Device setup
Install NetWatch on this PC
- Click Download & Install and run the file.
- Approve the Windows security prompt (it needs administrator rights to install).
- Wait for the “Installation complete” message — that’s it.
This device will appear in our console for approval and stays inactive until then. Questions? Contact CNSolutions support.
IT admins deploying via Group Policy: download the GPO MSI (assign it under Computer Configuration → Software Settings → Software installation).
Setting up an iPhone or iPad instead? Use the device enrollment wizard.
Need a technician to see an Android phone screen? Get the NetWatch Assist app — it stays inactive until a technician sends a session link.
Setting up a brand-new PC out of the box?
The provisioning package sets a new machine up in a single step: it names the PC, creates its local account, skips the whole Windows setup experience (including the Microsoft account sign-in screen), and installs NetWatch.
Use it when the PC is brand new, or has just been factory reset, and is sitting on the very first Windows setup screen. Don’t use it on a PC that is already set up and in use — it will not rename or reconfigure one, and nothing visible will happen. Use the normal download above for those.
- Copy the file onto a USB stick, in the stick’s top-level folder.
- Plug the stick into the new PC while it sits on the first Windows setup screen.
- Choose the package when Windows offers it, and confirm you trust it.
- Windows finishes setup on its own. The PC appears in our console for approval once it has an internet connection — if there was no network during setup, it will connect by itself later and nothing needs doing.
Setting up a Mac or Linux box instead?
curl -fsSL https://nw.cns.tools/net-watch/install.sh | sudo sh