Turn Product Updates Off or On

Applies to: Tableau Desktop

To ensure that you always have the most up-to-date features, security resolutions, and corrected issues, Tableau Desktop includes a product update feature. When you start Tableau Desktop, product updates prompts you to download an updated maintenance version of Tableau Desktop, if one exists. The update downloads immediately and then installs when you exit Tableau.

You can also choose to postpone or skip the update. If you do this, you can always check for product updates at any time by selecting Help > Check for Product Updates.

For more information about how to turn product updates off or on, see the Control Product Updates(Link opens in a new window) article in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Deployment Guide.

Note the following:

  • The product update installers are downloaded to the Downloads/TableauAutoUpdate folder. If the Downloads folder doesn't exist, the installers are downloaded to the TEMP/TableauAutoUpdate folder.

  • Updates are not downloaded and installed on your computer if your Product Maintenance has expired. For more information, see the Renewing your Licenses with Tableau(Link opens in a new window).

  • You may not be prompted for product updates. There are a number of reasons why this may be so. For details, see the Troubleshoot maintenance updates section in the Troubleshoot Tableau Desktop Installation(Link opens in a new window) article in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Deployment Guide.

Turn off product updates

Product updates is on by default. You can turn off product updates from the Help menu, or on Windows, by running the installer.

Use the Help menu

Select Help > Settings and Performance > Enable Automatic Product Updates and clear the check box.

Run the installer (Windows only)

To turn off product updates on Windows, run the Tableau Desktop installer, and then click Customize. In the Custom setup dialog box,

  1. Clear the Check for Tableau product updates check box.

  2. Click Install.

To turn product updates on again, run the installer, click Customize, and select the check box.

Administrators control product updates

As an administrator, you can turn product updates off or on for your users. You can also determine the Tableau Desktop version that your users will update to. Rather than having users update to the version of their choice (or choose not to update), you can make sure that your users update to the version you choose. For more information, see the Control Product Updates(Link opens in a new window) article in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Deployment Guide.

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