JumpCloud Agent Windows Installation Walkthrough

This article guides you through the methods you can use to install the JumpCloud Agent on your Windows devices:

• Install using the MSI download.
• Install using PowerShell.

Prerequisites

• Understand JumpCloud’s supported operating systems. See JumpCloud Agent Compatibility, System Requirements, and Impacts.

Installing MSI via Download

There are three methods to install the JumpCloud Agent as an MSI file:

1. Deploying Using the Command Line or PowerShell.
2. Deploying Using GPO or Intune.
3. Manually Installing to a Single Device.

Deploying MSI Using the Command Line or PowerShell

You can install the JumpCloud Agent using either the Windows command line or PowerShell. First, you must download the MSI file: 

1. Log into JumpCloud as an Administrator user.
2. Go to DEVICE MANAGEMENT > Devices. 
3. Click ( + ) to add a new device, then select the Windows tab. 
4. Select Install MSI Via Download if necessary. 
5. Click Download Windows Agent.

Once the file is downloaded, you must enter one of the commands below depending on whether you are running the command line or PowerShell.

• For the command line:

• For PowerShell:

The JumpCloud Agent is installed when the command finishes running. 

Deploying Using GPO or Intune

You can also deploy the JumpCloud Agent to Windows devices using Group Policy Objects (GPO) or Intune. You can deploy using the Intune software deployment process. For both methods, you must first download the agent MSI file:

1. Log into JumpCloud as an Administrator user.
2. Go to DEVICE MANAGEMENT > Devices.
3. Click ( + ) to add a new device, then select the Windows tab. 
4. Select Install MSI Via Download if necessary. 
5. Click Download Windows Agent.

After you download the agent, you must create the MST File for the Connect Key.

Creating an MST File for the Connect Key

Once the file is downloaded, you need to add a connect key using the Orca application, which is included in the Windows Software Development Kit (SDK).

1. Download and install the Windows SDK.
2. Install the Orca application by running the following command:

3. Once installation is complete, right-click on the MSI file and select Edit with Orca.
4. In the Orca application, click the Transform menu and select New Transform.
5. In the left side of the application, select CustomAction.
6. Under the Target column, replace the following: 
   
   [JCINSTALLERARGUMENTS] 
   
   With:
   
   -k <connect key without the brackets> /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES

7. Click on the Transform menu option then select Generate Transform.
8. Save the MST file.

Now that you’ve created the MST file, you must deploy the MSI file. Doing so depends on how you want to deploy it:

• To deploy using Microsoft GPO, click here.
• To deploy using Intune, click here.

Manually Installing to a Single Device

To manually install the JumpCloud Agent MSI file to a single device:

1. Log into JumpCloud as an Administrator user.
2. Go to DEVICE MANAGEMENT > Devices.
3. Click ( + ) to add a new device, then select the Windows tab. 
4. Select Install MSI Via Download if necessary. 
5. Click Download Windows Agent.

6. Open the jcagent-msi-signed.msi.
7. Click Install.
8. Click Finish.

Installing Via PowerShell

To install the JumpCloud agent using PowerShell:

1. Log into the Admin Portal: http://console.jumpcloud.com.
2. Go to DEVICE MANAGEMENT > Devices. 
3. Click ( + ) to add a new device.
4. Select the Windows tab. 
5. Copy the text provided in the PowerShell Install Command window. 
6. On your device, open a PowerShell prompt as an administrator.
7. Paste the text into the prompt and press enter.

Verifying Installation

After you’ve installed the agent on the destination Windows device, you'll need to verify that the installation works with JumpCloud.

You can verify the installation on a Windows device from the following places:

• Programs and Features
• Windows Service
• JumpCloud Admin Portal

Verifying in Programs and Features

In Windows, the JumpCloud Agent is displayed in the Control Panel > Programs and Features:

1. On the Windows device, open the Control Panel.
2. Click Programs.
3. Click Programs and Features.

“JumpCloud Agent vX.X.X” should be displayed in the programs pane if it’s installed.

Verifying the Windows Service

The JumpCloud Agent operates as a Windows service, and may be viewed within the Services Manager:

1. Right-click the Start Button and click Run…
2. On the Open field, enter services.msc and click OK.

The JumpCloud Agent service should be present, and under the Status column it should be listed as Running.

Verifying in the JumpCloud Admin Portal

You can verify the agent was installed correctly and works with JumpCloud from the Details tab in Devices:

1. Log into JumpCloud as an Administrator. 
2. Go to DEVICE MANAGEMENT > DEVICES.

The device should be displayed with a green checkmark under Status. The Last Contact column will also show "a few seconds ago" if the agent is actively communicating with the JumpCloud servers.