A StackRegent update did not install

How an update runs#

When you click Install under Tools & Settings › Updates, a panel task asks the license server for the newest release, downloads it, checks its size, SHA-256 and signature against the StackRegent release key, unpacks it into C:\Program Files\StackRegent\update\<version> and starts its install.ps1 as a one-time scheduled task named StackRegent Update, running as SYSTEM. The installer stops the panel services, copies the new files, updates the panel database and starts the services again. Its output goes to C:\Program Files\StackRegent\update\install-<version>.log.

Knowing these stages tells you where to look. Websites, mail and DNS keep running at every stage.

No release is offered#

Click Check now on the Updates page and read Last check.

• "updates come only while the panel's licence is in order": the panel is in restricted mode. Fix the license first under Tools & Settings › License Information; see license restricted mode.
• The license server could not be reached: check that the server can make outbound HTTPS connections to panel.stackregent.com, that DNS resolves it and that the clock is right under Tools & Settings › System Time.
• Up to date: the running version is already the newest your channel offers. Beta releases appear only with Include beta releases ticked under Update Settings.

The download or a check failed#

The task log in Task Manager names the failing check.

• Size or checksum does not match: the download was cut short or changed on the way. Run Check now and Install again. A download address is valid for 15 minutes only, so on a slow connection a retry with a fresh address often works.
• Signature not valid: the package is not signed with the StackRegent release key. Do not work around this. Open a ticket with the task log.
• The package has no install.ps1 or unpacking fails: free disk space on the system drive and try again.

The installer did not start#

If the task ends with "the installer did not start", the panel could not create or run the StackRegent Update scheduled task and could not start PowerShell directly either. Run the installer by hand: open an elevated PowerShell and run

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Program Files\StackRegent\update\<version>\install.ps1"

with the version folder that exists. On an installed server, install.ps1 upgrades in place and shows each step on screen.

The installer ran but the panel is still old or does not answer#

1. Read C:\Program Files\StackRegent\update\install-<version>.log. The last lines say where it stopped, for example "Database migration failed".
2. Check the services:

Get-Service StackRegent, StackRegentTask, StackRegentGuard, StackRegentSQL

Start any that are stopped with Start-Service. If StackRegentSQL, the panel's own database, does not start, its log is C:\Program Files\StackRegent\var\log\sql-error.log.

1. Check the version with & "C:\Program Files\StackRegent\bin\stackregent.exe" version.
2. Run the version's install.ps1 again by hand, as above. Repeating the upgrade is safe; it copies the binaries and runs the database update again.
3. Clear the browser cache or log in again if the panel looks half updated; the interface is part of the new stackregent.exe.

Get a clean package by hand#

If the files in the update folder are suspect, fetch the release again with the one-line installer and -DownloadOnly, which repeats every check and prints the folder it unpacked to, then run install.ps1 from there. See downloads.

When to open a ticket#

Open a ticket in the client area if the signature check fails, or if the installer fails twice at the same step. Attach the installer log, the task log, the output of stackregent version and the Windows Server version. More about the update process is in updating StackRegent.