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DataConnect Studio on Windows

The installer offers two installation types:

  • Actian DataConnect Studio — the Design Studio, Integration Engine, Data Quality Engine, and SDK. Choose this to create, edit, or test Data Quality workflows.
  • Standalone Engine — the Integration Engine, Data Quality Engine, Design SDK, and Client SDK, with no user interface. Choose this for dedicated runtime or production servers.

Note

The Standalone Engine option above installs the runtime through this Windows Studio installer. To deploy the standalone DataConnect Runtime Engine on its own — for example on a production server or on Linux — see Runtime Engine Windows or Runtime Engine Linux.

Requirements

Review the requirements for the installation type you plan to install.

RequirementActian DataConnect StudioStandalone Engine
Operating System64-bit U.S. English edition of Microsoft Windows 10 or Windows 1164-bit U.S. English edition of Microsoft Windows 10 or Windows 11
Processor64-bit processor, x86-64, 2 GHz or faster64-bit processor, x86-64, 2 GHz or faster
RAM32 GB minimum16 GB minimum
Installation Size~2 GB~1.65 GB
RuntimeOpenJDK Runtime Environment (Temurin-17.0.13+11, included with installer)OpenJDK Runtime Environment (Temurin-17.0.13+11, included with installer)
LicenseDataConnect v14 license file (typically *.slc)DataConnect v14 license file (typically *.slc)

Installation Steps

To install DataConnect on Windows:

  1. Download the DataConnect installer from Actian ESD.

    The installer filename follows the format actian-dc-studio-installer-<version>-win64.exe.

  2. Run the downloaded installer.

    The DataConnect Installer opens on the Welcome screen.

    Note

    If the same version is already installed, the Next button is disabled — the installer does not allow reinstalling the same version. To reinstall, uninstall the existing version first.

  3. On the Welcome screen, review the product information and "What's New", then click Next.

    The License Agreement screen opens.

  4. On the License Agreement screen, scroll to the bottom of the agreement to enable the checkbox, select I accept the terms of the License Agreement, then click Next.

    The Installation Type screen opens.

  5. On the Installation Type screen, select the type you want to install, then click Next:

    • Actian DataConnect Studio (default): Full installation with design capabilities.
    • Standalone Engine: Runtime-only installation, without a user interface.

    The Installation Location screen opens.

  6. On the Installation Location screen, accept the default directories or click Browse... to change them, then click Install:

    • Installation Directory (default C:\Program Files\Actian\actian-dc-studio-<version>): Program files and the embedded engine.
    • Data Directory (default C:\ProgramData\Actian\DataConnect\actian-dc-studio-<version>): Connectors, components, and configuration files. ProgramData is a hidden folder in Windows.

    Optionally, select Create desktop shortcut. Installation begins and may take a few minutes depending on the selected components.

  7. On the Installation Complete screen, choose from the following options, then click Finish:

    • Launch Actian DataConnect Studio (selected by default): Starts DataConnect after you click Finish.
    • Add Windows Defender exclusions (recommended, selected by default): Excludes the DataConnect directories from Windows Defender real-time scanning, which can otherwise slow down DataConnect startup and runtime performance.

Important

DataConnect must be launched via DataConnect.bat in the installation directory. The desktop shortcut (if created) does this automatically.

License Configuration

You need a valid license file to run DataConnect.

Actian DataConnect Studio

When you first launch the Studio, it will automatically detect a missing license and provide a file chooser dialog. Simply browse to your license file and the Studio will update the cosmos.ini configuration for you automatically.

Standalone Engine

For Standalone Engine installations, manual license configuration is required:

  1. Locate the cosmos.ini configuration file in the data directory:

    • Default location: C:\ProgramData\Actian\DataConnect\actian-dc-studio-<version>\cosmos.ini

  2. Configure the license file path by editing the LicenseFile property: 

    LicenseFile=C:\ProgramData\Actian\DataConnect\actian-dc-studio-<version>\cosmos.slc

  3. Place your DataConnect v14 license file (.slc file) in the specified location.

Note

License Compatibility: License files are version-specific. If upgrading from DataConnect v12 or earlier, you must obtain a new v14 license file. Previous version licenses are not compatible.

Configuration Persistence: Configuration file changes persist across uninstall/reinstall operations.

Installation Logs

The installer creates a log file that records the installation process:

  • Log location: <installation-directory>\install.log
  • Default location: C:\Program Files\Actian\actian-dc-studio-<version>\install.log (when using default installation directory)
  • Contents: Installation steps, component extraction, configuration changes, and any errors

Use this log file to troubleshoot installation issues or verify successful installation.

Application Logs

Each time the Studio launches, it writes a startup diagnostic log:

  • Log location: C:\Users\<username>\.dcim\logs\startup.log
  • Contents: Diagnostic details recorded during application startup
  • Behavior: The file is overwritten on each launch, so it always reflects the most recent startup

Use this log to troubleshoot startup issues.

Uninstalling DataConnect Studio

To uninstall Actian DataConnect on Windows:

Method 1: Using Windows Settings (Windows 10/11)

  1. Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps
  2. Find Actian DataConnect Studio \<version> in the list
  3. Click the three-dot menu and select Uninstall
  4. Follow the uninstall wizard prompts

Method 2: Using Control Panel

  1. Go to Control Panel → Programs and Features
  2. Right-click Actian DataConnect Studio \<version>
  3. Select Uninstall
  4. Follow the uninstall wizard prompts

Note

Uninstalling DataConnect removes:

  • Program files from C:\Program Files\Actian\
  • Data directory at C:\ProgramData\Actian\DataConnect\ (including configuration files, and logs)

User workspaces and projects stored in custom locations (e.g., C:\Users\<username>\Actian\DataConnect\workspace) are not affected by uninstallation.