Upgrading to Passwordstate 10 FAQ
Question: Where is my Passwordstate website installed?
Answer: To determine where Passwordstate is installed, and what database server hosts the data, login with a Security Administrator account and go to the Administration tab -> Passwordstate Administration
Question: Am I allowed to upgrade to Passwordstate 10, given it is a new major version? Does my annual support cover this?
Answer: Yes, as long as you have an active Annual Support & Upgrade Protection plan, you can always upgrade to any minor or major version of Passwordstate at no extra cost. If you are using the Free 5 User version, you can also upgrade at no cost. Look under Administration -> License Information to check current plan, and contact our Sales Team if you need clarification on licensing: https://www.clickstudios.com.au/contact
Question: Does this upgrade require any additional steps?
Answer: Upgrading to Passwordstate 10 is just like any other previous upgrade you’ve done. The process is, you’ll download the latest version 10 source files from the click studios website, and run that on your webserver. When you login for the first time, the database will automatically upgrade up to the latest build of version 10. All database schema changes are automatically applied, and no special database knowledge is required to complete this process.
Question: I use one of the additional modules and have that installed on a separate server. Am I required to also ensure that server meets the minimum system requirements?
Answer: Yes, all modules will require .NET Framework 4.8.1 to run, which means they must be hosted on Window Server 2022 or Server 2025 operating system, or Windows 11.
Question: What if my server does not support .NET Framework 4.8.1?
Answer: If your server is running an older operating system, there are two possible options for this:
You perform an in-place upgrade of your operating system to Server 2022 or Server 2025. Microsoft have documentation for this if needed, but just be aware this upgrade a while to complete, possibly up to 2 - 3 hours. You also need to consider if you have any other applications on your server before performing in operating system upgrade.
You set up a new server and install either Server 2022 or Server 2025, and then install Microsoft SQL on that server. You then perform a website and database move over to that new server using this guide: https://www.clickstudios.com.au/docs/general-administration/move-passwordstate/move-passwordstate-to-new-web-and-database-server.html
With Option #2 above, a lot of the work can be carried out ahead of time, which will result in a shorter outage for you. For example, you can install Microsoft SQL and add in the local account witht he approriate password. Then install Passwordstate and configure the web.config file, and then set up your IIS bindings and SSL certificate. All you need to do then is schedule your outage to move the database and redirect DNS to the new server.
It’s unfortunate that Microsoft don’t allow .NET Framework 4.8.1 to be installed on Server 2019 considering it’s still supported. We are seeing quite a few customers being forced to upgrade because of this. The reason version 10 requires .NET 4.8.1 is to support TLS 1.3, which the latest and most secure version of the Transport Layer Security protocol.
What happens to the Passwordstate website if I choose to upgrade my server operating system? How long will it be unavailable for?
Answer: Upgrading a Microsoft server from 2019 to either 2022 or 2025 takes approximately 2 hours. Passwordstate will be unavailable during this time, but once upgraded it wil continue to work as per normal and at this point you can log in and test that your website is fully functioning. At this point you can now upgrade Passowrdstate to the latest version.
How do I know if I have the correct version of .NET Framework installed?
Answer: On your webserver, open Powershell ISE as Administrator, and run the following code. This will tell you if your server meets the requirements. If needed you can use this link to download and install .NET Framework 4.8.1, assuming you are already running a supported operating system: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet-framework/thank-you/net481-web-installer
powershell
$Release = (Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full\').Release
If ($Release -ge '530000')
{Write-Host ".NET Framework 4.8.1 or high is installed. No action required"}
else
{Write-Host ".NET Frame needs to be updated"}Question: Why do I need to authorize my webserver after I have successfully upgraded to Passwordstate 10?
Answer: Authorizing your production servers is a new requirement for version 10. We’ve made this process easy and with no requirement for internet access on the webserver, and there’s a wizard built in to generate an encrypted text file, which you’ll forward onto our Sales team. They’ll respond with an authorization file you’ll re-upload into Passwordstate. This new requirement is just to ensure there’s not multiple production installs of Passwordstate with the same license keys.
Question: What data is encrypted in the authorization file that I send to the Click Studios Sales team?
Answer: The encrypted file you send to the Click Studios Sales Team contains the Netbios name and MAC address of your server where you have Passwordstate installed, and what role the server has in Passwordstate. i.e. is it the Primary Server, or the High Availability server as an example. It also contains part of your license keys to help our internal systems identify which customer the file is for.
