PRTG Desktop Manual

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PRTG MultiBoard & PRTG app for Desktop

© 2023 Paessler AG

All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic,
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems—without
the written permission of the publisher.

Products that are referred to in this document may be either trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the
respective owners. The publisher and the author make no claim to these trademarks.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, the publisher and the author
assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of information contained
in this document or from the use of programs and source code that may accompany it. In no event shall the
publisher and the author be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage caused or alleged to
have been caused directly or indirectly by this document.

Printed: September 2023 in Nuremberg


Table of contents

Part 1 Welcome to the Paessler PRTG app for desktop ................................................................. 5

Part 2 Download and installation process ..................................................................................... 8

2.1 System requirements .................................................................................................... 10


2.2 Install the PRTG app for desktop .................................................................................... 14
2.3 Enter a license key ....................................................................................................... 19
2.4 Available licenses .......................................................................................................... 20
2.5 Uninstall the PRTG app for desktop ................................................................................ 22
Part 3 General layout ................................................................................................................ 24

3.1 Main menu structure ...................................................................................................... 30


3.2 Menu tabs and page content .......................................................................................... 34
Devices .................................................................................................................. 35
Libraries ................................................................................................................. 40
Sensors ................................................................................................................. 43
Alarms ................................................................................................................... 48
Maps ..................................................................................................................... 50
Reports .................................................................................................................. 52
Logs ...................................................................................................................... 53
Tickets ................................................................................................................... 54
Tools ..................................................................................................................... 55
Part 4 General features ............................................................................................................. 56

4.1 Manage device tree ....................................................................................................... 58


4.2 Compare sensors .......................................................................................................... 62
4.3 Desktop notifications ..................................................................................................... 63
Part 5 PRTG MultiBoard ........................................................................................................... 66

5.1 MultiBoard .................................................................................................................... 68


Dashboard .............................................................................................................. 70
Details ................................................................................................................... 74
Statistics ............................................................................................................... 75
Sets ...................................................................................................................... 76
Overview ................................................................................................................. 79
5.2 Probe transfer ............................................................................................................... 80
5.3 Configuration viewer ....................................................................................................... 86
Part 6 Settings ......................................................................................................................... 90

6.1 Accounts ...................................................................................................................... 92


6.2 Certificates ................................................................................................................... 95
6.3 Updates & theme .......................................................................................................... 96
6.4 Notifications .................................................................................................................. 99
6.5 Device tools ................................................................................................................ 102
6.6 License Info ................................................................................................................ 106

3
Part 7 Appendix ..................................................................................................................... 107

7.1 Data storage ............................................................................................................... 109


7.2 List of placeholders ...................................................................................................... 110
7.3 Shortcuts overview ....................................................................................................... 111
7.4 Quick tips ................................................................................................................... 112

4
Part 1
Welcome to the Paessler
PRTG app for desktop

5
1 Welcome to the Paessler PRTG app for
desktop
The PRTG app for desktop is an alternative interface that you can use to connect to one or several
independent PRTG core servers or PRTG Hosted Monitor instances (hereinafter referred to as PRTG
servers if we mean both PRTG core servers and PRTG Hosted Monitor instances combined) to configure
your setup, view monitoring results, and keep an eye on your network. It is a cross-platform application
for fast access to data and monitoring management.

Benefits of the PRTG app for desktop


The PRTG app for desktop natively includes most PRTG functions. For a few options, the PRTG app for
desktop opens an external browser window via your default browser, for example, for system setup.

General features are available for both users of the PRTG app for desktop and Paessler PRTG
MultiBoard. These include the option to enable a tray icon, set up taskbar notifications, or notification
sounds to keep you up to date when there are new alarms, and compare sensors using the Compare
Sensors tool.
For more information, see section General features 57 .

PRTG MultiBoard features are available for users of PRTG MultiBoard. These include the MultiBoard,
Probe Transfer, and Configuration Viewer features. With the MultiBoard, you can connect to several
independent PRTG servers to view their data and centrally manage your monitoring on one interface.
For more information, see section PRTG MultiBoard 67 .

Using the PRTG app for desktop

To use the PRTG app for desktop, download and install 14 it on your Windows, macOS, or Linux
system.
For more information, see section Download and installation process 9 .

The PRTG app for desktop is mainly designed to review and manage PRTG installations that you have
already set up. If you have just started with monitoring, we recommend that you first run through the
smart setup in the PRTG web interface and add your network devices there. Afterwards, you can
seamlessly switch to the PRTG app for desktop.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Smart Setup.

PRTG Hosted Monitor supports connections from the PRTG app for desktop. For more information,
see the PRTG Manual: Using PRTG Hosted Monitor.

About this manual


This manual provides a comprehensive overview of the PRTG app for desktop and PRTG MultiBoard and
is updated with every version release.

See below for a list of icons used in this documentation.

Notes that contain additional information.

6
Notes that contain critical information on the functioning of PRTG. Pay close attention to this
information to avoid serious consequences for PRTG.

There is more information on this topic in another section in the PRTG MultiBoard & PRTG
app for desktop manual, the PRTG Manual, or the Knowledge Base.

This information is relevant for PRTG Hosted Monitor.

This information is relevant for macOS systems.

There is more information on this topic in the Knowledge Base or on the Paessler website.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Smart Setup

§ Using PRTG Hosted Monitor

7
Part 2
Download and installation
process

8
2 Download and installation process
You can download the appropriate PRTG app for desktop installer for your operating system from the
Paessler website at https://www.paessler.com/prtg-desktop.

Dow nload the PRTG app for desktop

The PRTG app for desktop version does not have to match the PRTG core server version that you
want to connect to. The PRTG app for desktop can connect to a PRTG core server as of PRTG
17.4.35.

Before you install the PRTG app for desktop, make sure your system meets the necessary
requirements 10 .

To install or uninstall the PRTG app for desktop, see the following sections:

§ Install the PRTG app for desktop 14

§ Uninstall the PRTG app for desktop 22

9
2.1 System requirements

To install and use the PRTG app for desktop, you need to meet the following requirements:

§ Supported operating systems 10

§ Requirements for connections to PRTG web servers 10

§ Restrictions for non-commercial editions 12

§ Internet connection 12

Supported operating systems

The PRTG app for desktop officially supports the following operating systems.

Operating system Supported systems

Windows (32-bit or 64-bit) § Microsoft Windows Server 2022

§ Microsoft Windows Server 2019

§ Microsoft Windows Server 2016

§ Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2

§ Microsoft Windows 11

§ Microsoft Windows 10

macOS § As of macOS 10.13

Linux (Experimental) § Tested on Ubuntu 20.04.4

This feature is still experimental. We do not recommend it for


live systems that you depend on.

We recommend that you keep your graphics card drivers up to date for best performance.

Requirements for connections to PRTG web servers


To show monitoring data of your PRTG setup, the PRTG app for desktop must be able to establish a
connection to your PRTG web servers.

Make sure that the following account settings 92 in the PRTG app for desktop match the following
settings in the PRTG Administration Tool.

10
PRTG app for desktop PRTG Administration Tool settings
account settings

Server IP Address for PRTG Web Server on the PRTG Web Server tab

PRTG w eb server settings in the PRTG Administration


Tool

For connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor instances, this is


the domain name.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: PRTG
Administration Tool on PRTG Core Server Systems.

Port TCP Port for PRTG Web Server on the PRTG Web Server tab
PRTG switches to port 8080 as a fallback after a restart when
port 80 is already used, and to port 8443 if port 443 is not
available. PRTG keeps the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
connection in this case. If this port is also not available, PRTG
tries from port 8081 (8444 for SSL) on until it finds an available
port.
Because the PRTG app for desktop cannot automatically
recognize these ports (8080+, 8443+), manually enter the used
port in the Port setting when you add or edit an account in the
PRTG app for desktop. If you do not get a connection to the PRTG
web server, also check the used port in the PRTG Web Server
settings under System Administration | User Interface in the PRTG
web interface.
For connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor instances, this is
443 by default.

Login Name Login Name on the Administrator tab

11
PRTG app for desktop PRTG Administration Tool settings
account settings

Administrator settings in the PRTG Administration Tool

For connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor instances, this is


the API User Name under Account Settings | My Account in
the PRTG web interface.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: PRTG
Administration Tool on PRTG Core Server Systems.

Password Password on the Administrator tab


For connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor instances, this is
the API Passhash under Account Settings | My Account in
the PRTG web interface.

Also make sure that you meet the following requirements:

§ No local software firewall blocks the connection.

§ No local virus protection program blocks the connection.

§ No other application uses the specified port.

§ No (hardware) firewall blocks the connection when you connect through a network (LAN or WAN).

§ The software version of the PRTG web server is as of PRTG 17.4.35.

Restrictions for non-commercial editions


The PRTG app for desktop can connect to a maximum of two non-commercial installations (trial
edition or freeware edition).
There are no restrictions on connections to commercial installations.

Internet connection

To install and use the PRTG app for desktop, your system must be connected to the internet as the
PRTG app for desktop needs to connect with the PRTG servers you want to monitor.

More
PRTG MANUAL

12
§ PRTG Administration Tool on PRTG Core Server Systems

PAESSLER WEBSITE

How to connect PRTG through a firewall in 4 steps


§ https://www.paessler.com/support/how-to/firewall

13
2.2 Install the PRTG app for desktop

You can install the PRTG app for desktop on any system that meets the necessary requirements 10 .

You need administration rights to install the PRTG app for desktop on all supported Windows
Server 10 versions.

If you have not yet downloaded the PRTG app for desktop installer from the Paessler website, you can
find it here: https://www.paessler.com/prtg-desktop.

Install the PRTG app for desktop on Windows


1. Execute the setup program prtg-desktop.exe that you have downloaded.
To install the PRTG app for desktop on macOS, open the PRTG app for desktop disk image, and
drag the PRTG icon onto the Applications folder icon.
2. Click Install to accept the terms and conditions and to install the PRTG app for desktop.

