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Installation

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How to install, update and remove FrameDecks on a church or ministry PC.

Who this is for: whoever sets up the presentation PC, such as a media team lead, a volunteer or a church administrator.

On this page

System requirements

Requirement
Operating system Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit. There is no Mac or Linux version
Processor and memory A typical laptop or desktop from the last few years. Background blur and 1080p use more processor time; Settings → Diagnostics shows the app's own load
Webcam Optional. Needed only if people should see you on the FrameRelay camera
Microsoft PowerPoint Optional. Needed only to turn a .pptx file into slides. Without it, save your deck as PDF and add the PDF
Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime Included with Windows 11 and most up-to-date Windows 10 PCs. Without it, the app still runs in an Edge app window
Internet Not needed to run a meeting. Needed only to fetch ESV scripture text, to install WebView2, and for your video-call app itself
Network Only for the phone remote: the PC and phone on the same Wi-Fi

Note: FrameDecks runs entirely on one PC. An account is needed only to plan together on framedecks.com.

Get the installer

Download FrameDecks from framedecks.com/download. The page picks the right download for your computer and always offers the latest version. The installer is a single file named FrameDecks-7.0-Setup.exe (the number is the version).

Check the download (optional)

The download page shows the installer's SHA-256 fingerprint. To check that your copy is complete and unchanged:

  1. Open PowerShell in your Downloads folder.
  2. Run:
    Get-FileHash ".\FrameDecks-7.0-Setup.exe" -Algorithm SHA256
  3. Compare the Hash with the SHA-256 on the download page. Upper or lower case does not matter. They must match exactly.

Install

  1. Close Zoom, Teams and OBS. They keep the camera in use and can block the camera installation.

  2. Double-click FrameDecks-7.0-Setup.exe.

  3. Windows may show "Windows protected your PC". The installer is not code-signed, so Windows does not recognise it yet. Select More info → Run anyway.

  4. Read and accept the End User License Agreement, then follow the wizard. The options are:

    Option Recommended What it does
    Create a desktop icon On A FrameDecks icon on the desktop
    Install the FrameRelay camera for Zoom and Teams On Adds the FrameDecks camera to Windows. Windows asks for administrator permission once, only for this
    Start automatically when I sign in Your choice Opens FrameDecks when you sign in to Windows

  5. Finish the wizard. FrameDecks opens.

Tip: If you skipped the camera, you can add it later in Settings → FrameRelay Camera → Install FrameDecks.

First run

  1. If you used the zip version of FrameDecks on this PC, the app offers to import your existing data. Choose the old folder and select Import. Members, saved questions and scriptures, settings and the phone PIN are copied. The old folder is not changed.
  2. Restart Zoom, Teams, OBS or your browser for Google Meet. They read the list of cameras only when they start.
  3. In each app, choose FrameRelay as the camera:
    • Zoom: Settings → Video → Camera → FrameDecks. Tick HD and turn off Zoom's own background blur.
    • Microsoft Teams: Settings → Devices (or Video and effects) → Camera → FrameDecks.
    • Google Meet: ⋮ → Settings → Video → Camera → FrameDecks.
    • OBS: Sources → + → Video Capture Device → Device: FrameDecks.
  4. In FrameDecks, open Settings → FrameRelay Camera and choose the webcam behind it, the resolution (720p or 1080p), background blur and Camera Look.

Allow the phone remote through the firewall

The first time you turn on Settings → Phone & iPad Remote, Windows Firewall asks whether FrameDecks may use the network.

  1. Tick Private networks only.
  2. Select Allow.

Important: Do not allow Public networks. The remote is meant for your church's own Wi-Fi.

If the phone still cannot connect, see Troubleshooting.

Update to a new version

FrameDecks looks for a new version once a day. When one is ready, it says so once, and Settings → About shows what is new with an Update now button:

  1. Choose Update now (or Update when I close FrameDecks). FrameDecks downloads the new version from framedecks.com and checks its fingerprint; if anything does not match, nothing is installed.
  2. It closes, installs the update quietly, and opens again. Your meetings, settings, members, backups and phone PIN are kept.
  3. If an update cannot be installed, FrameDecks puts the previous version back and tells you. Settings → About → Reinstall the previous version does the same by hand.

FrameDecks never updates while something is on screen. You can also download the latest installer from framedecks.com/download and run it over the old version.

Note: Earlier releases were named FrameDecks and BSF Command Center. Version 6.9 installs over every earlier version, removes the old program folder and shortcuts, and on first start moves your data (including backups and recordings) to the FrameDecks folders below. Nothing newer is overwritten.

Read the release notes in CHANGELOG.md before a big update, and avoid updating on the morning of a service.

Where your data lives

What Where
The program %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\FRAMEDECKS
Your data (meetings, settings, members, PIN) %APPDATA%\FRAMEDECKS
Backups %APPDATA%\FRAMEDECKS\backups (daily, plus any you make)

Settings → Data / Backup shows the data folder, lets you make a backup now and restore one. See reference/configuration-guide.md for the files inside.

Uninstall

  1. Open Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
  2. Find FrameDecks and choose Uninstall.

Your data folder is left in place, so reinstalling brings everything back. Delete %APPDATA%\FRAMEDECKS yourself only if you want to remove your data for good, and make a backup first.

If the app window looks like a browser

FrameDecks normally opens in its own window, without an address bar or tabs. If Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime is missing, it opens as an Edge app window instead. That works the same way. Install WebView2 from microsoft.com for the full app window.