Installing GlobalForms on Windows

Install GlobalForms on a Windows server and run it as a Windows service. Setup downloads the current release, connects to MongoDB, creates the first administrator account and starts the service. You can run setup from the GlobalForms Installer, a settings window that also installs Node.js if needed, or from the command line.

Before you begin

• Confirm the server meets the System Requirements.

• Install Node.js 24 or later, or let the GlobalForms Installer install it for you. To check an existing installation, run node --version in a new Command Prompt.

• Install GlobalCapture first. GlobalForms uses the MongoDB server that GlobalCapture installs. Know that server's host name and port and, if used, the MongoDB username and password. GlobalForms creates its own database on it (GlobalForms by default). See System Requirements.

• Decide on the external URL users will use to reach GlobalForms, for example https://forms.example.com. Users should always reach GlobalForms over HTTPS; see Configuring HTTPS.

• Sign in to the server with an account that has local administrator rights.

Install with the GlobalForms Installer (recommended)

The GlobalForms Installer runs the same setup as the command-line steps, from one settings window. It installs Node.js if it's missing or too old, checks your settings before anything is changed, and upgrades an existing installation in the same way.

Get the installer

Request the GlobalForms Installer from Square 9 Fulfillment at fulfillment@square-9.com. You receive a zip file containing Install-GlobalForms.cmd and Install-GlobalForms.ps1. Extract the whole zip to a folder on the server; both files must stay in the same folder.

Run the installer

1. Sign in to the server with a local administrator account and double-click Install-GlobalForms.cmd to start the install. Do not run Install-GlobalForms.ps1 yourself; the CMD file starts it with the right settings. When Windows asks whether to allow the app to make changes, select Yes. A command window opens and shows the progress.

2. If Node.js 24 or later isn't installed, the installer offers to install the latest Node.js 24 from nodejs.org. Select Yes. It checks the download's SHA-256 checksum before installing it.

3. The installer checks that the server can reach update.square9.cloud. If it can't, it stops before changing anything.

4. In the Install GlobalForms window, enter the settings (see the table below) and select Install.

5. The installer checks your entries, then tries to reach the MongoDB host and port. If MongoDB can't be reached, it asks whether to continue anyway; setup fails if MongoDB is still unreachable.

6. It downloads the current installer and runs setup without prompts, using your settings. This takes a few minutes.

7. When setup finishes, the installer shows the status of the GlobalForms service and opens the Forms URL in your browser. Sign in with the admin username, not the email address.

8. Press any key to close the command window.

Settings

Select Show advanced settings for these:

No setting can start with -- or contain a double quote (").

Upgrade or reinstall with the installer

If the install folder already contains GlobalForms, the window says an existing installation was found, fills in its settings (Forms URL, MongoDB connection, service name, HTTPS certificate settings and release channel), and the button reads Upgrade. The installer replaces the program files and the GlobalForms service, and keeps your settings in config\local.json.

Enter the root admin username, email and password each time. If an administrator with that username already exists, its email and password are set to the values you enter.

Pre-fill the settings (optional)

To prepare the installer for a particular server, add a file named install-defaults.json to the installer folder. Any of these settings pre-fill the window: installPath, domain, mongoHost, mongoPort, mongoDb, mongoUser, mongoPassword, mongoAuthSource, mongoTls, adminName, adminEmail, serviceName, sslCertPath, sslKeyPath, sslCertPassword and channel.

{
  "installPath": "C:\\GlobalForms",
  "domain": "https://forms.example.com",
  "mongoHost": "db-server",
  "mongoPort": "27017",
  "mongoDb": "GlobalForms",
  "adminEmail": "admin@example.com"
}

Settings found in an existing installation take priority over this file.

Install from the command line

1. Open PowerShell as administrator (right-click PowerShell and select Run as administrator).

2. Go to a working folder, for example:

   PowerShell

   mkdir C:\Temp\GlobalFormsSetup
   cd C:\Temp\GlobalFormsSetup
   

3. Download the installer:

   PowerShell

   Invoke-WebRequest "https://update.square9.cloud/globalforms/releases/bootstrap-installer.js" -OutFile ".\bootstrap-installer.js"
   

4. Run the installer:

   PowerShell

   node .\bootstrap-installer.js
   

   The installer downloads the current Stable release and starts setup.

5. Answer the setup prompts. Press Enter to accept a default value.

Setup prompts

Setup checks the MongoDB connection, copies the files, installs required components, writes your settings to config\local.json, creates the administrator account and starts the GlobalForms service. When it finishes, it displays GlobalForms setup completed successfully.

Verify the installation

1. Confirm the service is running:

   PowerShell

   sc.exe query GlobalForms
   

   The STATE should be RUNNING. You can also check Services for GlobalForms Forms Server.

2. On the server, open http://localhost:3001/ in a browser. Until HTTPS is configured, GlobalForms answers over HTTP on port 3001; once it is, users reach it at its https:// address. See Configuring HTTPS.

3. Sign in as gfadmin with the password you entered during setup.

Install without prompts (unattended)

To install from a script, pass the settings as options and add --silent:

node .\bootstrap-installer.js `
  --silent `
  --installPath "C:\GlobalForms" `
  --domain "https://forms.example.com" `
  --mongoHost "db-server" `
  --mongoPort 27017 `
  --mongoDb "GlobalForms" `
  --mongoUser "<MongoDB user>" `
  --mongoPassword "<MongoDB password>" `
  --mongoAuthSource "admin" `
  --adminName "gfadmin" `
  --adminEmail "admin@example.com" `
  --adminPassword "<Admin password>" `
  --sslCertPath "C:\GlobalForms\ssl\forms.example.com.crt" `
  --sslKeyPath "C:\GlobalForms\ssl\forms.example.com.key" `
  --downloadNssm true

Reinstalling over an existing installation

If setup finds GlobalForms already installed in the chosen folder, it loads the existing settings as defaults and asks before it overwrites files. Your existing settings are kept in config\local.json. If a GlobalForms service already exists, setup asks whether to replace it.

What gets installed

The GlobalForms Windows service starts automatically when the server starts.

Troubleshooting

GlobalForms Installer messages

Related pages

• System Requirements

• Configuration Files

• Configuring HTTPS

• Automatic Updates