License agreement

The PRTG app for desktop is automatically installed under C:\Program Files\Paessler\PRTG
Desktop. Click Change Path to select a different folder. We recommend that you use the default
path.
If asked, confirm the question of the Windows User Account Control with Yes to allow the
program to install.

14
3. After installation, click Launch to start the PRTG app for desktop.

Installation complete

4. The welcome page is displayed. To continue with PRTG app for desktop, click Skip.
Optionally, click Activate PRTG MultiBoard License to enter your PRTG MultiBoard License Key.
Enter your license key and click Next.

Welcome page

15
5. Click Connect to my server to continue. Optionally, you can try the demo server.

Connect to your server

6. If you choose Connect to my server, enter the connection settings 92 for one of your PRTG servers
and click Save to connect. To begin, you will only be adding one PRTG core server or PRTG Hosted
Monitor instance. After installation, you can add more servers in File | Settings | Accounts. For more
information, see section Accounts 92 .

Connection settings

The PRTG app for desktop individually stores the connection settings for each Windows user under
%appdata%\Paessler\PRTG Desktop\data.

16
7. If the PRTG server uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), the PRTG app for desktop shows a certificate
warning because the certificate that comes with PRTG cannot be signed by a valid authority.Click
Yes to continue.

Certificate w arning

8. The installer will show a few tips for using the PRTG app for desktop features. Click Next to continue.

Tip how to move or clone devices

Move or clone devices shortcuts

17
9. Enable or disable the check box next to Enable the system tray to receive desktop notifications 63

via the system tray or to deactivate notifications. This setting can be changed after installation.

Enable system tray notifications

10. Click Done to start the PRTG app for desktop.

Open the PRTG app for desktop


Click the PRTG app for desktop icon in the Windows Start menu to open the PRTG app for desktop. As
soon as it opens, the PRTG app for desktop tries to connect to your PRTG servers via the defined
connection settings.

If you get an error message when you open the PRTG app for desktop, check the connection
settings. This is necessary, for example, if the IP address or password of your PRTG server
changes.

You can now add more PRTG servers to your PRTG app for desktop instance. For more information ,
see section Accounts 92 .

More
KNOWLEDGE BASE

PRTG app for desktop on macOS 10.15 Catalina cannot be opened. What can I do?
§ https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/87564

18
2.3 Enter a license key

A license key is only necessary for users of PRTG MultiBoard. A license key is a string that consists of
10 blocks with six characters each. The PRTG MultiBoard License Key is different from your PRTG
License Key.

Your License Information


You have received the PRTG MultiBoard License Key from Paessler via email. Copy this information and
paste it in the settings (File | Settings | License Info | Activation) to activate your license.

License Information Example

License Key P10000 - FFSEJ3 - ZHGRD5 - UR1CS9 - U73FG2 - G645F1 -


YVF1D0 - H83234

To activate your license, you need the Paessler PRTG MultiBoard License Key sent to you via email.

1. In the license information tab, click Activate.

2. Enter your PRTG MultiBoard license key and click Activate.


We recommend you copy and paste the license key directly from the email.

3. Restart the PRTG app for desktop to enable PRTG MultiBoard features.

More
PRTG MANUAL

Available licenses 20

License info 106

19
2.4 Available licenses

Two different license editions are available.

Edition Description

Freeware The PRTG app for desktop is a good solution for users of PRTG Network
Monitor and PRTG Hosted Monitor:
§ No license key required

§ Includes access to the following general features 57 :


o Multi-edit

o Compare sensors

o Desktop notifications

You can add up to two PRTG servers with freeware edition or trial
edition licenses. You can add an unlimited number of PRTG servers
with commercial edition licenses.

Commercial PRTG MultiBoard is a good solution for users of PRTG Enterprise


Monitor:

§ Included in a bundle with PRTG Enterprise Monitor

§ Annual subscription

§ Requires activation via a License Key


For more information, see section: Enter a license key 19 .
§ In addition to the general features, includes access to the following
features:

o MultiBoard

o Probe Transfer

o Configuration Viewer

You can add up to two PRTG servers with freeware edition or trial
edition licenses. You can add an unlimited number of PRTG servers
with commercial edition licenses.
PRTG MultiBoard is not currently available for individual purchase.

More
PRTG MULTIBOARD & PRTG APP FOR DESKTOP MANUAL

§ License Info 106

§ PRTG MultiBoard 67

20
PAESSLER WEBSITE

PRTG MultiBoard
§ https://www.paessler.com/prtg/extensions/prtg-multiboard

PRTG app for desktop


§ https://www.paessler.com/prtg/prtg-desktop

21
2.5 Uninstall the PRTG app for desktop

You can use the Windows uninstall routines to remove the PRTG app for desktop software from your
system.

You need administration rights to uninstall the PRTG app for desktop on all supported Windows
Server 10 versions.

To uninstall the PRTG app for desktop on macOS, drag the PRTG app for desktop out of your
Applications folder to the trash can.

Uninstall the PRTG app for desktop


Take the following steps to remove the PRTG app for desktop from your system:

1. From the Windows Start menu, open the Windows Control Panel (the Windows Settings in Windows
10), go to the Programs and Features section (the Apps section in Windows 10), select the PRTG
app for desktop, and click Uninstall.
2. If asked, confirm the question of the Windows User Account Control with Yes to allow the program to
uninstall.

Allow uninstall

22
3. Click Uninstall to start the uninstall process.

Uninstall the PRTG app for desktop

4. Wait while the software is removed. The dialog shows you the uninstall progress. Click Close when
the uninstall process is complete.
5. After the software is removed, there is still some custom data in the PRTG app for desktop data
directory.
To completely remove all PRTG app for desktop data from a Windows system, delete the following
folder in the data directory: %allusers%\AppData\Roaming\Paessler.

On macOS, delete /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Paessler/PRTG Desktop.

For more information, see section Data storage 109 .

More
KNOWLEDGE BASE

I have issues with the PRTG app for desktop and PRTG MultiBoard. What can I do?
§ https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/88492

23
Part 3
General layout

24
3 General layout
The main layout of the PRTG app for desktop consists of different elements.

PRTG app for desktop layout

Screen Page area name Description


number

1 Main menu 26
The main menu gives access to general configuration and
settings.

2 Page header bar 26


This area contains breadcrumbs, the search bar, the
refresh button, and the sensor states overview.

3 Menu tabs 27
This area contains the main navigation tabs.

4 Device tree 58
This area contains the entire object hierarchy.

5 Page content 27
This area contains information about the object, the object's
status bar with command buttons, and several tabs with
settings.

6 Command bar 27
This area contains several command buttons for the device
tree object.

Often, the PRTG app for desktop displays data and settings directly. It also provides a seamless link to
the PRTG web interface to access further functionalities such as reports, maps, and libraries.

Extended setup additionally requires a new window of the system's default browser where the PRTG web
interface opens. In this case, you are logged in to the PRTG web interface automatically via login name
and passhash. In your browser, it might be necessary to confirm the certificate that the PRTG core
server uses.

25
If the PRTG web server uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), your browser shows a certificate warning
because the certificate that comes with PRTG cannot be signed by a valid authority. Anyway, the
connection to your PRTG core server is secured via SSL, and you can confirm the claimed security risk.

If you configure the PRTG app for desktop for a connection with more than one PRTG server, use the
Servers 30 menu to select which PRTG server's data you want to access.

Main menu
The main menu gives you access to general configuration and settings.

For more information, see section Main menu structure 30 .

Page header bar

Page header bar

The page header bar consists of the following parts.

Part Description

Previous viewpoint The PRTG app for desktop stores the different views that you navigate to
in the application. Click the previous viewpoint button to step back in the
history.

You can also use the shortcut Ctrl+Left on Windows, +Left on


macOS.

Breadcrumbs The breadcrumbs show you the PRTG server and the menu tab that you
are on.

Status information This area shows, for example, if a new PRTG core server version is
available. It also shows the maintenance or trial status, or if overload
protection is active.
For more information, see the Knowledge Base: What is overload
protection?

Search bar Enter a keyword to search the respective PRTG server. In the Search
Results dropdown list, the PRTG app for desktop displays matching
objects and related objects.
If you click an object, for example a sensor, in the search results, the
PRTG app for desktop opens the object on the Devices 35 menu tab
with the sensor overview on the right-hand side.

26
Part Description

Refresh Click refresh (or use the shortcut F5 on Windows, +R on macOS) at


any time to refresh the screen. This immediately queries data for the
screen from the PRTG server just like the automatic refresh does.

Sensor status icons This area shows the aggregated status of all sensors from the PRTG
server, divided into different sensor states.
Depending on the particular sensor states, you see boxes in different
colors with numbers that represent the sensors. For example, you can
see how many sensors are in the Up, Down, Down (Acknowledged),
Down (Partial), Warning, Paused, Unusual, or the Unknown status.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Sensor States.

Menu tabs
You can navigate through your setup via the menu tabs. The page content varies depending on the menu
tab. It shows various types of information about your monitored objects.

For more information, see section Menu tabs and page content 34 .

Command bar
You can use several command buttons for different actions on the right side of the page content area.

Command bar

Depending on the object you select in the device tree, the following actions are available.

Command buttons

Pause Pause the object. If the object is already in the Paused status or in the
simulated error status, Resume appears. Click to resume monitoring for
—or— the object.
Resume

Acknowledge alarm Acknowledge an alarm for a sensor in the Down or Down (Partial) status.

For more information, see section Alarms 48 .

27
Command buttons

Scan now Perform an immediate scan for the object. This queries the data for all
devices and sensors underneath in the object hierarchy.

Open PRTG setup Open the Setup page in the PRTG web interface.
in a web browser
This setting is only available for the root group.

| Add [Object] Add a group, an auto-discovery group, a device, or a sensor. Click to


open the respective dialog.

| Add Ticket Open the New Ticket dialog.


