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How to Install Custom Tools to Alteryx installed in Roaming Profile

Hiblet
10 - Fireball

 

I write custom .Net tools, and I cannot get Alteryx to pick up the tools when Alteryx is installed under a Roaming Profile.  The standard install goes like this...

 

 - Copy the MyTool.DLL and MyTool.PDB files to "C:\Program Files\Alteryx\bin\Plugins\MyTool"

 - Put a MyTool.INI file in "C:\Program Files\Alteryx\Settings\AdditionalPlugins", and set the contents so that the INI file points to the DLL location...

  

[Settings]
x64Path=C:\Program Files\Alteryx\bin\plugins\MyTool
ToolGroup=Developer

 

This works fine when Alteryx is installed to the standard "C:\Program Files" folder, when the user is a local admin.  When Alteryx is installed under a roaming profile, the tools are not found.

 

I try to replicate the install logic to the roaming profile setup, by finding the AlteryxGui.EXE, and assuming that this folder is the relative target bin location.  I try creating a PlugIns\MyTool directory, and a Settings\AdditionalPlugins directory, and follow the logic above, but Alteryx does not discover the tool.  

 

Does anyone have any information on how to install custom .Net tools when Alteryx is installed under a user's roaming profile please?  Thanks in advance for any help.

 

10 REPLIES 10
Hiblet
10 - Fireball

Further to this...

 

David Johnson of Continuum ("SuperDave") has found that DLL's that have passed across the internet can become blocked by a Windows Group Policy setting.

 

If you have a DLL that is in the right place, but not loading, you can right click it and check the Properties. On the first tab, General, is a setting at the bottom, Security.  This may have "This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer."  There will be an unblock button next to this message.  Unblock the file, and Alteryx should be able to access the DLL.  Check the PDB and INI files also.

 

If you have multiple blocked files, you can whack them into shape with PowerShell, by using the command...

 

    dir "C:\Program Files\Alteryx\bin\plugins" -Recurse | Unblock-File

 

This command does a directory listing of files in plugins and below, and pipes them to the Unblock-File command.  You could repeat for the INI file directory.