PRTG Desktop Manual

© 2021 Paessler AG

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indirectly by this document.

Printed: February 2021 in Nuremberg

Table of contents

Part 1 Welcome to PRTG Desktop ........................................................................................................................................ 5

Part 2 General requirements ................................................................................................................................................... 7

Part 3 Download and installation ......................................................................................................................................... 11

1 Install PRTG Desktop ........................................................................................................................... 13

2 Uninstall PRTG Desktop ...................................................................................................................... 19
Part 4 General layout .............................................................................................................................................................. 21

Part 5 Manage device tree .................................................................................................................................................... 26

Part 6 Menu tabs and page content .................................................................................................................................... 31

1 Devices .................................................................................................................................................... 33
2 Libraries ................................................................................................................................................... 39
3 Sensors ................................................................................................................................................... 42
4 Alarms ..................................................................................................................................................... 46
5 Maps ........................................................................................................................................................ 49
6 Reports .................................................................................................................................................... 51
7 Logs .......................................................................................................................................................... 52
8 Tickets ..................................................................................................................................................... 54
9 Tools ........................................................................................................................................................ 56
Part 7 Compare sensors ........................................................................................................................................................ 57

Part 8 Multi Server ................................................................................................................................................................... 59

1 Dashboard .............................................................................................................................................. 62
2 Details ...................................................................................................................................................... 65
3 Report ....................................................................................................................................................... 67
Part 9 Main menu structure .................................................................................................................................................. 68

Part 10 Settings .......................................................................................................................................................................... 72

1 Accounts ................................................................................................................................................. 74
2 Certificates ............................................................................................................................................. 77
3 Updates & Theme ................................................................................................................................. 78
4 Notifications ........................................................................................................................................... 81
5 Device Tools .......................................................................................................................................... 84
Part 11 Desktop notifications ................................................................................................................................................. 87

3
 Part 12 Quick Tips ..................................................................................................................................................................... 91

Part 13 Appendix ........................................................................................................................................................................ 93

1 Data storage ........................................................................................................................................... 95

2 List of icons ............................................................................................................................................ 96
3 List of placeholders .............................................................................................................................. 97
4 Shortcuts overview ............................................................................................................................... 98

4
Part 1
Welcome to PRTG Desktop

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Part 1: Welcome to PRTG Desktop |

1 Welcome to PRTG Desktop

PRTG Desktop is an alternative interface that you can use to connect to one or several independent PRTG
core servers or PRTG Hosted Monitor instances (hereinafter referred to as servers) to configure your setup,
view monitoring results, and keep an eye on your network. It is a cross-platform application for fast access
to data and monitoring management.

PRTG Desktop natively includes most PRTG functions. For a few options, PRTG Desktop opens an external
browser window via your default browser, for example, for system setup.

PRTG Desktop also optionally displays a tray icon, taskbar notifications, or plays notification sounds to keep
you up to date in the case of new alarms, log entries, or tickets.
For more information, see section Desktop notifications 88 .

To use PRTG Desktop, download and install 13 it on your Windows or macOS computer.

Access several servers in one interface

Using the Multi Server functionality of PRTG Desktop, you can connect to several independent servers to
view their data at a glance and centrally manage your monitoring.
For more information, see section Multi Server 60 .

PRTG Desktop is mainly designed to review and manage PRTG installations that you have already set up. If
you have just started with monitoring, we recommend that you first run through the Smart Setup in the
PRTG web interface and add your network devices there. Once finished, you can seamlessly switch to
PRTG Desktop.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Smart Setup.

PRTG Hosted Monitor supports connections from PRTG Desktop. For more information, see the PRTG
Manual: Using PRTG Hosted Monitor.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Smart Setup

§ Using PRTG Hosted Monitor

6 2/4/2021
Part 2
General requirements

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Part 2: General requirements |

2 General requirements
To install PRTG Desktop and work with it, you need to meet the following requirements:

§ Supported operating systems 8

§ Requirements for connections to PRTG web servers 8

§ Restrictions for non-commercial editions

Supported operating systems

The following operating systems are officially supported for PRTG Desktop:

Operating system Supported systems

Windows (32-bit or 64-bit) § Microsoft Windows Server 2019

§ Microsoft Windows Server 2016

§ Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2

§ Microsoft Windows 10

§ Microsoft Windows 8.1

§ Microsoft Windows 7 (convenience rollup for SP1)

macOS § macOS 10.12 or later

We also recommend that you keep your graphics card drivers up to date for best performance.