Question: Can I set up a test instance first, so I can test the upgrade process and check out the new version before upgrading my production environment?
Answer: Yes, your licensing agreement states you can have a test instance. Please see this knowledge base article for more information about this and how to set one up: https://www.clickstudios.com.au/docs/knowledge-base/passwordstate/passwordstate-test-instance.html
Question: My current version is running a minor version of Passwordstate 9. Do I need to install the same version of Passwordstate 9 again, assuming I am moving everything across to a new server?
Answer: No. You can simply install the latest version of Passwordstate 10 on the new server. When you first log into this new website, the database will get automatically upgraded to the latest build of Passwordstate 10.
Question: I am running a version of Passwordstate, older than build 8995. How do I upgrade from this version?
Answer: Please log a support call with Click Studios and we will advise the next steps: https://www.clickstudios.com.au/support
Question: I am moving my website and database to a new server, do i need to manually export and import any data from the old instance into the new?
Answer: No. All data is stored in your SQL database. When you move your database across to a new server, this migrates everything across automatically. This includes everything, including passwords, users, settings, permissions, reports and license keys etc. When you log into your website hosted on the new server, all data should look exactly the same. You'll notice a new user interface, but the data itself will all be intact.
Question: What new features in version 10 should I be aware of?
Answer: This Youtube video explains all the new features that were added into Passwordstate 10 upon initial release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69d-67Lr2gg. More features have been added since this video was produced, please see changelog for more details: https://www.clickstudios.com.au/changelog-v10
Question: I cannot find the Version 9 install files on the Click Studios downloads page. Why?
Answer: Click Studios removes old versions from their website, and only have the latest Version 10 files available. If you absolutely need to get last version of Passwordstate 9 (version 9992) source files, please log a support call with Click Studios and we will advise the next steps: https://www.clickstudios.com.au/support
Question: I currently have the High Availability version of Passwordstate, meaning I have two production websites replicating data in real time. How do I upgrade this High Availability website?
Answer: Upgrading the High Availability website is the same process as you would have previously done when upgrading your version 9 environment to a new minor build. Please see section above called High Availability Instance for instructions on how to upgrade this module.
Question: I currently have the High Availability version of Passwordstate, and need to move this to a new webserver due to my server operating system not meeting the minimum system requirements. What's the process for this?
Answer: In this scenario, you'd first move your primary website to the new server, and confirm it gets all upgraded and is working well. Then you should set up SQL replication in the new environment, and finally install the High Availability Module again using this guide: https://www.clickstudios.com.au/docs/installation/high-availability-installation/. Everyone's set up can be slightly different, so you are welcome to log a support call with Click Studios support to discuss your environment more in depth, if needed.
Question: Is version 9 still supported?
Answer: Passwordstate 9 is still supported and we can assist with general technical queries about this version, but if you were to identify a bug that needed patching, we will only be applying this fix to Passwordstate 10. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Passwordstate 10 as soon as possible, to fix various security issues that have been identified in 9 and the earlier versions of Passwordstate 10.
Question: I need to move Passwordstate website and the database to a new server, what version of Microsoft SQL is supported?
Answer: Please see system requirements for this: https://www.clickstudios.com.au/system-requirements
Question: Can Click Studios Support be available to help when we upgrade to Passwordstate 10?
Answer: If you are able to perform your upgrade in Click Studios support hours, our support team can assist quickly if there are any issues. Our support hours can be found on this page: https://www.clickstudios.com.au/support-agreement
Question: Can I keep my old Version 9 instance running in parallel with Passwordstate 10, which I have/I will be running on a new server?
Answer: There's no issues at all keeping the old version running, whilst you are testing the new website works as expected.
Please be aware that the Passwordstate Windows Service will process background tasks such as passwords resets, or emailing end users. For this reason, We'd recommend temporarily disabling this service on the new server until you officially start using that website.
You should also note, that data will be getting added into the old instance whilst you are running these two websites in parallel. This means once you are ready to officially cut over and start using the new website, you should delete the database on the new instance, and then migrate the database over one more time so it has the most recent data. Once you cut over, you should uninstall Passwordstate on the old webserver so that it does not execute any background tasks.