Disable updater

[pbos-gitgub]

We are installing our software through an installer service.
Therefore the users aren't allowed to install software by them self.
For us it is necessary to disable the updater. So the users aren't asked to install the new version.
Is that possible?

[draw-io-triage-bot[bot]]

👋 Thank you for opening this issue!

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Summary: The user is requesting a way to disable the built-in auto-updater in draw.io desktop, because their organization manages software installations centrally and end users should not be prompted to update or install new versions themselves.

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🔍 Possible Related Issues

This issue might be related to existing issues:

🟡 #1027 - draw.io desktop is not fully offline
Related to controlling draw.io desktop's network behavior, which includes update checks. Disabling the updater is part of the broader concern of controlling outbound network requests.

Please check if any of these address your issue. If this is a duplicate, we may close this issue and continue the conversation there.

📝 Additional Information Needed

To help us investigate this more effectively, could you please provide:

• Platform/OS: Which operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux) and distribution method are you using for deploying draw.io desktop?
• Version: Which version of draw.io desktop are you deploying?

We also have some questions:

• Are you deploying draw.io desktop via an enterprise software management tool (e.g., SCCM, Intune, etc.)? If so, which one?
• Have you tried using Electron's built-in mechanisms to disable auto-update, such as passing the --no-update flag or setting environment variables (e.g., DRAWIO_DISABLE_UPDATE=true)?
• Would a solution that suppresses the update notification/prompt be sufficient, or do you also need to prevent any background update check entirely?
• On Windows, have you considered deploying via MSI/GPO with auto-update disabled, or using a portable/zip version that doesn't include the auto-updater?

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_{🤖 This is an automated response to help with initial triage. A human maintainer will review this issue. If you've provided all the requested information, no further action is needed - we'll get back to you soon!}

[pbos-gitgub]

Yes, we are using a tool like SCCM.

We didn't know the flags or environment variables. Where to use the flag?

We would prefer a solution with preventing background update check.

We are working on Windows.
The actual version of draw.io is 29.3.6 and are going to deploy the latest version.

[m-mohamedin]

Running the draw.io command with '--disable-update' or setting the environment variable DRAWIO_DISABLE_UPDATE=true would stop checking for updates

[davidjgraph]

Set DRAWIO_DISABLE_UPDATE=true as a machine environment variable during deployment. This is checked at src/main/electron.js:33 and applies no matter how the app is launched, shortcut, Start menu, double-clicking a .drawio file, or protocol handler.

Deploy via:

GPO: Computer Configuration → Preferences → Windows Settings → Environment
Intune: a remediation script or the Settings Catalog "Environment" CSP
SCCM: a small MSI/PowerShell step that writes HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment\DRAWIO_DISABLE_UPDATE = true