For more information, see section Tickets 54 .

| Share Hover over Share to see available options:


§ Send Link by Email: Send the link to the object by email. Click to
create a new email with your system's default email client. The email
contains a direct link to the Overview tab of the object.
§ Open in a Web Browser: Open the object in the PRTG web interface
with your system's default browser.

| Restart PRTG Core Restart the PRTG core server service. Click Yes to restart the service.
Server
This setting is only available for the root group.
If you restart the PRTG core server service, all users of the PRTG
web interface, PRTG app for desktop, and PRTG apps for iOS or
Android are disconnected.

| Restart PRTG Restart the PRTG probe service. Click Yes to restart the service.
Probe Service
This option is only available for the local probe.
You cannot restart disconnected probes here. Use the PRTG
Administration Tool on the respective probe system to start a
disconnected probe.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: PRTG Administration
Tool on Remote Probe Systems.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

§ PRTG Administration Tool on Remote Probe Systems

28
KNOWLEDGE BASE

What is overload protection?


§ https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/25523

29
3.1 Main menu structure

The main menu of the PRTG app for desktop includes the File 30 menu, the Servers 30 menu, the
Window 31 menu, theExtras 31 menu, and the Help 32 menu.

Main menu structure

File
The File menu offers system-related options for the PRTG app for desktop.

File menu

File

Settings 91 Show settings for accounts 92 , certificates 95 , updates and themes 96 ,


notifications 99 , device tools 102 , and license info 106 .

Open PRTG Setup Open the system settings in the PRTG web interface.

Exit Close the PRTG app for desktop.

Servers
The Servers menu displays a list of all configured PRTG servers.

Servers menu

30
Servers

MultiBoard This setting is only available for users of PRTG MultiBoard.

Open the MultiBoard 68 window to centrally view and manage all your
configured PRTG servers.

[Name of Server] Show a list of all configured PRTG servers. Click a server to view its data
in a new window of the PRTG app for desktop.

Window
The Window menu lists all open windows of the PRTG app for desktop, for example, for different PRTG
servers or graphs.

Window menu

Window

Close all Graphs Close all open graph windows at once.

Compare Sensors This setting is only visible if you add sensors to the Compare Sensors 62

window.
Bring the Compare Sensors window to the foreground.

[Name of Non-Graph Shows a list of all open windows that do not display graphs. Click an item
Window] in the list to jump to the respective window.

[Name of Graph Window] Shows a list of all open graph windows. Click a graph in the list to jump to
the respective window.

Extras
The Extras menu provides displays extra options or feature previews.

31
Extras menu

Extras

Check for Update Check for new PRTG app for desktop versions.

Probe Transfer Open the Probe Transfer feature.


For more information, see section Probe transfer 80 .

Configuration Viewer Open the Configuration Viewer feature.


For more information, see section Configuration viewer 86 .

Help
The Help menu provides links to help and information.

Help menu

Help

Help Center and § PRTG Help Center: Open the PRTG Help Center in the PRTG web
Documentation interface where you have access, for example, to the PRTG Manual or
where you can contact the Paessler support team.

32
Help

§ PRTG app for desktop Documentation: Download the PRTG MultiBoard


& PRTG app for desktop manual as a .pdf file.
This might not work if you use Internet Explorer as your default
browser.
§ the PRTG app for desktop Release Notes: View the release notes for
the PRTG app for desktop.

Contact Support Open the Contact Support form.


For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Contact Support.

Quick Tips Open the Quick Tips 112 window that gives you short tips on how to work
with the PRTG app for desktop.

About Open an information window about the PRTG app for desktop with version
number and copyright and license information.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Contact Support

33
3.2 Menu tabs and page content

The PRTG app for desktop has a tab-like interface. Via the tabs, you can navigate through various pages
with information about your monitored objects, such as your network status and monitoring results, as
well as access maps, reports, tickets, and settings.

PRTG app
for
desktop
menu tabs

The following menu tabs are available:

§ Devices 35

§ Libraries 40

§ Sensors 43

§ Alarms 48

§ Maps 50

§ Reports 52

§ Logs 53

§ Tickets 54

§ Tools 55

34
3.2.1 Devices
The Devices menu tab is your starting point for everyday use. It has two subtabs: All Objects 35 and the
Favorites 35 . Click the Devices menu tab to automatically open the All Objects subtab.

All Objects
The All Objects subtab gives you an overview of all objects in your network. The page is split into two
parts. On the left-hand side, it shows the device tree that lists the PRTG server with its probes, groups,
devices, and the sensors on the devices. Next to each object, you see an overview of the number of
sensors, grouped according to their status.

All Objects device overview

You can display the device tree in Classic View or in Modern View.
For more information, see section Updates & Theme 96 .

The PRTG app for desktop arranges all objects in a hierarchical order. The object hierarchy defines
common settings for groups of objects.

On the right-hand side, you see details about the object that you select on the left-hand side. The
information is spread over several tabs.

Above the object's name, you always see a path that you can use to navigate through the device tree.
Click a breadcrumb item to directly access the parent device, group, or probe.

The Devices menu tab for the root group, probes, and groups shows a sunburst view 38 .

Favorites
The Favorites subtab displays all of your favorite devices. On the left-hand side, you can see a table that
lists all favorite devices with their DNS name or IP address, their last message, their geographical
location, the parent probe or group, and the number of sensors on a device sorted by sensor status.

35
Favorite devices

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the
table via the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

Click a table row to see details of the device on the right-hand side. The information is spread over
several tabs. Right-click a table row to open the device's context menu 60 to access different important
functions.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Priority and Favorites.

Overview tab

The PRTG app for desktop device subtabs on the Devices menu tab

The Overview tab shows general information about the object. Depending on the object that you select,
you can see different information.

§ For servers, probes, and groups, the Overview tab shows information such as Status and Default
Interval, the object's details in the sunburst view, and graphs for different time spans.
§ For devices, the Overview tab shows device details and graphs for different time spans, gauges, and a
value table for all sensors on the respective device. Click above the table to see a list of all
possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the table via the check box next to the
category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

Graphs tab
The Graphs tab shows graphs for different time spans and their corresponding value tables. Click Hide
Graphs or Hide Value Tables to only display value tables or graphs. To show the graphs or the value
tables again, click Show Graphs or Show Value Tables.

36
Click Hide All Channels to only display the Alarms channel. Click Show All Channels to display the
hidden channels again. You can also show or hide channels via the check box next to the channel
names.

Click a graph to open it in a new window:

§ Click Show All Channels or Hide All Channels to show or hide all channels at once. You can also
show or hide channels individually by enabling or disabling the check box next to the channel names.
To show or hide the value table, click Hide Value Table or Show Value Table.

§ Right-click the graph in the new window to open the context menu for graphs. Here, click Copy to
Clipboard to export the graph as a .png file for use in other applications.
§ The following options are only visible for sensors:

ú Use the slider on the timeline below the graph to show the graph data for different points in time.

ú Click to zoom in or to zoom out of the graph.

ú Click to reset all zoom and timeline slider settings.

Alarms tab
The Alarms tab shows details about all alarms for this object.

You can see all sensors that are in the Down, Down (Partial), Down (Acknowledged), Warning, or the
Unusual status. Sensors in other states, for example, Up, Paused, or Unknown, do not appear here. This
is useful for keeping track of all irregularities in your network.

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the
table via the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

For more information, see section Alarms 48 .

System Information tab


The System Information tab displays a table for each system information category.

This tab is only available for devices.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: System Information.

Log tab
The Log tab shows all log information for this object. This is a subset of the entries that are available via
the Logs 53 menu tab.

Settings tab
The Settings tab loads and displays the object's settings from the PRTG web interface. The view and
functionality are the same as in the PRTG web interface. For every type of object, different options are
available.

37
For more information, see the PRTG Manual:

§ Probe Settings

§ Group Settings

§ Device Settings

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the
settings are lost.

Notification Triggers tab


The Notification Triggers tab loads and displays the object's notification trigger settings from the PRTG
web interface. The functionality is the same as in the PRTG web interface. You can set different
notification triggers.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Notification Triggers Settings.

You cannot multi-edit notification settings. We recommend that you use the inheritance of settings.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Multi-Edit and Inheritance of Settings.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the
settings are lost.

Comments tab
On the Comments tab, you can enter free text for each object. You can use this function for
documentation purposes or to leave information for other users.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the
settings are lost.

History tab
The History tab shows, for example, when an object was created, changes to the settings of an object
via a time stamp, the user who made the change, and a message.

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the
table via the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

Sunburst view
The Devices menu tab for probes, groups, devices, and sensors shows a sunburst view on the Overview
tab. The sunburst view displays your entire monitoring setup as a circle diagram. The groups are
represented as inner circles, and all devices that belong to a group are shown as 'cake slices' that are
attached to the outside of a circle element.

38
Sunburst view

The sunburst is interactive:

§ You can click elements to open the Overview tab of your objects.

§ You can zoom in and out via your mouse wheel.

§ You can change the position of the sunburst on the Overview tab via drag-and-drop.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Priority and Favorites

§ Sensor States

§ System Information

§ Probe Settings

§ Group Settings

§ Device Settings

§ Notification Triggers Settings

§ Multi-Edit

§ Inheritance of Settings

39
3.2.2 Libraries
With the Libraries feature, you can individually select the sensors that you want to display.

The Libraries menu tab content is split into two parts. On the left-hand side, you see all available libraries
of the PRTG server and on the right-hand side, you see details about the library. The information is
spread over several tabs.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Libraries.

Library management

Edit libraries in the libraries list


In the list of libraries on the left-hand side, the following actions are available:

§ Click a library’s name to display its details on the right-hand side.

§ Right-click a library’s name to open its context menu 60 . The following actions are available: Rename,
Edit, Clone, and Delete.

§ Click to add a new library.

Overview tab

PRTG app for desktop library subtabs on the Libraries tab

The Overview tab shows general information about the object.

§ For libraries, the Overview tab shows a list of all library nodes. Click a library node or group to display
all sensors that belong to the respective object in a detailed table view.
§ For library nodes, the Overview tab shows all sensors that belong to the respective object in a detailed
table view.

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the
table via the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

40
Management tab
Click the Management tab to edit the contents of your library, for example, to add items to the library via
drag-and-drop.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Library Management.