Requirements for connections to PRTG web servers

To show monitoring data of your PRTG setup, PRTG Desktop must be able to establish a connection to
your PRTG web servers.

Make sure that the following account settings 74 in PRTG Desktop match the following settings in the
PRTG Administration Tool:

PRTG Desktop account PRTG Administration Tool settings

settings

Server Select IP Address for the PRTG Web Server on the PRTG Web
Server tab

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 Part 2: General requirements |

PRTG Desktop account PRTG Administration Tool settings

settings

PRTG web server settings in the PRTG Administration tool

For connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor instances, this is the

domain name.

Port Select TCP Port for the PRTG Web Server on the PRTG Web Server
tab
PRTG switches to port 8080 as a fallback after a restart when
port 80 is already used, and to port 8443 if port 443 is not
available. PRTG keeps the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection in
this case. If this port is also not available, PRTG tries from port 8081
(8444 for SSL) on until it finds an available port.
Because PRTG Desktop cannot automatically recognize these ports
(8080+, 8443+), manually enter the used port in the Port setting when
you add or edit an account in PRTG Desktop. If you do not get a
connection to the PRTG web server, also check the used port in the
Web Server settings under System Administration | User Interface in
the PRTG web interface.
For connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor instances, this is 443
by default.

Login Name Login Name on the Administrator tab

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Part 2: General requirements |

PRTG Desktop account PRTG Administration Tool settings

settings

Administrator settings in the PRTG Administration tool

For connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor instances, this is the

API Username under Account Settings | My Account in the
PRTG web interface.

Password Password on the Administrator tab

For connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor instances, this is the
API Passhash under Account Settings | My Account in the
PRTG web interface.

Also make sure that you meet the following requirements:

§ No local software firewall blocks the connection.

§ No local virus protection program blocks the connection.

§ No other application uses the specified port.

§ No (hardware) firewall blocks the connection when you connect through a network (LAN or WAN).

§ The software version of the PRTG web server is PRTG 17.4.35 or later.

Restrictions for non-commercial editions

You can connect to a maximum of two non-commercial installations (Trial Edition or Freeware Edition).

There are no restrictions for connections to commercial installations.

More
PAESSLER WEBSITE

How to connect PRTG through a firewall in 4 steps

§ [Link]

10 2/17/2021
Part 3
Download and installation

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Part 3: Download and installation |

3 Download and installation

You can download the appropriate PRTG Desktop installer for your operating system from the Paessler
website under [Link]

Download PRTG Desktop

The version of PRTG Desktop does not have to match the PRTG core server version to which you want
to connect. PRTG Desktop can connect to a PRTG core server that is version PRTG 17.4.35 or later.

To install or uninstall PRTG Desktop, see the following sections:

§ Install PRTG Desktop 13

§ Uninstall PRTG Desktop 19

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 Part 3: Download and installation | 1 Install PRTG Desktop

3.1 Install PRTG Desktop

You can install PRTG Desktop on any computer with a supported operating system.

You need administration rights to install PRTG Desktop on all supported Windows Server 8 versions.

To install PRTG Desktop on macOS, open the PRTG Desktop disk image, and drag the PRTG icon onto
the Applications folder icon.

Install PRTG Desktop on Windows

Execute the setup program [Link] that you have downloaded.

License agreement

PRTG Desktop is automatically installed under C:\Program Files\Paessler\PRTG Desktop. Click

Change Path to select a different folder. We recommend that you use the default path.

Click Install to accept the terms and conditions and to install PRTG Desktop.

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Part 3: Download and installation | 1 Install PRTG Desktop

Installation complete

After installation, click Launch to start PRTG Desktop.

The welcome page is displayed.

Welcome page

Click Connect to my server to continue. Optionally, you can try the demo server.

You can also import your server connections from the deprecated Enterprise Console. For more
information, see section Import server connections from the deprecated Enterprise Console 17 .

