Welcome to the ComponentOne Control Panel

The ComponentOne Control Panel (C1ControlPanel) is our web installer that handles installing, updating, and licensing all ComponentOne controls on your machine. It also provides quick access to demos, samples, and support. The C1ControlPanel streamlines the process of using ComponentOne controls and makes it easy to install only the version of any platform you are evaluating or using. Even if you pull packages from nuget.org, the C1ControlPanel can be used to access useful tools and install samples locally.

In the following sections, we'll take a tour of the C1ControlPanel so you can become familiar with everything it can do:

• How to Install and Update Products
• How to Update Products from the Build Repository
• Quick Access to ComponentOne Apps & Tools
• See the Latest Activities
• Activate a License
• Access Support
• C1ControlPanel Settings

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How to Install and Update Products

Our installer is designed to match the Visual Studio Tools & Features installer experience. The Product - Install node lets you install, update, repair, and uninstall any ComponentOne product simply by checking a box. Using the right panel, you can change options like selecting .NET versions of the components and determining whether to include samples.

Below is a breakdown and description of the UI.

1. Select the checkbox on the product tile to install that product. Uncheck to uninstall.
2. Select the version and check the “Update” checkbox if you are updating a product already installed.
3. Select the “Repair” checkbox if you need to reinstall the same version already installed. This feature allows you to change the options.
4. Click the “Getting Started” or “Learn More” buttons to find helpful information about the product on our website.
5. Select which options you want to include or exclude from the install using the options panel.
6. Click the Install/Update button when you are ready to proceed.

How to Update Products from the Build Repository

The Products - Build Repository node gives you quick access to the latest maintenance release builds (hotfix), changelogs, product read-me documents, and version archives.

Check the box at the top to include and access maintenance release builds.

Locate the product and .NET version row and click “Update” or “Download” to access the build archives, including the change log and readme. Then, download the ZIP.

Click “Update to latest version” to run the installer, which is the same process as updating from the Install node.

Select the build version (1) to find the specific change log, readme, and build zip (2). Downloading the ZIP will give you the control DLLs in a zip file and allow you to bypass the full installer process.

Quick Access to ComponentOne Apps & Tools

The Products - Apps & Tools node provides access to standalone ComponentOne applications we ship to customers, such as the FlexReport Designer or the Theme Designer application. You can also find access to our Samples Explorer, Demo Explorer, and Licensing tools from this node.

• Samples Explorer - This is a Windows Form that scrapes the installed samples on your machine and presents them to you in an interface that lets you search and launch particular samples.
• Demo Explorer - This includes pre-built applications that you can install and launch to explore features and controls included with the product. Note that the Samples and Demo Explorers can also be launched directly from the left pane navigation.
• FlexReport Designer - This is the standalone Windows Forms application that can be used to design FlexReport definition files. These files can be loaded into any .NET version of FlexReport and viewed in FlexViewer, though the designer application is only provided in Windows Forms.
• Theme Designer - This is another standalone Windows Forms application that can be used to design themes for ComponentOne WinForms controls.
• MESCIUS License Manager - This is the current license activation utility that is also used under the hood of the License tab within the C1ControlPanel.
• License Activation (Legacy) - This is our old license activation tool. You would use it to license ActiveX, .NET 4.0, or any other product that predates 2020.

See the Latest Activities

The Activities node lets you see a history of the changes you've made through the C1ControlPanel, making it easier to troubleshoot if an update causes a breaking issue. Whether installing a new set of controls for a different platform, updating something you've already installed, or trying to roll back to an old version, you should have a clear record of your changes.

Activate a License

The license tab can be used to activate or deactivate licenses on a machine and view any licenses already installed.

• To activate a key, fill out your name, company, and serial key. If it’s not an older key, you will also see the Serial Key Type combobox. Select the product this key is for and then click "Activate."
• To deactivate a key, select the Deactivate link if you want to move the license to a different machine. This will launch the MESCIUS License Manager.

This interface is run over the underlying MESCIUS License Manager (gclm.exe), but it does have some benefits. It supports both old and new license keys. It also allows you to activate a key before installing any ComponentOne products. This is because the MESCIUS License Manager will only display installed products, but the C1ControlPanel lets you choose any product and activate a license for that product.

Access Support

The Support tab allows you to raise technical issues in our online ticketing system or navigate the forums to submit an issue. If you want to submit a ticket through the C1ControlPanel, you'll need to be logged into your account (or create one if you don't have an account). There's also information for contacting our sales and website support teams if you encounter any problems.

C1ControlPanel Settings

Lastly, the C1ControlPanel allows you to adjust some of your settings, such as the install location and samples directory, and join or leave the customer experience program.

You can access the settings from the gear icon in the upper right corner.

• By default, control libraries are installed at C:\Program Files (x86)\MESCIUS\ComponentOne.
• By default, samples are installed at C:\Users\user\Documents\ComponentOne Samples.

By joining the customer experience program, you help us enhance product quality, add features to popular samples and controls, and address problems.

Ready to check it out? Download ComponentOne Today!