Settings tab
The Settings tab loads and displays the object's settings from the PRTG web interface. The view and
functionality are the same as in the PRTG web interface. For every type of object, different options are
available.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Libraries and Node Settings.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the
settings are lost.

Notification Triggers tab


The Notification Triggers tab loads and displays the object's notification trigger settings from the PRTG
web interface. The functionality is the same as in the PRTG web interface. You can set different
notification triggers.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Notification Triggers Settings.

You cannot multi-edit notification settings. We recommend that you use the inheritance of settings.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Multi-Edit and Inheritance of Settings.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the
settings are lost.

Comments tab
On the Comments tab, you can enter free text for each object. You can use this function for
documentation purposes or to leave information for other users.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the
settings are lost.

History tab
The History tab shows, for example, when an object was created, changes to the settings of an object
via a time stamp, the user who made the change, and a message.

More
PRTG MANUAL

41
§ Libraries

§ Library Management

§ Libraries and Node Settings

§ Notification Triggers Settings

§ Multi-Edit

§ Inheritance of Settings

42
3.2.3 Sensors
On the Sensors menu tab, you can see a list of all sensors of the PRTG server. You can select the kind
of sensors that you want to see.

All sensors in the Up status

In the list of sensors on the left-hand side, the following actions are available:

§ Click to sort the list of sensors according to Name, Last Value, Status, Priority, or Probe > Group
> Device. The default is No Sorting. An arrow icon next to the category name indicates an ascending
or descending sorting order.

§ Click to display the list of sensors as a list or to display the list of sensors as a table. Click
above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the table via
the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.
§ Click a sensor’s name to display the sensor on the right. Right-click a sensor’s name to open its
context menu 60 .
§ Select multiple items to view graphs or to apply the same action to them via the context menu.

Available filters
You can also enable filters to only show specific sensors. To do so, choose from two different dropdown
lists to build a filter. With each filter, you can further decrease the number of shown sensors.

Filter Description

By Type The first dropdown list shows various filter types. Select an entry to
apply the filter. The default value is All.

43
Filter Description

By Status The second dropdown list shows all possible sensor states. Select
an entry to only show sensors that show this status. Choose
between All, Up, Warning, Down, Down (Acknowledged), Down
(Partial), Unusual, Paused, and Unknown. The default value is All.
If you click a sensor status icon in the page header bar 26 ,
you can directly view a sensor list that is filtered according to
the sensor status for the PRTG server.

If you have filtered out all sensors and the list shows no entries, remove some filters by reverting
them to the default values.

Overview tab

PRTG app for desktop sensor subtabs on the sensors menu tab

The Overview tab shows sensor details, status, last value of all channels of the sensor, and a channels
table, as well as graphs for different time spans.

The Last Value in the sensor's channels table shows only the last value of the sensor's primary
channel.

Click a gauge of a channel to open the channel’s settings from the PRTG web interface. The view and
functionality are the same as in the PRTG web interface. You can also right-click a gauge to change its
settings or to make this channel the primary channel of the sensor.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Channel Settings.

If you hide channels from tables via the channel settings, the channels disappear from the sensor's
Overview tab. Show hidden channels appears above the value table. Enable the check box to show
the hidden channels in the value table again.

44
Show hidden channels on a sensor's Overview tab

Click a graph to open it in a new window:

§ Click Show All Channels or Hide All Channels to show or hide all channels at once. You can also
show or hide channels individually by enabling or disabling the check box next to the channel names.
To show or hide the value table, click Hide Value Table or Show Value Table.
§ Right-click the graph in the new window to open the context menu for graphs. Here, click Copy to
Clipboard to export the graph as a .png file for use in other applications.
§ The following options are only visible for sensors:

ú Use the slider on the timeline below the graph to show the graph data for different points in time.

ú Click to zoom in or to zoom out of the graph.

ú Click to reset all zoom and timeline slider settings.

Graphs tab
The Graphs tab shows graphs for different time spans and their corresponding value tables. Click Hide
Graphs or Hide Value Tables to only display value tables or graphs. To show the graphs or the value
tables again, click Show Graphs or Show Value Tables.

Click Hide All Channels or Show All Channels to show or hide all channels at once. You can also show
or hide channels via the check box next to the channel names.

Click a graph to open it in a new window:

§ Click Show All Channels or Hide All Channels to show or hide all channels at once. You can also
show or hide channels individually by enabling or disabling the check box next to the channel names.
To show or hide the value table, click Hide Value Table or Show Value Table.
§ Right-click the graph in the new window to open the context menu for graphs. Here, click Copy to
Clipboard to export the graph as a .png file for use in other applications.

45
§ The following options are only visible for sensors:

ú Use the slider on the timeline below the graph to show the graph data for different points in time.

ú Click to zoom in or to zoom out of the graph.

ú Click to reset all zoom and timeline slider settings.

Historic Data tab


On the Historic Data tab, you can generate reports and charts for the data of the sensor. The
functionality is the same as in the PRTG web interface.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Historic Data Reports.

Log tab
The Log tab shows all log information for this object. This is a subset of the entries that are available via
the Logs 53 menu tab.

Settings tab
The Settings tab loads and displays the object's settings from the PRTG web interface. The view and
functionality are the same as in the PRTG web interface. For every type of object, different options are
available.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Sensor Settings.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the
settings are lost.

Notification Triggers tab


The Notification Triggers tab loads and displays the object's notification trigger settings from the PRTG
web interface. The functionality is the same as in the PRTG web interface. You can set different
notification triggers.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Notification Triggers Settings.

You cannot multi-edit notification settings. We recommend that you use the inheritance of settings.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Multi-Edit and Inheritance of Settings.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the
settings are lost.

Comments tab
On the Comments tab, you can enter free text for each object. You can use this function for
documentation purposes or to leave information for other users.

46
Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the
settings are lost.

History tab
The History tab shows, for example, when an object was created, changes to the settings of an object
via a time stamp, the user who made the change, and a message.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

§ Channel Settings

§ Historic Data Reports

§ Sensor Settings

§ Notification Triggers Settings

§ Multi-Edit

§ Inheritance of Settings

47
3.2.4 Alarms
On the Alarms menu tab, you can see the alarms of the PRTG server.

You can see all sensors that are in the Down, Down (Partial), Down (Acknowledged), Warning, or the
Unusual status. Sensors in other states, for example, Up, Paused, or Unknown, do not appear here. This
is useful for keeping track of all irregularities in your network.

From this list view, you can select multiple items 58 to view graphs or to apply the same action to the
items via the context menu 60 .

Alarms list

You can hide and show sensors in the Down, Down (Acknowledged), Down (Partial), Warning, or the
Unusual status via the check box next to the status icons.

Remove and add check marks

In the list of alarms on the left-hand side, the following actions are also available:

§ Click to filter the list of alarms for Name, Last Value, Down for, Status, Priority, or Probe > Group >
Device. The default is No Sorting. An arrow icon next to the category name indicates an ascending
or descending sorting order.

§ Click to switch to a more detailed table view. Click above the table to see a list of all possible
categories. You can show or hide categories in the table via the check box next to the category
names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

Acknowledge alarm
An acknowledged alarm shows up in the alarms list as Down (Acknowledged) and does not trigger any
more notifications.

48
If the alarm condition clears, the sensor usually returns to the Up status with the next scanning
interval.

To acknowledge an alarm, right-click a sensor and select Acknowledge Alarm from the context menu,
then select a time frame. For the time frame, you can choose between Acknowledge Indefinitely,
acknowledge for 5 Minutes, for 15 Minutes, for 1 Hour, for 3 Hours, for 1 Day, or Until. You can optionally
enter a message that appears in the last message value of the sensor. Click OK to confirm your
settings.

If you select Acknowledge Until, a dialog box appears:

Acknowledge

Acknowledge [Objects] Shows the sensors that you want to acknowledge the alarm for. You can
acknowledge alarms for more than one sensor via multi-edit.

Until Enter the date when the Down (Acknowledged) status ends, or use the
date time picker to enter the date and time.
If the alarm condition still persists after the specified date, the sensor
shows the Down status again.

Optional Message Enter a text, for example, the reason why you acknowledge the alarm.
Enter a string or leave the field empty.

You can also acknowledge an alarm for a sensor by clicking . Then select a time frame and optionally
enter a message. Click again to change your settings, for example, to select a different time frame.

Only users with write access rights can acknowledge alarms. You can give read-only users the right to
acknowledge alarms as well.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: User Accounts.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

§ Notification Triggers Settings

§ Notifications

§ Multi-Edit

§ User Accounts

49
3.2.5 Maps
The Maps menu tab content is split into two parts. On the left-hand side, you see all available maps from
the PRTG server, on the right-hand side, the details of the map.

Maps

The following actions are available:

§ Click a map's name in the list on the left-hand side to display it in the window on the right-hand side. In
the tabs above the map, select from View Map, Map Designer, Settings, Get HTML, Comments, and
History. Remember to click Save to apply your settings.
§ You can edit a map via the Map Designer.

§ Right-click a map's name to open a context menu 60 . The following actions are available: Open in new
window, Rename, Edit, Clone, and Delete.

§ Click to add a new map.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Maps.

Map Rotation
With the Map Rotation feature, the PRTG app for desktop can show several maps or dashboards that
rotate on one page. Map rotation also lets you view different information on one screen based on time.
You can compare this to a slide show. Follow the steps below to configure your own map rotation.

1. Select the maps that you want to rotate by holding down the Ctrl key while left-clicking.
2. Right-click the objects for the multi-edit 59 menu to appear.
3. Click Map Rotation in the multi-edit menu.
4. Enter the time until a new map appears, the default is 30 seconds.
5. The PRTG app for desktop now shows the maps in rotation in a new window.

6. You can change the refresh interval by clicking in the lower-right corner.

50
More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Maps

§ Map Designer

§ Map Rotation

51
3.2.6 Reports
On the Reports menu tab, you see all available reports of the PRTG server.

