•     Introduction to the Launcher

•     Before You Begin

•     Installing the Launcher

•     Initial Configuration

•     Using the Launcher

•     Best Practices

•     Troubleshooting the Launcher

•     Support

The Yellow Dog Launcher gives enterprise and multi-location clients a single access point for every Yellow Dog Inventory (YDI) environment they manage — production sites, training databases, and multiple property locations — without juggling separate desktop shortcuts for each one.

Use the Launcher to:

•     Reduce desktop clutter (no need for multiple shortcuts)

•     Switch between environments quickly

•     Manage multiple database versions in one place

Most commonly used by:

•     Enterprise clients

•     Corporate or multi-location teams

When to use it:

•     Accessing multiple environments (for example, Production, Training, or multiple locations)

•     Managing different YDI versions across environments

Confirm the following before installing the Launcher:

•     Access to log into Mobile apps

•     Local administrator rights (recommended)

•     Access to existing Yellow Dog install folders (if applicable)

•     Connection details for each YDI database

•     .NET 10.0 framework

Step 1: Create the Yellow Dog Instances Folder

Choose one of two setup methods.

Option 1: Shared install by version

1.   Create a main folder (for example, C:\Yellow Dog Instances)

2.   Create a folder for each YDI version:

a.    If all databases use the same version, create one folder

b.    Name each folder with the full version number (for example, 377.11.17.2025)

3.   Create a folder named Settings inside the main folder

4.   Move all .ini settings files into the Settings folder

5.   Rename each file to prevent overwrites (for example, Location1_Settings.ini, Location2_Settings.ini)

Option 2: Dedicated install per database

1.   Open File Explorer

2.   Create a folder named Yellow Dog Instances in C:\

3.   Move each existing Yellow Dog install folder into this directory

Example structure:

C:\Yellow Dog Instances

├── YellowDogInventory_Stadium

├── YellowDogInventory_Retail

└── YellowDogInventory_Training

Step 2: Download and Install the Launcher

1.   Go to balto.yellowdog.software

2.   Sign in using your Yellow Dog Client ID, Username, and Password

3.   Select the User icon (top-right)

4.   Select Client Install Guide

5.   Select Launcher Installer

6.   Open your Downloads folder, right-click the ZIP file, and select Extract All

7.   Choose a destination (for example, C:\), then open the extracted folder

Step 3: Create a Desktop Shortcut

1.   Locate the YDILauncher application inside the extracted folder

2.   Right-click the application and select Create Shortcut

3.   Drag the shortcut to your desktop

Step 4: Run the Launcher for the First Time

1.   Right-click the YDILauncher desktop shortcut

2.   Select Run as administrator

Set the Launcher Database Location

1.   On first launch, review the database file path

2.   Select Set Database to confirm the default

•     Optional: paste a custom path into Full Path to the Database File

•     Optional: select Set to Default to reset

Set a Password

1.   Click the Lock icon in the top-right corner

2.   Enter a password

Configure the Launcher

1.   Select Settings (gear icon) on the right

2.   Enter an Instance Title (for example, company or property name)

3.   Configure Auto-Scan Install Directory (for example, C:\Yellow Dog Instances)

4.   Configure Auto-Scan Config Directory

a.    If installs and configs are stored together, use the same path

b.    If separated, enter the path to the Settings folder

5.   Select Scan Now

6.   Enable Always Scan Install & Config Directories for New Items on Start-Up

Additional Setup Options

•     Always validate connections and versions on start-up — checks all connection statuses when the Launcher opens

•     Display all connections by default on connections page on start-up — shows all connections regardless of group filter

•     Automatically assign new configs to a group (db/schema version) — new configs are grouped automatically by database version

•     Automatically close this program when a connection is launched — closes the Launcher after you connect to a site

Interface Overview

Figure: The Launcher’s left navigation — Connections, Configs, Installs, Settings, Logs, and the Lock icon.

1.   Connections — your main dashboard; launch Yellow Dog from here

2.   Configs — manage database configurations for all sites, including the Group field used to organize connections (see Group Your Connections, below) [confirm step-by-step for adding a new database configuration]

3.   Installs — register Yellow Dog application versions and their install locations (see Add an Install, below)

4.   Settings — configure Launcher settings, such as auto-scan on start-up and password reset

5.   Logs — review application logs; set Log Level to DEBUG when troubleshooting

6.   Lock — enter your password here to access additional management options; without it, only the Connections tab is available

Add an Install

The Installs tab lists every registered application version and the file path it runs from. Add an entry whenever you install a new YDI version or move an install to a new location.

