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This page covers the Windows-specific installation details for the current release.
Grunt is a self-contained .NET 9 COM add-in. It bundles its own runtime and has no external runtime prerequisites.
  • Windows 10 or Windows 11
  • PowerPoint 2016 or later (Microsoft 365 recommended)
  • The standard x64 package, or arm64 for Windows on ARM
Download the installer from app.grunt.pro/download.

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Default installation

The default install writes Grunt to:
Key characteristics:
  • Per-user installation
  • No admin rights in most environments
  • Registry changes under HKEY_CURRENT_USER
  • Auto-updates on by default unless disabled for the organization
This is the recommended mode for most users.

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Command-line installation

For controlled environments, use per-machine installation through MSI flags:
This installs Grunt to:
Key characteristics:
  • Requires admin rights
  • Per-machine installation
  • Registry changes under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
  • Auto-updates disabled by design

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Registry entries

The installer writes the following registry entries. The root is HKEY_CURRENT_USER for per-user installs and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for per-machine installs.

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PowerPoint add-in registration

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COM class registration

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Grunt metadata

For per-user installs, set updateStrategy under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Grunt to control updates. Use 1 for automatic updates, 2 for manual updates, and 0 to keep update availability silent and prevent automatic installation. See Update management for the recommended per-user command.
On 64-bit systems, the installer also mirrors the registry entries under Software\Wow6432Node\ for compatibility with 32-bit Office.

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Software deployment systems

The same per-machine model is intended for SCCM, Intune, and similar systems. Use Update management if you also need rollout and release-channel guidance.

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Troubleshoot the installer

If the installer fails, rerun the per-user installation with verbose logging:
Run the command as the affected user. Do not run it from an elevated administrator prompt. For Windows on ARM, replace x64 with arm64. Before retrying the installation:
  • Close PowerPoint and other Microsoft Office applications.
  • Confirm that the MSI file is available locally and matches the device architecture.
  • Check whether endpoint protection blocked or quarantined the installer.
  • Record any error message or installer exit code.
If the installation still fails, send grunt-install.log from the user’s Downloads folder to Grunt support. Include the error message, exit code, Windows version, and Office architecture.