Reports

The following actions are available:

§ Click a report's name to open its details. On the right-hand side, you see the options for the report.

§ In the tabs above the report, select from Run Now, Stored Reports, Settings, Select Sensors
Manually, Sensors Selected by Tag, and Comments.
§ Right-click a report's name to open its context menu 60 . The following actions are available: Rename,
Edit, Clone, and Delete.

§ Click to add a new report.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Reports

52
3.2.7 Logs
On the Logs menu tab, you can find all past activities and events of your PRTG monitoring setup. This is
useful for researching past user activities, system events, and, for example, to check whether messages
were sent. In a typical setup, a huge amount of log data is produced. Because the PRTG app for desktop
records the activity of every single object, you can use this information to check if your setup works
exactly as desired.

There are two ways to display the logs list: Either you click the Log tab while you view an object's
details on the Devices 37 menu tab, or you click the Logs menu tab to show a list of all log entries
of the PRTG server.

Logs list

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the
table via the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

Available filters
You can also enable filters to only show log entries of a specific event from the categories Status
Changes, System Events, and Object History. Select the category from the first dropdown list.

The second dropdown list shows all possible event types for the category. Select an entry to only show
events of the respective event type. Select a sensor status for status changes, Probe Related, Auto-
Discovery, Notification Related, or Status Messages for system events, or a system object for object
history.

You can also select a time span in which you want to show logs, or you use the date time picker to
enter the date and time.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Logs

§ Sensor States

53
3.2.8 Tickets
On the Tickets menu tab, you can view a list of all tickets for the PRTG server. A badge displays the
number of open tickets (the maximum number is 99 tickets).

Tickets list

The following actions are available:

§ Click a ticket in the list on the left to display it in the window on the right-hand side. You can also
multi-edit tickets via the context menu. Select several tickets by holding Ctrl or Shift (or for macOS)
and clicking the corresponding tickets.
§ Right-click a ticket to open a context menu 60 . The following actions are available: Edit, Assign,
Resolve, Reopen, and Close.

§ Click to add a new ticket.

§ Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in
the table via the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

Available filters
You can also enable filters to only show tickets from the categories Open, Resolved, and Closed. Select
the category from the first dropdown list.

The second dropdown list shows all possible ticket types. Choose from User Tickets, ToDo Tickets, and
Notification Tickets.

In the third dropdown list, you can select a ticket assignee. This can be yourself, a different user, or a
user group.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Tickets

54
3.2.9 Tools
On the Tools menu tab, the PRTG app for desktop offers several tools. If you configure placeholders (or
variables) in a tool command, the PRTG app for desktop resolves all of them.

Tools

The following tools are available:

Tool Description

Ping To ping a device, enter the hostname or IP address and the


number of packets to send and click Ping.
The PRTG app for desktop then shows the number of sent,
received, and lost packets; the loss percentage; and the minimum,
maximum, and average times.

Traceroute To start a traceroute on the device, enter the hostname or IP


address and click Traceroute.
The PRTG app for desktop then displays the route and measures
transit delays of packets across the IP network.

DNS To start a DNS lookup, enter the hostname and click Lookup.
The PRTG app for desktop then shows the IP address of the
hostname.

Raw HTTP To get the raw HTTP from a website, for example, enter a GET
request and click Go.
The PRTG app for desktop then returns the raw HTTP.

55
Part 4
General features

56
4 General features
The general features of the PRTG app for desktop are available with both a PRTG app for desktop license
and a PRTG MultiBoard license.

In this section:

§ Manage device tree 58

§ Compare sensors 62

§ Desktop notifications 63

PRTG app for desktop general features

57
4.1 Manage device tree

In the device tree, you can move objects via drag-and-drop or via keyboard shortcuts. You can also view
and edit or multi-edit object settings. Changes take effect immediately. To manage objects in the device
tree, you have the following options:

§ Zoom 58

§ Select multiple objects 58

§ Multi-edit objects 59

§ Sort objects via drag-and-drop 59

§ Clone objects 60

§ Context menus 60

Zoom
In the device tree shown on the left-hand side, you can change the size of the objects via zoom. Hold
down the Ctrl key (or for macOS) and scroll up or down with your mouse to zoom in or out. You can
also use the shortcuts Ctrl and +/- or right-click in the device tree for view options.

Select multiple objects


In the device tree, you can select one or more objects. Hold down the Ctrl key (or for macOS) to
select more objects simultaneously with your mouse. Usually, you select more than one object to view,
for example, combined graphs, or to apply a command from the context menus 60 , for example, Pause
or Delete, to several objects.

When you select multiple items, the right-hand side shows data for the items.

Select multiple objects in the device tree

On the Overview tab, you see a value table that summarizes general information that is available for the
objects.

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the
table via the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

58
The Graphs tab shows summary graphs for different time spans for up to five objects on one page. Each
channel is represented as one line. You can individually show or hide channels via the check box next to
the channel names. This aggregated view works for all kinds of objects. Use the dropdown list to select
the graph type.

Click a graph to open it in a new window:

§ Click Show All Channels or Hide All Channels to show or hide all channels at once. You can also
show or hide channels individually by enabling or disabling the check box next to the channel names.
To show or hide the value table, click Hide Value Table or Show Value Table.

§ Right-click the graph in the new window to open the context menu for graphs. Here, click Copy to
Clipboard to export the graph as a .png file for use in other applications.
§ The following options are only visible for sensors:

ú Use the slider on the timeline below the graph to show the graph data for different points in time.

ú Click to zoom in or to zoom out of the graph.

ú Click to reset all zoom and timeline slider settings.

Live graphs are only available for sensors.

For more information, see the Knowledge Base: What do I have to consider when I want to do a
regular cleanup of my PRTG environment?.

When you select multiple sensors, you additionally see the Settings tab and the Channel Settings tab
on which you can multi-edit sensor and channel settings. The Settings tab is also available when you
select multiple probes.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Channel Settings and Multi-Edit.

Multi-edit objects
If you select several objects on the left side, you can multi-edit the objects via the context menu option
Edit Settings. Enable the check box for one or more settings that you want to edit. All changes apply to
all selected objects. The multi-edit dialog only displays settings that the objects have in common.

If you only multi-edit sensors, the PRTG app for desktop also displays a Channel Settings tab. On this
tab, you can multi-edit the settings of any channels that the sensors have in common (if the channels
have the same name). Enable or disable the check box for one or more channel settings that you want to
edit. All changes apply to all selected sensors.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Channel Settings and Multi-Edit.

Sort objects via drag-and-drop


In the device tree, you can change the position of probes, groups, devices, and sensors via drag-and-
drop. Select an object and drag it to the new position.

You can also use the shortcuts Ctrl+X and Ctrl+V to move objects. Select the object and enter Ctrl+X.
The object is then copied to the clipboard. Select the new location for the object and enter Ctrl+V. When
you are finished, click Clear Clipboard.

59
You can only move a sensor to the top of the parent device via the shortcuts Ctrl+X and Ctrl+V.

For macOS, the shortcuts for moving objects are +X and +V.

Restrictions for moving objects

You cannot move objects in the following cases:

§ You cannot move sensors from one device to a different device. To clone sensors to other devices, see
Clone objects 60 .
§ You cannot move sensors from one probe to a different probe. To clone sensors to other probes, see
Clone objects 60 .
§ You cannot move probes from one probe to a different probe.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Manage Device Tree.

Clone objects
You can clone groups, devices, and sensors in the device tree via the context menu or via the shortcuts
Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Just select the object and enter Ctrl+C. The object is then copied to the clipboard.

For macOS, the shortcuts for cloning objects are +C and +V.

Copy to clipboard

Select the new location for the object and enter Ctrl+V. When you are finished, click Clear Clipboard.

You can also clone objects to other objects via drag-and-drop plus the Ctrl key (or for macOS).

You cannot clone fixed objects, such as the root group, the probe device, or PRTG system-internal
sensors.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Clone Object.

Context menus
For every object in the PRTG app for desktop, context menus are available that appear when you right-
click an object in the device tree.

60
Context menu of a device in the
PRTG app for desktop

The content of the context menu varies, depending on the type of object that you select.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Context Menus.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Channel Settings

§ Multi-Edit

§ Manage Device Tree

§ Clone Object

§ Context Menus

KNOWLEDGE BASE

What do I have to consider when I want to do a regular cleanup of my PRTG environment?


§ https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/89999

61
4.2 Compare sensors

Use the Compare Sensors feature of the PRTG app for desktop to compare sensors from different PRTG
servers.

Compare sensors w indow

To add sensors to the Compare Sensors window, select one or more sensors in the device tree and click
Add to Compare Sensors in the context menu. Repeat this for every PRTG server whose sensors you
want to compare.

The Compare Sensors window shows a table with detailed information about the compared sensors. The
following actions are available:

§ Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in
the table via the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

§ Click to export the table as a .csv file.


§ Right-click a sensor in the sensor list on the left-hand side to remove it from the list or to go to this
sensor's Overview tab.

You can also select Window | Compare Sensors from the main menu to bring the Compare Sensors
window to the foreground.
Compare Sensors is only visible if you already added sensors to the sensor comparison.

The PRTG app for desktop does not save the sensors in the Compare Sensors window. If you close
the window, you must add the sensors again to compare them.

The PRTG app for desktop does not automatically refresh the data of sensors in the Compare
Sensors window. Click or press F5 to refresh the sensors' data.

62
4.3 Desktop notifications

Use desktop notifications on your system tray to receive alerts from the PRTG app for desktop every
time PRTG discovers new alarms in your network.

To use any alerting functionalities, you must first enable the tray icon under File | Settings |
Notifications. If you do not enable the tray icon, no alerting from the PRTG app for desktop is
available. For more information, see section Notifications 99 .

Tray icon
Click the tray icon (or if there are no alarms) to open the PRTG servers overview where you see the
status of all of your PRTG servers.

