Setup and administration

Installing, activating and running the Toolsquare PC App on Windows.

What it is

The Toolsquare PC App keeps a shared workshop PC behind a full-screen lock until a user is authorised at the Toolsquare hardware unit, and then permits only the applications tied to that session.

Requirements

OS	Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit
Privileges	Local administrator to install and to open Configuration (UAC)
Hardware	Toolsquare USB unit
Disk	~350 MB free. No other prerequisites.

Install and activate

A fresh install does not lock anything. The MSI registers the service as disabled and writes no auto-start. The machine only starts locking once you activate it in the Configuration app, which requires a working unit and a bypass PIN.

Connect the unit by USB.
Run Toolsquare-<version>.msi as administrator. It installs to C:\Program Files\Toolsquare\ and replaces any previous version. Leave "Open Toolsquare Configuration to finish setup" ticked on the finish dialog.
USB Driver tab. If the unit shows as detected but unbound, click Install driver. Confirm it then appears under Ports (COM & LPT) with a COM port assigned in Device Manager, rather than under "Other devices".
PIN tab. Set the bypass PIN. Stored as a SHA-256 hash; it cannot be read back, only replaced.
Click Activate / Finish setup. Both status dots must be green. This sets the service to auto-start, adds the tray auto-start, and starts locking.

Verify with sc query Toolsquare (elevated), which should report STATE: RUNNING, and check the tray icon appears after sign-in.

Configuration reference

All settings live in the Configuration app: Start Menu, or tray icon → Settings….

Tab	Settings
PIN	The bypass PIN used to unlock a machine locally without the unit.
Display	Customer logo, lock-screen text, background (dark/light/custom colour) and overlay transparency, with a live preview. Saving restarts the tray so changes apply at once.
Task Manager	Enforcement policy (see below).
USB Driver	Driver state for the connected unit, and the Install driver action.

Task Manager policy

Policy	Effect
Always	Task Manager stays blocked while Toolsquare is installed.
While locked	Blocked only when the PC is locked. Recommended.
Never	Not restricted by Toolsquare.

App blocking can be circumvented via Ctrl+Alt+Del unless Task Manager is restricted.

Unlocking without the unit

At the lock screen press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+U and enter the bypass PIN. The lock screen shows this hint.

Anti-lockout backstop: if no PIN has been configured, the code 0000 is accepted so a machine can never be locked with no way in. Once a real PIN is set, only that PIN works. Set a PIN on every machine.

Fleet deployment

Silent install

msiexec /i Toolsquare-<version>.msi /qn /norestart

Silent uninstall

msiexec /x Toolsquare-<version>.msi /qn

A silent install leaves the machine inactive. Activation is per machine, in the Configuration app, and cannot be done by the MSI.
Upgrades keep the activated state, the PIN, and the display and policy settings. Installing a newer MSI removes the old version first.
Power-cycle the unit if you ever install an older version. When the app connects, it tells the unit which protocol features it supports, and the unit keeps using that richer status format until it loses power. An older app build cannot read that format, so the PC will not see the unit's lock status until the unit is unplugged and reconnected. Rolling the fleet forward is always safe; rolling a single machine back is not.

Logs and state

`C:\ProgramData\Toolsquare\Logs\`	Rolling service logs. Attach these to support tickets.
`C:\ProgramData\Toolsquare\status.json`	Live lock state, booking and current checklist question.
`C:\ProgramData\Toolsquare\config.json`	Overlay appearance, written by the Configuration app.
Event Viewer	Windows Logs → Application, source `Toolsquare`. First place to look if the service will not start.
`sc query Toolsquare`	Service state.

Update and uninstall

To update, run the newer MSI: it closes the tray and Configuration apps, replaces the service, and keeps your settings and activated state.

To uninstall, remove Toolsquare from Settings → Apps, or use the silent command above.

With the service stopped or removed, the machine is unprotected: nothing blocks input or enforces the whitelist.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
The PC never locks	The machine is probably not activated. Open Configuration and check the activation bar; `sc query Toolsquare` on an inactive machine reports the service as disabled.
Locked even though the user authorised at the unit	Re-seat the USB cable: a disconnected unit deliberately holds the lock. Then confirm the service is running and read `status.json`. Allow a few seconds after a unit reboot for it to re-sync.
Unit not detected	Configuration → USB Driver. Detected but unbound → Install driver. Not connected → try another cable or port; avoid hubs and KVMs.
Activate button stays disabled	Both gates must pass: the unit must be connected and working, and a bypass PIN must be set.
Service will not start	Event Viewer → Application, source `Toolsquare`. Confirm `C:\Program Files\Toolsquare\Toolsquare.Service.exe` exists and has not been quarantined.
Antivirus flags the tray or service	The app uses low-level keyboard and mouse hooks, which trips heuristic scanners. Binaries are Authenticode-signed; add an exclusion for `C:\Program Files\Toolsquare\` or submit them to your vendor.
Wrong apps allowed or blocked	Whitelisted apps are matched by executable name, process name or path. If a booked app is blocked, note the exact executable and raise it with support.

Support

Contact support@toolsquare.io with the app version, the logs from C:\ProgramData\Toolsquare\Logs\, what the USB Driver tab reports, and what the user did.