External Release Notes: Desktop App for Windows v 4.2.0 (March 19, 2026)
New Features and Improvements
64-Bit Desktop App for Windows
This release supersedes version 4.1.0 and includes improvements to the installation process to ensure more predictable upgrade behavior in managed deployment scenarios, particularly in environments where system restarts are suppressed during installation.
This release upgrades the Desktop App for Windows to a 64-bit architecture. The 64-bit Desktop App can utilize system resources more effectively on supported systems, removing previous limitations and improving performance when working with large data sets and resource-intensive workloads.
As part of this change, the installation directory has been updated from:
-
C:\Program Files (x86)\Egnyte Connect\
to - C:\Program Files\Egnyte Connect\
This change may affect environments that rely on deployment scripts, automation, or security policies referencing the previous installation path.
Administrators should review relevant configurations, particularly antivirus or endpoint protection policies, to ensure compatibility with the new installation location.
Starting with this release, the 64-bit Desktop App becomes the default and supported version. The 32-bit version of the Egnyte Desktop App will no longer receive updates and devices running 32-bit Windows OS will not be upgraded.
For guidance on how to install or upgrade the Desktop App, see Desktop App for Windows 4.2.0 – Migration to 64-bit Client guide.
New Option for Scheduled Upgrades
A new installation option, ED_UPDATE_ON_BOOT=1, has been introduced to support non-disruptive upgrades in managed environments.
Using this option allows the installer to:
- stage the upgrade during deployment
- complete the installation after the next system restart
When reboot is suppressed during deployment (for example, /norestart or REBOOT=ReallySuppress), the ED_UPDATE_ON_BOOT=1 option must also be included. Otherwise, the upgrade will not complete successfully.
For usage details and deployment examples, see Desktop App for Windows Mass Deployment Guide
Adaptive Block Caching (Limited Availability)
ABC is a performance optimization feature in the Egnyte Desktop App that improves access to large files stored in Egnyte Cloud by caching only the required portions (blocks) of a file locally instead of downloading the entire file. This reduces data transfer, improves file open and save responsiveness, and allows users to work efficiently with large files while keeping data authoritative in the cloud and minimizing local disk usage.
New and improved functionality in this release includes:
- Support for Connected Folders when using Adaptive Block Caching.
- Faster Thumbnail Loading: Improving browser performance for visual content.
- Improved Recovery Notifications: When Adaptive Block Caching encounters an error.
- Visual Indicators for Cached Files: Will mark fully cached files in Windows Explorer
For a complete overview of Adaptive Block Caching capabilities and current availability, refer to the Adaptive Block Caching Helpdesk article.
This feature is currently in Limited Availability for all customers having the Gen 4 AEC plans which includes - (AEC Essential, AEC Elite, AEC Ultimate) or Specialized File Handler Add-on. To request this feature, contact our Products team.
Improved Desktop App Startup Performance
Recent changes in Windows startup behavior could cause the Desktop App to load more slowly during system startup. To address this, the Desktop App now also registers a startup task using Windows Task Scheduler, allowing it to launch more quickly and reliably.
The Desktop App remains listed in standard startup applications to ensure it still starts correctly in environments with restrictive Task Scheduler policies.
Issues Addressed
Adaptive Block Caching After System Startup Issue
Adaptive Block Caching did not become active after system startup and required a manual drive disconnect and reconnect to function. This could occur when the cache contained a large amount of data.
TIFF Files Skips Generated by QGIS
In certain cases, TIFF files exported from QGIS were skipped during upload due to being detected as incomplete. The app now correctly handles these files, aligning upload behavior with how QGIS generates and processes TIFF outputs.
Preventing Folder Creation Issue
Users encountered errors when creating new folders via the Desktop App due to unsupported control characters in folder names. The U+202C control character is now correctly handled, allowing folder creation to succeed.
Lingering Lock Files for RAM Concept Projects
When opening RAM Concept files, the created .lock files were not removed after the file was saved and closed. This prevented other users from accessing the file and required manual cleanup. Deletion of these lock files to the cloud will correctly propagate, ensuring files are released as expected once editing is complete.
