Deploying Better PDF

For IT administrators and managed service providers rolling Better PDF out to more than a few computers. Applies to version 0.7.0 and later.

The short version. Run "Better PDF-<version>-setup.exe" /S /allusers /LICENSE=<your key> as an administrator, or from your RMM as SYSTEM. Better PDF installs for everyone on the computer with no windows or prompts, and activates the licence the first time someone opens it.

1. Silent install on Windows

Download the installer (Better PDF-<version>-setup.exe) from the download section. It accepts these switches:

Switch	What it does
`/S`	Silent: no windows, no questions. On its own it installs for the current user, to `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Better PDF`.
`/allusers`	Installs for everyone on the computer, under Program Files. Needs administrator rights, so run it elevated or as SYSTEM.
`/LICENSE=<key>`	Licences the computer. See section 2.
`/D=<folder>`	Installs to a folder of your choice. It must be the last switch, and the path must not be in quotes, even if it contains spaces.

Examples

Everyone on the computer, licensed, from an RMM or an elevated prompt:

"Better PDF-0.7.0-setup.exe" /S /allusers /LICENSE=BPDF1.xxxxxxxx.yyyyyyyy

Just the signed-in user, no administrator rights needed:

"Better PDF-0.7.0-setup.exe" /S /LICENSE=BPDF1.xxxxxxxx.yyyyyyyy

A custom folder:

"Better PDF-0.7.0-setup.exe" /S /allusers /D=C:\Apps\Better PDF

The installer exits with code 0 when it succeeds. In PowerShell, use Start-Process -Wait so your script waits for it to finish:

Start-Process -FilePath ".\Better PDF-0.7.0-setup.exe" -ArgumentList '/S','/allusers','/LICENSE=BPDF1.xxxxxxxx.yyyyyyyy' -Wait

Silent uninstall

"%ProgramFiles%\Better PDF\Uninstall Better PDF.exe" /S

For a per-user install, the uninstaller is in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Better PDF. Uninstalling does not free the licence seat. To move a seat to another computer, open Better PDF on the old one first and choose Deactivate in the licence window.

2. Licensing without typing a key

Each computer needs to be activated once. You can hand it the key in either of two ways, and Better PDF activates it the first time it starts. Nobody has to type it in.

Option A: the installer switch

Add /LICENSE=<key> to the install command, as in section 1. The installer leaves the key in a file named license-key.txt in the install folder, where Better PDF picks it up.

Option B: a registry value

Useful when Better PDF is already installed, or when you manage settings through Group Policy, Intune or your RMM rather than the installer. Create this string value:

Key	Value name	Type	Data
`HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Better PDF`	`LicenseKey`	REG_SZ	your licence key

From an elevated prompt:

reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Better PDF" /v LicenseKey /t REG_SZ /d BPDF1.xxxxxxxx.yyyyyyyy /f

The same value under HKEY_CURRENT_USER works for a single user. If both are set, the computer-wide value wins.

How activation behaves

It happens only on a computer that is not already licensed. A key someone has entered by hand is never replaced.
Each activation uses one seat of the licence, the same as entering the key by hand. If the licence has no seats left, or has been revoked, the computer stays on the free tier and Better PDF does not retry that key on every launch. Fix the licence, or set a different key, and it tries again.
With no internet connection, the key is still accepted and the seat is recorded the next time the computer is online.
Keep keys out of shared scripts and tickets where you can. Anyone who can read the key can use a seat.

Need a Teams licence with enough seats for your rollout? See pricing.

3. Updates

Better PDF checks for updates and installs them itself, including on computers that were installed silently. On an all-users install, Windows may ask for administrator approval when an update is applied. If your users do not have administrator rights, push each new installer from your RMM with the same command you used to install. Running it over an existing install upgrades it in place and keeps the licence.

4. Usage data

Better PDF sends one anonymous count a day, described in the privacy policy. To switch it off on every computer before anyone opens the app, set the system environment variable BPDF_NO_TELEMETRY=1 (or the standard DO_NOT_TRACK=1):

setx BPDF_NO_TELEMETRY 1 /M

5. Linux

The .deb package installs without prompts:

sudo apt-get install -y ./"Better PDF-0.7.0-amd64.deb"

On Linux the licence is entered once in the app, under the Upgrade button.

6. Help

Stuck on a rollout? Email [email protected] with the command you ran and what happened.