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 Part 3: Download and installation | 1 Install PRTG Desktop

Connection settings

Enter the connection settings 8 for your PRTG core server or PRTG Hosted Monitor instance and click
Save to connect.

PRTG Desktop stores 95 the connection settings for each Windows user individually under %allusers
%\AppData\Roaming\Paessler\PRTG Desktop\data.

If your PRTG core server uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), PRTG Desktop shows a certificate warning
because the certificate that comes with PRTG cannot be signed by a valid authority.

Certificate warning

Click Yes to continue.

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Part 3: Download and installation | 1 Install PRTG Desktop

Tip how to move or clone devices

Click Next to continue.

Move or clone devices shortcuts

Click Next to continue.

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 Part 3: Download and installation | 1 Install PRTG Desktop

Enable system tray notifications

Enable or disable the check box next to Enable the system tray to receive desktop notifications via the
system tray or to deactivate notifications.

Click Done to start PRTG Desktop.

Import server connections from the deprecated Enterprise Console

With PRTG Desktop, you can also import server connections from the deprecated Enterprise Console. Click
Import server connections in the initial installation dialog.

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Part 3: Download and installation | 1 Install PRTG Desktop

Import Enterprise Console server connections

Enter the password for the server connection and click Next to continue. Click Skip this if you do not want to
import this particular server connection and to move on to the next server connection. If the import was
successful, the next installation dialog appears.

Open PRTG Desktop

Click the PRTG Desktop icon in the Windows Start menu to open PRTG Desktop. As soon as it opens, PRTG
Desktop tries to connect to your PRTG installations via the defined server connection settings.

If you get an error message when you open PRTG Desktop, check the connection settings. This is for
example necessary if you changed the IP address of your PRTG server.

For more information, see section Accounts 74 .

More
KNOWLEDGE BASE

PRTG Desktop on macOS 10.15 Catalina cannot be opened. What can I do?
§ [Link]

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 Part 3: Download and installation | 2 Uninstall PRTG Desktop

3.2 Uninstall PRTG Desktop

The uninstall process has four steps. Use the Windows uninstall routines to remove the PRTG Desktop
software from your system.

You need administration rights to uninstall PRTG Desktop on all supported Windows Server 8
versions.

To uninstall PRTG Desktop on macOS, drag PRTG Desktop out of your Applications folder to the trash
can.

Step 1
From the Windows Start menu, open the Windows Control Panel (the Windows Settings in Windows 10), go
to the Programs and Features section (the Apps section in Windows 10), select PRTG Desktop, and click
Uninstall.

Step 2
If asked, confirm the question of the Windows User Account Control with Yes to allow the program to
uninstall.

Allow uninstall

Step 3
Click Uninstall to start the uninstall process.

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Part 3: Download and installation | 2 Uninstall PRTG Desktop

Uninstall PRTG Desktop

Wait while the software is being removed. The dialog shows you the uninstall progress. Click Close when
the uninstall process is complete.

Step 4
After the software is removed, there is still some custom data in the PRTG Desktop data directory.

To completely remove all PRTG Desktop data from a Windows machine, delete the %allusers%
\AppData\Roaming\Paessler folder in the data directory.

On macOS, delete /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Paessler/PRTG Desktop.

For more information, see section Data storage 95 .

More
KNOWLEDGE BASE

I have issues with PRTG Desktop. What can I do?

§ [Link]

20 2/17/2021
Part 4
General layout

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Part 4: General layout |

4 General layout
The main layout of PRTG Desktop consists of different elements:

PRTG Desktop layout

Screen Page area name Description

number

1 Main menu 23 The main menu gives access to general configuration and
settings.

2 Page header bar 23 This area contains breadcrumbs, the search bar, the refresh
button, and the sensor states overview.

3 Menu tabs 24 This area contains the main navigation tabs.

4 Device tree 27 This area contains the entire tree hierarchy.

5 Page content 24 This area contains information about the current object, the
object's status bar with command buttons, and several tabs
with settings.

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 Part 4: General layout |

Screen Page area name Description

number

6 Command bar 24 This area contains several command buttons for the object
selected in the device tree.

Often, PRTG Desktop displays data and settings directly. It also provides a seamless link to the PRTG web
interface to access further functionalities such as reports, maps, and libraries.