PRTG servers overview

The following actions are available:

§ Click a PRTG server in the list to see all alarms. Enable or disable the check box next to a sensor
status icon to show or hide sensors in the Down and Down (Acknowledged) or the Warning status. To
go back to the PRTG server's overview, click Back to MultiBoard View.
§ Click an alarm to open the Alarms 48 menu tab in the PRTG app for desktop. If a PRTG server has no

alarms, clicking it opens the Devices 35 menu tab. You can also optionally set the tray icon to blink
when there are new notifications. For more information, see section Notifications 99 .
§ Right-click the tray icon to open a context menu with important functions.

63
Tray menu

Option Description

Scan Now Perform an immediate scan for all PRTG servers. This option queries new data
for all objects on all PRTG servers.

Settings Open the Settings 91 menu.

Show Server List Display an overview list of your PRTG servers.

Open PRTG Open the PRTG app for desktop 25 window.


Desktop

Open MultiBoard This option is only visible if you have a PRTG MultiBoard license.

Open the MultiBoard 68 window.

Quit Close the PRTG app for desktop.


When you restart the PRTG app for desktop, all server windows that were
open when the program was closed will reopen. Graph or report windows
will not reopen.

Desktop notifications
In addition to the tray icon, the PRTG app for desktop can optionally show desktop notifications in the
event of new Alarms.

Desktop notification

You can also play sounds when there are new notifications for sensors.
For more information, see section Notifications 99 .

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

KNOWLEDGE BASE

Which audible notifications are available in the PRTG web interface and in the PRTG app for desktop?

64
§ https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/26303

PAESSLER WEBSITE

How to set up notifications for the PRTG app for desktop


§ https://www.paessler.com/support/how-to/notifications-desktop

65
Part 5
PRTG MultiBoard

66
5 PRTG MultiBoard
PRTG MultiBoard features are only available to those with a PRTG MultiBoard license. Currently, this
license is only offered to Paessler PRTG Enterprise Monitor users.

For more information, see section Available Licenses 20 .

In this section:

§ MultiBoard 68

§ Probe transfer 80

§ Configuration viewer 86

PRTG MultiBoard dashboard view

67
5.1 MultiBoard

Use the MultiBoard feature of PRTG MultiBoard to view data of all your independent PRTG servers in one
window so you can centrally manage your monitoring.

From the main menu, select the Servers 30 menu.

Click MultiBoard to open the MultiBoard window. You can also use the shortcut Ctrl+M to open the
MultiBoard window. For macOS, the shortcut is +M.

General layout

Layout of the multiboard w indow

From top to bottom, the main layout of the MultiBoard window consists of the following.

Screen Page area name Description


number

1 Main menu The main menu gives access to general configuration and
settings.
For more information, see section Main menu
structure 30 .

2 Page header bar This area shows the aggregated status of all sensors from
all configured PRTG servers, divided into different sensor
states.

3 Menu tabs This area contains the main navigation tabs.

4 Page content This area contains different content depending on the menu
tab you select.

68
Use the menu tabs bar to navigate through the MultiBoard window. The following menu tabs are available:

§ Dashboard 70

§ Details 74

§ Statistics 75

§ Sets 76

§ Overview 79

More
KNOWLEDGE BASE

I have issues with the PRTG app for desktop and PRTG MultiBoard. What can I do?
§ https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/88492

69
5.1.1 Dashboard
On the MultiBoard Dashboard page, you can use different widget types to show overviews of your PRTG
servers.

Overview s of configured servers in the multiboard dashboard

Add widget

Click in the widget list to open a dialog to add a new widget.

Select a w idget type and the servers or multiboard sets to display

The following actions are available:

§ Enter a name to identify the widget.

70
§ Select a widget type: List, Donut, or Channel. List displays one list item for each PRTG server or
MultiBoard set 76 that you select. Donut displays one aggregated donut chart for all PRTG servers or
MultiBoard sets that you select, Channel displays up to five channels of the sensor that you select.
§ Select the objects that you want to display in the widget. You can choose between your PRTG
servers, the multiboard sets that you added, or sensors.
§ If you select Servers, select the PRTG servers that you want to display in the widget by via the check
box next to the name of a PRTG server. Enable Select all objects to show all configured PRTG
servers.

§ If you select MultiBoard Sets, select the multiboard sets that you want to display in the widget via the
check box next to the name of a set. Enable Select all objects to show all sets.
§ If you select the Channel widget type, search for the sensor, select the sensor, and select up to five
channels.

Click to add the new widget.

Work with widgets


On the Overview page, you can use drag-and-drop to change the position of widgets. Hover over the
widget you want to use until the band appears at the bottom of the widget. Click and drag it to the
new position, and then drop it.

The following actions are available for the Donut widget.

Donut w idget

§ On the left, you can see different toggles that show the aggregated number of all sensors on all
selected servers or multiboard sets in a specific status. If there are no sensors in a specific status, the
toggle is grayed out. Click a toggle to hide or show sensors that show a specific status.
§ Hover over the different sections of the donut chart to also see the aggregated number of all sensors on
all selected servers or multiboard sets in a specific status.
§ Click the number of servers or multiboard sets below the donut chart to open a box that shows a list
with the names of all included servers or multiboard sets. Click a server name to open the device tree
view of the selected server in a separate window. Click a set name to open the MultiBoard Sets page.
§ If the donut chart displays data for a single server only, click the server name to open the device tree
view of the server in a separate window. If the donut chart displays data for a single multiboard set
only, click the set name to open the MultiBoard Sets page.

71
§ Click to edit the widget. In the dialog that appears, adjust the settings that you want to change and

click . To delete the widget, click . If you click , the PRTG app for
desktop does not ask you to confirm the deletion. The PRTG app for desktop immediately deletes the
widget.

The following actions are available for the List widget:

List w idget

§ The widget displays every server or multiboard set as one list item. For each server or multiboard set,
you can see the number of all sensors that are in a specific status.

§ Click or to navigate to the next page or to a previous page in the list.


§ Click a server name to open the device tree view of the server in a separate window. Click a set name
to open the MultiBoard Sets page.
§ Click a sensor status icon below a server name to open a sensor list for the server that is filtered
according to the sensor status in a separate window. Click a sensor status icon below a set name to
open the MultiBoard Details 74 page with all sensors on all servers that is filtered according to the
sensor status.

§ Click to edit the widget. In the dialog that appears, adjust the settings that you want to change and

click . To delete the widget, click . If you click , the PRTG app for
desktop does not ask you to confirm the deletion. The PRTG app for desktop immediately deletes the
widget.

The following actions are available for the Channel widget.

72
Channel w idget

§ Click to edit the widget. In the dialog that appears, adjust the settings that you want to change and

click . To delete the widget, click . If you click , the PRTG app for
desktop does not ask you to confirm the deletion. The PRTG app for desktop immediately deletes the
widget.
§ Click the name of the sensor to open the MultiBoard Details page and to display the sensor's Overview
tab.
§ Click the name of the PRTG server to open the Devices 35 menu tab of the single PRTG server.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

73
5.1.2 Details
On the MultiBoard Details page, you can see all sensors of all PRTG servers as a sensor list or in a
more detailed table view.

MultiBoard details view

The following actions are available:

§ Move PRTG servers via drag-and-drop.

§ Expand a PRTG server to show its sensors.

§ Scroll in the sensor list to show further sensors of the PRTG server.

§ Use the search box to search for sensors or devices via IDs or tags, for example.

§ Select a sensor on the left-hand side to see the sensor's Overview tab on the right-hand side. Click
to view the overview in a new window.

§ Click to filter the list of sensors according to sensor states. Enable or disable the check box next
to a specific sensor status to show or hide sensors in the specific status.

§ Click to sort the list of sensors according to Probe, Group, Device, Name, Status, Down for, Last
Value, or Priority. The default is No Sorting. An arrow icon next to the category name indicates an
ascending or descending sorting order.

§ Click to switch to a more detailed table view. Click above the table to see a list of all possible
categories. You can show or hide categories in the table via the check box next to the category
names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

74
5.1.3 Statistics
On the MultiBoard Statistics page, you can see an overview of the number of sensors on each PRTG
server and in total, and the number of sensors that are in a certain status.

MultiBoard statistics view

View, for example, the number of sensors that are in the Down, Down (Partial), Down (Acknowledged),
Warning, Unusual, Up, Paused, or the Unknown status for each PRTG server and in total.

Click to export the report in comma-separated values (CSV) format.

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the
table via the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

75
5.1.4 Sets
On the MultiBoard Sets page, you can group sensors into customized sensor sets across all your PRTG
servers.

MultiBoard sets view

Add multiboard set


To create a new set of sensors, enter a name to identify the new set under Name of MultiBoard Set.

76
Add a new multiboard set

Under Search sensors, you can search for sensors that you want to include in the set by sensor name,
by sensor ID, or by tag. The following actions are available:

§ Sort the search results by clicking a column header in the search results table. If you click the column
header once, PRTG MultiBoard sorts the list items alphabetically in ascending order. Click the column
header twice to sort the list items alphabetically in descending order. If you click the column header a
third time, PRTG MultiBoard restores the default sorting order.
§ You can select or deselect sensors that you want to include in the new set via the check box next to
the sensor name.
§ Enable the check box next to Select All to select the displayed maximum amount of sensors.

§ Click Add Sensors to Set to include the sensors in the new set. The sensors appear in the Included
Sensors section below the search results table.

Click Save to save the new multiboard set. The set is now visible at the top of the page in the MultiBoard
Sets table.

Edit multiboard set


To edit a multiboard set, click the set in the MultiBoard Sets table.

77
Edit a multiboard set

The following actions are available:

§ Click to delete the set.

§ Under Edit MultiBoard Set, you can change the name of the set.

§ In the Included Sensors section, you can find a list of all sensors that the set includes. Click to
remove a sensor from the set.
§ You can add further sensors 76 to the set as previously described.

78
5.1.5 Overview
On the MultiBoard Overview page, you can see all device tree objects of all of your PRTG servers.

MultiBoard overview view

The following options are available:

§ Expand a PRTG server and its nodes to view the entire device tree.
Use the Collapse All and Expand All buttons above the server list to completely collapse or
expand a node. You must first select the node you want to expand or collapse.
§ Move probes, groups, devices, and sensors via drag-and-drop.

