the tray icon or tray menu              | Window opens     | Window opens                                            |
| User completes a browser sign-in they initiated     | Window opens     | Window opens                                            |
| Silent sign-in fails                                | Login page shown | **Nothing appears**, tray menu shows "Sign in required" |

There are no pop-ups or notifications of any kind. The window appears only from an action the user takes.

### If silent sign-in fails

The agent stays hidden and does not capture. The tray menu shows **"Sign in required"**; clicking the tray icon opens the window where the user can sign in via the browser flow. Because such machines are silent and idle, they will not appear in your Fluency dashboards. If a deployed user is missing, check that machine's tray first.

***

## Verification

On a test machine after deployment:

1. Confirm the policy was written (an empty result means the installer wasn't elevated or predates 0.15.5):
   ```plaintext theme={"system"}
   reg query "HKLM\Software\Fluency\Agent" /v StartHidden
   ```
2. Launch the agent. No window should appear; the Fluency tray icon should be present.
3. Click the tray icon. The window opens; close it and it returns to the tray.
4. Reboot. The agent starts again with no window.

***

## Reverting

To return a machine to standard (visible) startup without reinstalling:

```plaintext theme={"system"}
reg delete "HKLM\Software\Fluency\Agent" /v StartHidden /f
```

The change applies from the next launch. Uninstalling the agent also removes the policy.

***

## Intune Notes

The packaging steps are the same as the per-user flow (see [IT - Deploying Fluency Agent](/it-deploying-fluency-agent)), with these differences for the per-machine silent package:

```plaintext theme={"system"}
Property: Installer
Value: Fluency-Agent-Machine-setup.exe
────────────────────────────────────────
Property: Silent install flags
Value: /S /STARTHIDDEN /DISABLEAUTOUPDATE
────────────────────────────────────────
Property: Install path
Value: C:\Program Files\Fluency Agent
────────────────────────────────────────
Property: Uninstaller
Value: C:\Program Files\Fluency Agent\uninstall.exe (run with /S)
────────────────────────────────────────
Property: Intune context
Value: System context (per-machine install requires elevation)
────────────────────────────────────────
Property: Detection rule
Value: Registry — HKLM\Software\Fluency\Agent, value StartHidden exists
       (or file — C:\Program Files\Fluency Agent\fluency-agent.exe exists)
```

***

## FAQ

**Does silent startup change what the agent captures?** No. Authentication, capture, and settings behave exactly the same; only window visibility changes.

**Does this work on macOS?** No. Silent startup is currently Windows-only, via the per-machine installer. Contact us if you need this on macOS.

**Can users still use the agent normally?** Yes. The tray icon works exactly as always; clicking it opens the full agent window with status and settings.

**We already deployed per-machine without the flag. Do we need to reinstall?** No, the flag only writes the registry value. You can push it directly via Group Policy or an Intune remediation script: `reg add "HKLM\Software\Fluency\Agent" /v StartHidden /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f`. It takes effect at the next agent launch.

**What do users see during rollout?** Nothing. The only visible change is a new icon in the system tray.

***

## Support & Contacts

Oliver Farnill (COO)

[oliver@usefluency.com](mailto:oliver@usefluency.com)

We will get back to you as soon as possible.

<Note>
  Next up: with the agent deployed, workspace admins configure the organization, starting with [Setting up Teams](/setting-up-teams).
</Note>