Extended setup additionally requires a new window of the system's default browser where the PRTG web
interface opens. In this case, you are logged in to the PRTG web interface automatically via login name and
hash value. In your browser, it might be necessary to confirm the certificate that the PRTG core server uses.

If your internal web server uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), your browser shows a certificate warning
because the certificate that comes with PRTG cannot be signed by a valid authority. Anyway, the
connection to your PRTG core server is secured via SSL, and you can confirm the claimed security risk.

If you configure PRTG Desktop for a connection with more than one server, use the Servers 69 menu to
select which server's data you want to access.

Main menu
The main menu gives access to general configuration and settings.

For more information, see section Main menu structure 69 .

Page header bar

The page header bar consists of the following parts:

Part Description

Previous viewpoint ( ) PRTG Desktop stores the different views that you navigate to in the
application. Click (or use the shortcut Ctrl+Left on Windows, +Left on
macOS), to step back in the history, just as you know from your web
browser.

Breadcrumbs The breadcrumbs show you the selected server and the menu tab that you
are currently on.

Status information This area shows, for example, if a new PRTG core server version is
available. It also shows the maintenance or trial status, or if the overload
protection is active.

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Part 4: General layout |

Part Description

Search bar Enter a key word to search the respective server. In the Search Results
dropdown list, PRTG Desktop displays matching monitoring objects and
related objects. If you click a monitoring object,for example a sensor, in the
search results, PRTG Desktop opens this object on the Devices 33 menu
tab with the sensor overview on the right-hand side.

Refresh ( ) Click (or use the shortcut F5 on Windows, +R on macOS) at any time
to refresh the current screen. This immediately queries data for the screen
from the currently selected server just as the automatic refresh does.

Sensor status icons This area shows the aggregated status of all sensors from the currently
selected server, divided into different sensor states.
Depending on the particular sensor states, you see boxes in different
colors with numbers that represent the sensors. For example, you can see
how many sensors are in the Up, Down, Down (Acknowledged), Down
(Partial), Warning, Paused, Unusual, or the Unknown status.

Menu tabs and page content

You can navigate through your setup via the menu tabs. The page content varies depending on the selected
menu tab. It shows various types of information about your monitored objects.

For a detailed description of all tabs, see section Menu tabs and page content 32 .

Command bar
You can perform several actions via the command buttons on the right side of the page content area.
Depending on the object you select in the device tree, you have the following options:

Command buttons

Pause Pause the object. If the object already is in the Paused status or in the
simulated error status, Resume appears. Click to resume monitoring for this
—or— object.
Resume

Acknowledge alarm Acknowledge an alarm for a sensor in the Down or Down (Partial) status.

For more information, see section Alarms 46 .

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 Part 4: General layout |

Command buttons

Scan now Perform an immediate scan for the selected object. This queries the data
for all devices and sensors underneath in the object hierarchy.

Open PRTG setup in Open PRTG Setup in the PRTG web interface.
a web browser This option is only available for the root group.

| Add [Object] Add a group, an auto-discovery group, a device, or a sensor. Click to open the
respective dialog.

| Add Ticket Open the New Ticket dialog.

For more information, see section Tickets 54 .

| Share Hover over this option to see available options:

§ Send Link by Email: Send the link to the selected probe by email. Click to
create a new email with your system's default email client. The email
contains a direct link to the Overview tab of the selected object.
§ Open in a Web Browser: Open the currently selected object in the PRTG
web interface with your system's default browser.

| Restart PRTG Core Restart the PRTG core server service. Click Yes to trigger the restart.
Server
This option is only available for the root group.
If you restart the PRTG core server service, all users of the PRTG web
interface, of PRTG Desktop, and of the PRTG apps for iOS or Android are
disconnected.

| Restart PRTG Probe Restart the PRTG probe service. Click Yes to trigger the restart.
Service
This option is only available for the local probe.
You cannot restart disconnected probes here. Use the PRTG
Administration Tool on the respective probe system to start a
disconnected probe.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

2/17/2021 25
Part 5
Manage device tree

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 Part 5: Manage device tree |

5 Manage device tree

In the device tree, you can move objects via drag-and-drop or via keyboard shortcuts. You can also view and
edit or multi-edit object settings by selecting multiple objects. Changes take effect immediately. To
manage objects in the device tree, you have the following options:

§ Zoom 27

§ Select multiple objects 27

§ Multi-edit objects 28

§ Sort objects via drag-and-drop 29

§ Clone objects 29

§ Context menus

Zoom
In the device tree shown on the left, you can change the size of the objects using zoom. Hold down the Ctrl
key (or for macOS) and scroll up or down with your mouse to zoom in or out. You can also use the
shortcuts Ctrl and +/- or right-click in the device tree for view options.