§ Select an object on the left-hand side to see its Overview tab on the right-hand side.

§ Right-click an object to open its context menu 58 .

For more information, see section Manage device tree 58 .

Restrictions
§ The MultiBoard Overview page does not support the Classic View 96 .
§ You cannot move PRTG servers via drag-and-drop.

§ You cannot move or clone objects between different PRTG servers.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Multi-Edit

§ Manage Device Tree

§ Clone Object

§ Context Menus

79
5.2 Probe transfer

Use the probe transfer to clone probes from the source system to a target system. The probe transfer
pauses the probes on the source system so that you do not lose any historic data.

The probe transfer does not clone any historic data or custom files that you stored in the PRTG
program directory on the source system. Move custom files like scripts or lookups to the target
system manually after the probe transfer.

Requirements
To perform the probe transfer, you must meet the following requirements:

§ On the system that runs PRTG MultiBoard, make sure that port 44387 is open.

§ The user account that you use to access the PRTG web interface must be a user account with
administrative rights.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Access Rights Management.
§ The source system and the target system must run as of PRTG 21.x.68.

§ We recommend that the source system and the target system run the same PRTG version. While it is
possible to perform a probe transfer between two systems with different PRTG versions if they are
compatible, we recommend that both systems run the same PRTG version.
§ The source system and the target system must allow PRTG MultiBoard to access the PRTG
Configuration.dat file. To grant access, the Probe Transfer feature must be enabled. In the PRTG web
interface, navigate to Setup | System Administration | Core & Probes | Probe Connection Settings |
Probe Transfer. Currently, this setting can only be changed in the PRTG web interface.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Core & Probes.
§ The target system must accept incoming probe connections.

§ The source system and the target system must allow the necessary connections in the firewall
settings. Create the respective network address translation (NAT) rules, if necessary.

If you do not configure the firewall accordingly, an according Windows dialog appears during system
selection.

Probe transfer process


From the main menu, select Extras | Probe Transfer to open the probe transfer dialog.

Select systems
In the Select systems step, select the source system and the target system for the probe transfer.

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Select the source system and the target system

To select the systems, take the following steps:

1. Click under Source system to open a dropdown list with your systems that have probes on them.
Systems that you do not have access to because they are disconnected or because you do not have
sufficient rights are grayed out. Select the system that you want to transfer the probe from.

2. Click under Target system to open a dropdown list with your systems that are available for the
probe transfer. Systems that you do not have access to because they are disconnected or because
you do not have sufficient rights are grayed out. Select the system that you want to transfer the probe
to.
3. Click Next to continue.

The Next button is grayed out if there is no probe to transfer on the source system.

Configuration check
In the Configuration check step, PRTG checks if the PRTG versions of the source system and the target
system are compatible with each other.

81
Successful configuration check

The configuration check might take up to several minutes. If the PRTG versions are compatible with each
other, you get an according message.

The following actions are available:

§ Click Show configuration to open the PRTG Configuration.dat files of both the source system and the
target system to compare them.

Configuration comparison

§ Click in the upper-right corner to add configuration files.

§ Click and enter a search term to search the respective configuration file.

§ Click next to the respective file path to remove configuration files.

§ Click to expand an entry in the file tree to get more detailed information about the systems,
including all available nodes.
§ Close the window to return to the Configuration check page.

§ Click Next to continue.

You can also compare configuration files outside of the probe transfer process. For more
information, see section Configuration viewer 86 .

82
Select probes
In the Select probes step, you can select one or more probes that you want to transfer.

Probe selection for the transfer

To select the probes, take the following steps:

§ To select all listed probes for the probe transfer, enable the check box next to Select all. To select
specific probes for the probe transfer, enable the check box next to a probe name.
§ Click Next.

Summary
In the Summary step, you get a summary of all your settings and you can start the transfer.

83
Summary

You can see which probes you selected and the connection details of the source system and the target
system. If you want to change any settings, click the steps in the menu to go back to the respective
step.

If all settings are correct, click Start transfer.

If you click Start transfer, the PRTG app for desktop needs to restart the PRTG core server service.
During the restart, all users of the PRTG web interface, PRTG app for desktop, or PRTG apps for
iOS or Android are disconnected and reconnected.

After you transferred the probe to the target system, the PRTG app for desktop still displays the
probe in the device tree of the source system, marked with . Make sure that you manually delete
the probe to avoid a system failure. The reason for this is that if you transfer the original probe back to
the source system, there will be two probes with the same ID, which PRTG does not support.

Probe on the source system after the probe transfer

84
Known Issues
§ Some sensors have special dependencies that might be interrupted after a probe transfer. These
sensors show the Down or Unknown status. To resolve this issue, go to the Settings tab of the
affected sensor and click Save. You do not need to change any settings. The sensor will begin to
receive the monitoring data and will show the actual status with the next sensor scan.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Data Storage

§ Core & Probes

§ Access Rights Management

§ Monitoring

85
5.3 Configuration viewer

Use the configuration viewer to compare the PRTG Configuration.dat files of PRTG servers outside of the
probe transfer process.

Requirements
To use the configuration viewer, you must meet the following requirements:

§ The PRTG server must allow the PRTG app for desktop to access the PRTG Configuration.dat file. To
grant access, the Probe Transfer feature must be enabled. In the PRTG web interface, navigate to
Setup | System Administration | Core & Probes | Probe Connection Settings | Probe Transfer.
Currently, this setting can only be changed in the PRTG web interface.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Core & Probes.
§ To load a configuration file from a PRTG server, the PRTG server must run on as of PRTG 22.1.75.
To load a configuration file from the local system, the PRTG server can run a version previous to
PRTG 22.1.75.

Configuration viewer process


From the main menu, select Extras | Configuration Viewer to open the configuration viewer dialog.

Select configuration file


In this step, select the PRTG server whose configuration file you want to load.

86
Configuration view er

1. Select a PRTG server from the dropdown list or select Local system.

87
2. Click Load configuration.

View configuration

88
3. Click to open a configuration file to compare this configuration file with.

Compare configuration

The following actions are available:

§ Click and enter a search term to search the respective configuration file.

§ Click next to the respective file path to remove configuration files.

§ Click to expand an entry in the file tree to get more detailed information about the systems,
including all available nodes.

89
Part 6
Settings

90
6 Settings
To open the settings dialog, select File | Settings from the main menu.

Window
menu

You can edit the settings of the PRTG app for desktop via the following tabs:

§ Accounts 92

§ Certificates 95

§ Updates and theme 96

§ Notifications 99

§ Device tools 102

91
6.1 Accounts

In the Accounts settings, you can add, edit, and remove connections to one or more PRTG servers. The
PRTG app for desktop connects to the PRTG web server that runs on the PRTG core server system, or it
connects to a PRTG Hosted Monitor instance.

For a successful connection, the PRTG core server must be as of PRTG 17.4.35. The PRTG app for
desktop can be any version. However, we recommend that you always update to the latest version of
the PRTG app for desktop.

Accounts settings

The following actions are available:

§ Double-click an account in the list to edit it.

§ Click to add 92 a new account.

§ Select an account and click to delete it.

Add new account


Click to open the New Account dialog and enter the following settings.

Note that the PRTG app for desktop does not support multiple connections to the same PRTG
server. You can only add one account per PRTG server.

92
Add new account

Setting Description

Name Optionally enter a name that the PRTG app for desktop displays in the Servers
list and in the page header bar 26 .
If you leave this field empty, the PRTG app for desktop displays the IP
address or Domain Name System (DNS) name that you enter under
Server.

Server Select if you want to use a secure HTTPS connection or an unsecure HTTP
connection. The default port for a secure connection is 443. The default port for
an unsecure connection is 80.
Enter the IP address or DNS name of the PRTG server that you want to
connect to. This is the same IP address or DNS name as defined in the PRTG
web interface settings under System Administration | User Interface | PRTG
Web Interface.
Make sure that the values match the values of the PRTG web server
settings.

Make sure that the PRTG server is reachable and that no firewall settings
block the connection. This is especially important if you use network
address translation (NAT) rules.
The PRTG app for desktop can connect to a maximum of two non-
commercial installations (trial edition or freeware edition).
There are no restrictions on connections to commercial installations.

Port Use the default port or enter the port that the PRTG server runs on. This is the
same port as defined in the PRTG web server settings under System
Administration | User Interface | PRTG Web Server | TCP Port for PRTG Web
Server.
Make sure that the values match the values of the PRTG web server
settings.
Make sure that the PRTG server is reachable and that no firewall settings
block the connection. This is especially important if you use network
address translation (NAT) rules.

93
Setting Description

For connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor instances, this is 443 by default.


For more information, see section Requirements for connections to PRTG
web servers 10 .

Login Using This setting is only available for connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor
instances.
Select a login method from the dropdown list. You can log in with your Google,
Facebook, Microsoft, or Amazon account via single sign-on (SSO) (Auth0), or
via user name and password.
Alternatively, you can also select Login Name & Password from the dropdown
list to log in via email address and password.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Using PRTG Hosted Monitor.

Login Name Enter the login name that you use to log in to the PRTG web server. This can
be the login name of the PRTG System Administrator user or the login name of
a different PRTG user.
The default login name of the PRTG System Administrator user is
prtgadmin.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: User Accounts.

Password Enter the password that you use to log in to the PRTG web server.
The default password of the PRTG System Administrator user is
prtgadmin.

Click Save to save your settings or Cancel to discard them.

The PRTG app for desktop individually stores the connection settings for each Windows user under
%appdata%\Paessler\PRTG Desktop\data.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Using PRTG Hosted Monitor

§ User Accounts

94
6.2 Certificates

The Certificates settings show a list of all expired, self-signed, or otherwise invalid certificates that you
have explicitly trusted.

Certificates settings

Select a certificate and click to remove it from the list.

