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Installation Guide

Setting up the Home Assistant Windows Companion is straightforward. Follow these steps to get your PC integrated into your smart home.

📥 Binary Download

The application is distributed as a self-contained, single-file executable packaged in a .zip archive. No installer is required, making it easy to run and portable.

  1. Go to the Releases page.
  2. Download the latest HAWindowsCompanion.zip.
  3. Extract the contents to a permanent location on your PC (e.g., C:\Program Files\HAWindowsCompanion or %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\HAWindowsCompanion).
  4. Double-click HAWindowsCompanion.exe to launch.

🛡️ Firewall & Connectivity

The application communicates with Home Assistant via: - mDNS (Multicast DNS): Used for automatic discovery on your local network. - HTTP/HTTPS: Standard API communication. - WebSockets: Real-time command handling.

Ensure that: - Your PC and Home Assistant are on the same local network (for discovery). - Your Windows Firewall allows outgoing connections to your Home Assistant URL (default port 8123). - If using Home Assistant Cloud (Nabu Casa), the app will automatically resolve and use your remote URL when off-site.

🚀 First-Run Setup

Upon first launch, the Setup Wizard will appear: 1. Discovery: The app will scan for Home Assistant instances. If found, select your instance. Otherwise, enter your URL manually (e.g., http://homeassistant.local:8123). 2. Authentication: A browser window will open for you to log in to Home Assistant and authorize the "Windows Companion". 3. Registration: The app will register itself as a new device in Home Assistant.

⚙️ Start on Boot

To ensure sensors are always up-to-date: 1. Open the app and go to Settings. 2. Toggle Launch at Startup to ON. 3. This creates a secure registry entry in HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.