Select multiple objects

In the device tree, you can select one or more objects. Hold down the Ctrl key (or for macOS) to select
more objects simultaneously with your mouse. Usually, you select more than one object to view, for
example, combined graphs, or to apply a command from the context menus 30 , for example, Pause or
Delete, to several objects.

When you select multiple items, the right-hand side shows data for the selected items.

Select multiple objects in the device tree

On the Overview tab, you see a value table that summarizes general information that is available for the
selected objects.

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Part 5: Manage device tree |

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the table
by enabling or disabling the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table
headers.

The Graphs tab shows summary graphs for different time spans for up to 5 selected objects on one page.
Each channel is represented as one line. You can individually show or hide channels by enabling or
disabling the check box next to the channel names. This aggregated view works for all kinds of objects. Use
the dropdown list to select the desired graph type.

Click a graph to open it in a new window:

§ Click Show All Channels or Hide All Channels to show or hide all channels at once. You can also show or
hide channels individually by enabling or disabling the check box next to the channel names. To show or
hide the value table, click Hide Value Table or Show Value Table.
§ Right-click the graph in the new window to open the context menu for graphs. Here, click Copy to
Clipboard to export the graph as a .png file for use in other applications.
§ The following options are only visible for sensors:

ú Use the slider on the timeline below the graph to show the graph data for different points in time.

ú Click to zoom in or to zoom out of the graph.

ú Click to reset all zoom and timeline slider settings.

Live graphs are only available for sensors.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Review Monitoring Data.

When you select multiple sensors, you additionally see the Settings tab and the Channel Settings tab on
which you can multi-edit sensor and channel settings. The Settings tab is also available when you select
multiple probes.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Channel Settings and Multi-Edit.

Multi-edit objects
If you select several objects on the left side, you can multi-edit the objects via the context menu option Edit
Settings. Set a check mark for one or more settings that you want to edit. All changes apply to all selected
objects. The multi-edit dialog only displays settings that the selected objects have in common.

If you only multi-edit sensors, PRTG Desktop also displays a Channel Settings tab. On this tab, you can
multi-edit the settings of any channels that the selected sensors have in common (if the channels have the
same name). Set a check mark for one or more channel settings that you want to edit. All changes apply to
all selected sensors.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Channel Settings and Multi-Edit.

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 Part 5: Manage device tree |

Sort objects via drag-and-drop

In the device tree, you can change the position of probes, groups, devices, and sensors via drag-and-drop.
Select an object and drag it to the new position.

You can also use the shortcuts Ctrl+X and Ctrl+V to move objects. Select the object and enter Ctrl+X. The
object is then copied to the clipboard. Select the new location for the object and enter Ctrl+V. When you are
finished, click Clear Clipboard.

You can only move a sensor to the top of the parent device via the shortcuts Ctrl+X and Ctrl+V.

For macOS, the shortcuts for moving objects are +X and +V.

Restrictions for moving objects

You cannot move objects in the following cases:

§ You cannot move sensors from one device to a different device. To clone sensors to other devices, see
Clone objects 29 .
§ You cannot move sensors from one probe to a different probe. To clone sensors to other probes, see
Clone objects 29 .
§ You cannot move probes from one probe to a different probe.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Manage Device Tree.

Clone objects
You can clone groups, devices, and sensors in the device tree via the context menu or via the shortcuts
Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Just select the object and enter Ctrl+C. The object is then copied to the clipboard.

For macOS, the shortcuts for cloning objects are +C and +V.

Copy to clipboard

Select the new location for the object and enter Ctrl+V. When you are finished, click Clear Clipboard.

You can also clone objects to other objects via drag-and-drop plus the Ctrl key (or for macOS).

