Reference > Data Files

The following data files and registry entries are maintained by PDQ Deploy. They are not removed on uninstall, in case the software is to be reinstalled. When moving to another computer these are the items that you will want to take in order to fully duplicate the system.

Database

The database is stored in "%ProgramData%\Admin Arsenal\PDQ Deploy" and is made up of the following files.

%ProgramData% is a special Windows folder designed to hold application-wide (that is, not user-specific) data. The folder is marked "hidden" so you won't see it by default. Its location will vary depending on the version of Windows but is usually either "C:\ProgramData" or "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data" and there is usually (but not always) an environment variable pointing to it.

File	Description
Database.db	This is the main SQLite database file that holds all of the computers, inventory, collections, reports, etc. It can be moved by itself to another computer to get access to all of the data.
Database.db-shm	These files are used by SQLite while accessing the database and can be deleted without affecting the system (as long as no applications or services are accessing the database). They don't need to be moved to a new computer, but it won't hurt if they are.
Database.db-wal

Backup Database Files

Each time the database is updated for a new version of the software a backup is created in the Backups folder under the database directory above. The databases are compressed and are named with the version of the database that was being backed up. For example, in the "%ProgramData%\Admin Arsenal\PDQ Deploy\Backups" you might find Database.1.5.2.0.db.gz and Database.1.5.3.0.db.gz.

Older backup files can be safely deleted, but you may want to keep the most recent backups in case you want to restore.

Restoring Backups

To restore to a backup you need to decompress the file (most compression utilities, such as WinZip and 7-Zip can decompress it) and then rename it to Database.db and overwrite the database file. You will need to delete the Database.db-shm and Database.db-wal temporary files or else the file will appear to be corrupt to PDQ Deploy.

Repository

The Repository is stored, by default, in "%ProgramData%\Admin Arsenal\PDQ Deploy\Repository". This can be moved by copying the directory contents and pointing to the new directory using the Repository Preferences.

Temp Files

PDQ Deploy makes use of a number of temporary files which will always be stored in either the system temp directory (files used by the PDQDeploy service) or user temp directory (files used by the console).

System Registry Keys

Key	Value	Description
SOFTWARE\Admin Arsenal\PDQ Deploy	InstallDir	The folder where PDQ Deploy is installed. This value is removed on uninstall and is needed for other applications to interact with PDQ Deploy. This value will be in SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Admin Arsenal\PDQ Deploy on 64-bit system.
	License	The Pro Mode license key, if it has been entered. The key is stored exactly as it was sent to you so it can be exported or copied and pasted to a new computer.
	Secure Key	One of the keys used to encrypt sensitive information in the database. This key is generated when the system is installed and will need to be copied to a new computer if the database is moved. Our support staff will never ask for this entry.
SOFTWARE\Admin Arsenal\PDQ Deploy Console	Disable Hardware Rendering	Used to troubleshoot issues with .NET GUI rendering on some systems. When the application's windows aren't showing correctly, or at all, create this value as DWORD = 1. This will cause the application to use only software rendering which fixes many of these issues.

User Registry Keys

The following keys are maintained under HKEY_CURRENT_USER for each user that uses the software.

Key	Description
SOFTWARE\Admin Arsenal\PDQ Deploy Console\UISettings	This key can hold many sub-keys which store various values used by the console for a consistent user experience. Things such as window sizes & positions, grid column settings, and selected items. When moving to a new computer you can copy these settings to return the interface to how it was. It can also be deleted to return the interface to its default state.
SOFTWARE\Admin Arsenal\PDQ Deploy\AutoUpdateChecker	Settings for whether to check for updates automatically when the console starts.