95
6.3 Updates & theme

In the Updates & Theme settings, you can set, for example, the color mode, the device tree view, or the
language of the user interface, and you can select the update channel of your PRTG app for desktop
installation.

Updates and theme settings

User interface settings


You can change the settings of the user interface as follows.

Setting Description

UI theme Select the color mode of the user interface:


§ Light

§ Dark

Device tree view Select how to display the device tree:

96
Setting Description

§ Modern View: Display the device tree without columns.

Modern device tree view

§ Classic View: Display the device tree with columns.

Classic device tree view

Language Select the language of the user interface:


§ Operating System Language

§ Deutsch (German)

§ English

The language that you select here does not affect the language that you
can set in the PRTG web interface under Setup | System Administration |
User Interface.

Date/time format Select whether you want to use the operating system's date/time format
independently of your language setting.

97
Setting Description

The check box next to the Use the date/time format from the operating
system option is enabled by default.

Last viewpoint Select whether you want to open the PRTG app for desktop to the last
viewpoint when you start the application.

The check box next to the Restore last viewpoint at application start option
is enabled by default.

Update channel setting


You can change the update channel as follows.

Setting Description

Update channel Select the update channel:


§ Stable: The Stable channel is the best-tested version of the PRTG app for
desktop for live systems. It is updated about once or twice a month.
§ Preview: The Preview channel offers the latest features and fixes and is
updated several times a month.
Consider this channel as beta. Do not use this channel on live systems
that you depend on.

98
6.4 Notifications

In the Notifications settings, you can define what the PRTG app for desktop does if there are new alarms,
even if the application is closed.

For more information, see section Desktop notifications 63 .

Notifications settings

You can change the settings for desktop notifications as follows:

Setting Description

Show the tray icon This setting is disabled by default. If you enable this setting, a PRTG
icon appears in the Windows tray. When you hover over it, it shows
important status information about your monitoring.
Left-click the tray icon to open an alarms overview where you see the
status of all of your configured PRTG servers. Right-click the tray
icon to show a context menu 64 .
To use any alerting functionalities, you must enable Show the
tray icon. Otherwise, the PRTG app for desktop cannot alert you
if there are new alarms.

For more information, see section Desktop notifications 63 .

Blink the tray icon for new This setting is only available if you enable Show the tray icon.
down states

99
Setting Description

The tray icon blinks if there are sensors in new Down or Down
(Partial) states.

Blink the tray icon for new This setting is only available if you enable Show the tray icon.
warning states
The tray icon blinks if there are sensors in a new Warning status.

Automatically start the tray at This setting is only available if you enable Show the tray icon.
system startup
This setting is disabled by default. If you enable this setting, the
PRTG app for desktop automatically starts the tray at system
startup.

Show notifications for new This setting is only available if you enable Show the tray icon.
down states
Enable this setting to receive alerts for sensors in new Down or Down
(Partial) states.
§ Minimum Priority: Select a minimum priority that sensors must
have for notifications to be shown.
§ Notification Sound: Play an audible notification sound. The default
setting is No sound. The PRTG app for desktop already comes
with a set of sounds that you can choose from. Select Choose a
custom file from the dropdown list to browse for any standard .wav
file on your hard disk drive.
Only the system that runs the PRTG app for desktop plays the
sound.

Show notifications for new This setting is only available if you enable Show the tray icon.
warning states
Enable this setting to receive alerts for sensors in a new Warning
status.
§ Minimum Priority: Select a minimum priority that sensors must
have for notifications to be shown.
§ Notification Sound: Play an audible notification sound. The default
setting is No sound. The PRTG app for desktop already comes
with a set of sounds that you can choose from. Select Choose a
custom file from the dropdown list to browse for any standard .wav
file on your hard disk drive.
Only the system that runs the PRTG app for desktop plays the
sound.

Show notifications when there This setting is only available if you enable Show the tray icon.
are no more sensors in a
down or warning status

100
Setting Description

§ Notification Sound: Play an audible notification if there are no more


sensors in the Down, Down (Partial), or the Warning status. The
default setting is No sound. The PRTG app for desktop already
comes with a set of sounds that you can choose from. Select
Choose a custom file from the dropdown list to browse for any
standard .wav file on your hard disk drive.
Only the system that runs the PRTG app for desktop plays the
sound.

More
KNOWLEDGE BASE

Which audible notifications are available in the PRTG web interface and in the PRTG app for desktop?
§ https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/26303

PAESSLER WEBSITE

How to set up notifications for the PRTG app for desktop


§ https://www.paessler.com/support/how-to/notifications-desktop

101
6.5 Device tools

In the Device Tools settings, you can define device tools that are available in the context menu 60 of
devices. There are predefined device tools for a remote desktop connection, ping, and traceroute.

You might need to run the PRTG app for desktop as an administrator user to make the device tool
function work with your Windows version.

Device tools settings

The following actions are available:

§ Double-click a device tool in the list to edit it.

§ Click to add 102 a new device tool.

§ Select one or more device tools and click to delete them.

§ Click to export 104 all or only select device tools to your system.

§ Click to import 104 device tools to the PRTG app for desktop.

Add device tool


Click to open the Add Device Tool dialog and enter the following settings.

102
Add a device tool

Setting Description

Name Enter a custom name for your device tool. The device tool shows up with this
name in context menus. Enter a string.

Command Browse for the program or script that you want to execute on your local
system.

Parameters Enter the parameters that you want to use to execute the command.

You can use the placeholders (or variables) under Available Placeholders
for Parameters. Other placeholders are not possible.
For more information, see section List of placeholders 110 .

Interpreter Select the program to run the device tool:


§ None Run the device tool directly.

§ cmd.exe: Use Command Prompt.

§ powershell.exe: Use PowerShell.

Shortcut Press a valid shortcut key to use it for the device tool.
Valid shortcut keys are F6 to F12.

Close interpreter This setting is only available if you select an Interpreter. Choose whether to
when finished close the interpreter after you run the device tool.

103
Import or export device tools
Click to export all your custom device tools to a .json file and to store the file on your system. You
can also select a single device tool or multiple device tools by holding down the Ctrl key, then clicking
to export only select device tools to your system.

To import device tools to the PRTG app for desktop, click and select the .json file stored on your
system. A dialog opens where you can select the device tools that you want to import:

Import device tools

Take the following steps:

1. Select one or more device tools by holding down the Ctrl key. You can also click Select All or Select
None.
2. Enable the check box next to Do not import duplicates if you do not want to import device tools that
already exist in your PRTG app for desktop installation.
3. Click Import to upload the device tools to the PRTG app for desktop or click Cancel to close the
dialog.

Device tool example


You can configure the device tools to run any local program or script. To understand the functionality of
the device tools, see the following example configuration.

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Example of a device tool configuration

The resulting device tool Ping opens the command line and performs a ping command for the %host
entry of the device that you select in the device tree.

To see the result of the ping request when you run the device tool via Device Tools in the context
menu of the device, do not enable the check box next to Close interpreter when finished.

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6.6 License Info

On the License Info menu tab, you can activate your license and view the details of your license
information.

License Info settings

There is one license key type:

· PRTG MultiBoard: This License Key is currently exclusively for users of Paessler PRTG Enterprise
Monitor.

For more information on how to activate your license, see section Enter a license key 19 .
For more information about license types, see section Available licenses 20 .

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Part 7
Appendix

107
7 Appendix
Find more information about the PRTG app for desktop in the following sections.

§ Data storage 109

§ List of placeholders 110

§ Shortcuts overview 111

§ Quick tips 112

108
7.1 Data storage

The PRTG app for desktop stores data in different directories. There is also data in the Windows registry.

Data storage directories


By default, the PRTG app for desktop setup program stores the core installation in one of the following
program directories:

§ 32-bit Windows systems


%programfiles(x86)%\Paessler\PRTG Desktop

§ 64-bit Windows systems


%programfiles%\Paessler\PRTG Desktop

User data, certificates, logs, and the database, for example, are stored in the following data folder:
%appdata%\Paessler\PRTG Desktop\data

Qt WebEngine caching and storage files are stored in the following data folder:
%localappdata%\Paessler\PRTG Desktop

Windows registry
The PRTG app for desktop Windows registry is sometimes used in workarounds or to debug the PRTG
app for desktop features.

PRTG app for desktop settings:


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Paessler\PRTGDesktop

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7.2 List of placeholders

See below for a list of placeholders you can use in the PRTG app for desktop.

Placeholder Resolved content

%id ID of an object as shown in the page header of the object's details page

%name Name of an object

%host IP address or DNS name of a sensor or device

%message Last message of a sensor

%value Last result value of a sensor

%type Sensor type

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7.3 Shortcuts overview

The following shortcut keys are available in the PRTG app for desktop.

Shortcut Shortcut Function


(Windows) (macOS)

Left Left Collapses an object in the device tree.

Right Right Expands an object in the device tree.

Ctrl+Left +Left Displays the previous viewpoint.

F5 +R Refreshes the window.

F6 - F12 F6 - F12 Sets a shortcut for a device tool 102 and triggers the respective
device tool.

Ctrl+C +C Copies the selected object to the clipboard.


For more information, see section Manage device tree 58 .

Ctrl+V +V Clones the copied/cut object to the selected object.


For more information, see section Manage device tree 58 .

Ctrl+X +X Cuts the object to the clipboard. Select a different object and
use Ctrl+V or +V to move the object to the new position.

For more information, see section Manage device tree 59 .

Ctrl+M +M Opens the MultiBoard 68 window.

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7.4 Quick tips

In the Quick Tips window, you see short tips on how to work with the PRTG app for desktop. The PRTG
app for desktop displays new quick tips by default. You can show or hide new quick tips on startup via
the check box next to Show New Quick Tips on Startup.

Quick tips for the PRTG app for desktop

Click Next Tip to show the next new quick tip. To display a list of all quick tips, click All Tips. Hover over
an image to enlarge it.

Show all quick tips

You can close the Quick Tips window at any time. To open the window again, select Help | Quick Tips
from the main menu 33 .

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Last manual export: Friday , September 15, 2023 2:54:30 PM

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