You cannot clone fixed objects, such as the root group, the probe device, or PRTG system-internal
sensors.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Clone Object.

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Part 5: Manage device tree |

Context menus
For every object in PRTG Desktop, context menus are available that appear when you right-click an object in
the device tree.

Context menu of a device in

PRTG Desktop

The content of the context menu varies, depending on the type of object that you select.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Context Menus.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Review Monitoring Data

§ Channel Settings

§ Multi-Edit

§ Manage Device Tree

§ Clone Object

§ Context Menus

30 2/17/2021
Part 6
Menu tabs and page content

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Part 6: Menu tabs and page content |

6 Menu tabs and page content

PRTG Desktop has a tab-like interface. Using the tabs, you can navigate through various pages with
information about your monitored objects, such as your network status and monitoring results, as well as
access maps, reports, tickets, and settings.

PRTG
Desktop
menu
tabs

The following menu tabs are available:

§ Devices 33

§ Libraries 39

§ Sensors 42

§ Alarms 46

§ Maps 49

§ Reports 51

§ Logs 52

§ Tickets 54

§ Tools 56

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 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 1 Devices

6.1 Devices

The Devices tab is your starting point for everyday use. It has two subtabs, the All Objects subtab 33 and
the Favorites subtab 34 . Clicking the Devices tab automatically opens the All Objects subtab.

Devices: All Objects subtab

The All Objects subtab gives you an overview of all objects in your network. The page is split into two parts.
On the left-hand side, it shows the tree-like device view that lists the selected server with its probes, groups,
devices, and the sensors on the devices. Next to each object, you see an overview of the number of
sensors, grouped by their current status.

All Objects device overview

You can display the device tree in Classic View or in Modern View.
For more information, see section Updates & Theme 78 .

PRTG Desktop arranges all objects in a hierarchical order. The object hierarchy is used to define
common settings for groups of objects.

On the right-hand side, you see details about the object that you selected on the left-hand side. The
information is spread over several tabs.

Above the object's name, you always see a path that you can use to navigate through the device tree. Click a
breadcrumb item to directly access the device, group, or probe.

The Devices tab for the root group, probes, and groups shows a sunburst view 37 .

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Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 1 Devices

Devices: Favorites subtab

The Favorites subtab displays all of your favorite devices at a glance. On the left-hand side, you can see a
table that lists all favorite devices with their DNS name or IP address, their last message, their geographical
location, the probe or group to which they belong, and the number of sensors on a device sorted by sensor
status.

Favorite devices

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the table
by enabling or disabling the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table
headers.

Click a table row to see details of the selected device on the right-hand side. The information is spread over
several tabs. Right-click a table row to open the selected device's context menu 30 to access different
important functions.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Priority and Favorites.

Overview tab

PRTG Desktop device subtabs on the Devices tab

The Overview tab shows general information about the selected object. Depending on the object that you
select, you can see different information.

§ For servers, probes, and groups, the Overview tab shows information such as Status and Default Interval,
the object's details in the sunburst view, and graphs for different time spans.

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 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 1 Devices

§ For devices, the Overview tab shows device details and graphs for different time spans, gauges, and a
value table for all sensors on the respective device. Click above the table to see a list of all possible
categories. You can show or hide categories in the table by enabling or disabling the check box next to
the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

Graphs tab
The Graphs tab shows graphs for different time spans and their corresponding value tables. Click Hide
Graphs or Hide Value Tables to only display value tables or graphs. To show the graphs or the value tables
again, click Show Graphs or Show Value Tables.

Click Hide All Channels to only display the Alarms channel. Click Show All Channels to display the hidden
channels again. You can also show or hide channels individually by enabling or disabling the check box next
to the channel names.

Click a graph to open it in a new window:

§ Click Show All Channels or Hide All Channels to show or hide all channels at once. You can also show or
hide channels individually by enabling or disabling the check box next to the channel names. To show or
hide the value table, click Hide Value Table or Show Value Table.
§ Right-click the graph in the new window to open the context menu for graphs. Here, click Copy to
Clipboard to export the graph as a .png file for use in other applications.
§ The following options are only visible for sensors:

ú Use the slider on the timeline below the graph to show the graph data for different points in time.

ú Click to zoom in or to zoom out of the graph.