Desktop App Could Freeze After Session End
The Desktop App could become unresponsive and require a system reboot after a session ended unexpectedly. This was caused by drives not being fully unmounted during system shutdown or session termination. The Desktop App now ensures drives are properly unmounted during shutdown, reducing the risk of freezes and preventing issues when the next session starts.
Revit File Save and Versioning Behavior
Saving Revit (.rvt) files could trigger full file uploads on each save, block subsequent saves while uploads were in progress, and prevent new file versions from being created in Egnyte. Revit save operations will now be handled correctly to ensure changes are uploaded reliably, version history is preserved, and save workflows are not blocked.
Fixed Explorer Hangs when Creating Files or Folders in Hybrid Connected Drives
Windows Explorer could become unresponsive when creating new files or folders in Hybrid Connected drives. This could occur when backend operations were delayed, causing the Desktop App to wait too long for a response.
The Desktop App will now use shorter timeouts and fewer retries for these operations, preventing Explorer from hanging and ensuring the interface remains responsive even when backend processing is slow.
Updated Python Version for Sync Service
Updated the Python version used by the Desktop App’s Sync Service responsible for Offline and Connected folders to 3.13.11.
Fixed Auto-Update Behavior with Desktop Configuration
The Desktop App could fail to auto-update for customers using Desktop Configuration, even when auto-update was enabled. Auto-update policies defined in Desktop Configuration will be applied correctly, ensuring updates are delivered as expected.
Repeated “Drive Configuration Applied Successfully” Notifications
The “Drive configuration applied successfully” notification could appear repeatedly after system restarts when using Desktop Configuration.
Sharing Large Selections via Link Issue
The Share Link options window could fail to appear when selecting a large number of files (e.g., more than 200) from the Desktop App. Larger selections up to 500 items are now handled correctly, ensuring the share dialog opens as expected.
Upload Issues for Materialise Mimics Files
.mcs and .mxp files created by the Materialise Mimics app could fail to upload and show an “Incomplete File” error when saved directly to the Desktop App drive. These file types will be handled properly, ensuring they upload successfully when saved from the application.
Upload Issue for AquiferTest Files
.hyt files created by the AquiferTest application could fail to upload due to how the application writes file data. In some cases, this could result in files not appearing in the cloud. These files will be uploaded more reliably.
Improved Upload Reliability and Error Handling
Some files could be skipped during upload with a generic error message, particularly in workflows involving frequent file updates.
The Desktop App will automatically retry uploads that fail due to transient errors, reducing the number of skipped files and improving overall reliability. Users can still manually retry skipped files, which will initiate a new set of retry attempts.
Launch Issue Due to Missing Visual C++ Components
The Desktop App could fail to launch on some systems if required Microsoft Visual C++ components were not properly installed during setup.
Known Issues and Limitations
Duplicate Egnyte Entries in Windows Explorer Right-Click Menu
After switching from Egnyte Desktop App v4.2 (or later) to an older version of the app, Egnyte may appear twice in the Windows Explorer right-click context menu. This is a known limitation when moving between these versions and does not affect the functionality of the app.
This limitation can be resolved in one of two ways:
-
Option 1 – Upgrade to v4.2 or later (recommended)
Upgrading to Desktop App v4.2 or a newer version will automatically resolve the duplicate menu entries. Visit the Desktop App installers article to download the latest version. -
Option 2 – Run a cleanup command
If upgrading is not possible at this time, the duplicate entry can be removed by following these steps:- Open PowerShell from the Start menu. Do not use Run as Administrator.
-
Run the following command:
Get-AppxPackage "*Egnyte*" | Remove-AppxPackage - Once the command completes, restart Windows Explorer:
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)
- Locate Windows Explorer under the Processes tab
- Right-click it
- Select Restart
After Windows File Explorer restarts, the duplicate entry will no longer appear. If the issue persists, please contact Egnyte Support.
Please refer to this article for the list of known limitations
Additional Information and Resources
How to Upgrade
Visit the Desktop App installers article to download and install the latest version of the Desktop App or update the existing app to the newest version on all the devices. It may take a few days for the latest version to propagate to all user devices. However, users can manually upgrade their app immediately after the release.