1.   On the Installs tab, select Add Install

2.   In the Open dialog, navigate to the install’s file path

3.   Select the application icon (for example, YDInv) and select Open

Figure: Adding an install — select Add Install, browse to the file path, then select the application icon and Open.

Select Remove next to an entry to unregister an install.

Verify Your Connections

•     Select Connections in the left navigation

•     Click the database icon

•     Click the arrows to expand your connections

Figure: The Connections tab, with the controls used to make connections visible.

If configured correctly, each environment is available to launch.

Group Your Connections

Group configurations to keep related environments together on the Connections screen.

1.   On the Configs tab, type a group name into the Group field for each database configuration you want grouped together

2.   Use the exact same spelling and spacing for every config in that group; use the arrows to expand and collapse the groups.

3.   Return to the Connections tab. Configs sharing the same group name now display together under that group’s header

Figure: Connections grouped under “Central,” with the edit icon that opens the Edit Group Name dialog.

Rename or Reassign a Group

1.   On the Connections tab, click the edit icon next to the group name

2.   In the Edit Group Name dialog, select an existing group from Select Existing Group, or type a new name

3.   Select Update

Figure: The Edit Group Name dialog, with existing groups listed under Select Existing Group.

Connection Status

•     Valid → ready to connect

•     Can Not Connect → check the database or network; contact Yellow Dog Support or Implementation if needed

Verification Checklist

•     Launcher opens successfully

•     Installs and configs are detected

•     Connections display in the Connections screen

•     You can launch a YDI environment

Organize Installs and Configurations

•     Store all installs in one directory (for example, C:\Yellow Dog Instances)

•     Avoid multiple directories when possible to simplify management

Enable Auto-Scan and Validation

Enable the following settings:

•     Always scan install and config directories on startup

•     Always validate connections on startup

This helps:

•     Keep environments up to date

•     Reduce connection issues

Use Standardized Grouping

Group configurations by:

•     Environment (Production, Training)

•     Region or property

•     Database or schema version

For the exact steps, see Group Your Connections in Using the Launcher, above.

Security and Administration

•     Set an administrator password per install

•     Restrict access to configuration settings (such as group assignments)

Logging for Troubleshooting

•     Set Log Level to DEBUG when diagnosing an issue

•     Review logs to identify connection or configuration problems

The most common Launcher issues and how to resolve them.

#1 Version Mismatch

Issue: The Launcher shows the version in red, meaning the database version does not match the installed application version. When you click Launch, it fails or shows an error explaining the mismatch.

Figure: A version mismatch shown in red in the Version column.

Cause: The Yellow Dog Inventory application was recently upgraded and hasn’t been launched since, so it hasn’t finished updating its files.

1.   Close the Yellow Dog Launcher application

2.   Launch Yellow Dog Inventory from the original file location and right-click to Run as Administrator

3.   If a recent upgrade is the cause, click Yes on the restart prompt

4.   Reopen the Launcher and confirm the version now displays in green

#2 Database Connection Failure

Issue: The database name appears in red.

Figure: A database connection failure shown in red in the Database column.

Cause: There is a connection error.

•     Check status.yellowdog.software and verify service statuses

•     If database services are down: close the application and wait for services to come back online. You can subscribe to updates at the bottom of that page.

•     If database services are all online: contact the Yellow Dog Support Team

#3 Yellow Dog Launcher Not Loading

Issue: The Launcher is stuck on the loading screen.

Figure: The Launcher stuck on its loading screen.

Troubleshooting: Reach out to Yellow Dog Support (see Support, below).

#4 Shared Drive Configuration Problems

Issue: The Yellow Dog Launcher is inaccessible.

Cause: If the Launcher is installed on a shared drive, problems can occur if not all installs are accessible to every user, or if paths point to local machines instead of the shared drive.

1.   Verify that all install files are accessible to the user

2.   In the Launcher, go to Settings > Programs and review the Auto-Scan Install Directory and Auto-Scan Config Directory. If either points to a local machine, move it to the shared drive and update the paths.

3.   Contact the Yellow Dog Support Team if issues still occur

Contact support if you have questions or need assistance:

Phone: 757-663-7514

Email: support@yellowdogsoftware.com

Support hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. EST

Emergency support (available 24/7): 757-663-7514, Option 1

Submit support tickets anytime through the Customer Portal at portal.yellowdogsoftware.com.