ú Click to reset all zoom and timeline slider settings.

Alarms tab
The Alarms tab shows details about all alarms for this object.

You can see all sensors that are in the Down, Down (Partial), Down (Acknowledged), Warning, or the
Unusual status. Sensors in other states, for example, Up, Paused, or Unknown, do not appear here. This is
useful for keeping track of all irregularities in your network.

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the table
by enabling or disabling the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table
headers.

For more information, see section Alarms 46 .

System Information tab

The System Information tab displays a table for each system information category.

This tab is only available for devices.

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Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 1 Devices

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: System Information.

Log tab
The Log tab shows all log information for this object. This is a subset of the entries that are available via the
Logs 52 tab.

Settings tab
The Settings tab loads and displays the object's settings from the PRTG web interface. View and
functionality are the same as in the PRTG web interface. For every type of object, different options are
available.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual:

§ Probe Settings

§ Group Settings

§ Device Settings

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the settings
are lost.

Notification Triggers tab

The Notification Triggers tab loads and displays the object's notification trigger settings from the PRTG
web interface. The functionality is the same as in the PRTG web interface. You can set different notification
triggers.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Notification Triggers Settings.

You cannot change notification settings for multiple objects at a time. We recommend that you use
the inheritance of settings.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Inheritance of Settings.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the settings
are lost.

Comments tab
On the Comments tab, you can enter free text for each object. You can use this function for documentation
purposes or to leave information for other users.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the settings
are lost.

36 2/17/2021
 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 1 Devices

History tab
The History tab shows all changes to the settings of an object via a time stamp, the user that made the
change, and a message.

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the table
by enabling or disabling the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table
headers.

Sunburst view
The Devices menu for probes, groups, devices, and sensors shows a sunburst view on the Overview tab.
The sunburst view displays your entire PRTG installation as a circle diagram. The groups are represented
as inner circles, and all devices that belong to a group are shown as 'cake slices' that are attached to the
outside of a circle element.

Sunburst view

The sunburst is interactive:

§ You can click elements to open the Overview tab of your monitoring objects.

§ You can zoom in and out by using your mouse wheel.

§ You can change the position of the sunburst on the Overview tab via drag-and-drop.

More
PRTG MANUAL

2/17/2021 37
Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 1 Devices

§ Priority and Favorites

§ Sensor States

§ System Information

§ Probe Settings

§ Group Settings

§ Device Settings

§ Notification Triggers Settings

§ Inheritance of Settings

38 2/17/2021
 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 2 Libraries

6.2 Libraries

With the Libraries feature, you can individually select which sensors you want to display.

The Libraries tab content is split into two parts. On the left-hand side, you see all available libraries of the
selected server and on the right-hand side, you see details about the selected library. The information is
spread over several tabs.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Libraries.

Library management

Edit libraries in the libraries list

In the list of libraries on the left-hand side, you can take the following actions:

§ Click a library’s name to display details about the selected library on the right-hand side.

§ Right-click a library’s name to open its context menu 30 . The following options are available: Rename,
Edit, Clone, and Delete.

§ Click to add a new library.

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Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 2 Libraries

Overview tab

PRTG Desktop library subtabs on the Libraries tab

The Overview tab shows general information about the selected object.

§ For libraries, the Overview tab shows a list of all library nodes or groups. Click a library node or group to
display all sensors that belong to the respective object in a detailed table view.
§ For library nodes and groups, the Overview tab shows all sensors that belong to the respective object in a
detailed table view.

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the table
by enabling or disabling the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table
headers.

Management tab
Click the Management tab to edit the contents of your library, for example, to add items to the library using
drag-and-drop.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Library Management.

Settings tab
The Settings tab loads and displays the object's settings from the PRTG web interface. View and
functionality are the same as in the PRTG web interface. For every type of object, different options are
available.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Libraries and Node Settings.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the settings
are lost.

Notification Triggers tab

The Notification Triggers tab loads and displays the object's notification trigger settings from the PRTG
web interface. The functionality is the same as in the PRTG web interface. You can set different notification
triggers.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Notification Triggers Settings.

You cannot change notification settings for multiple objects at a time. We recommend that you use
the inheritance of settings.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Inheritance of Settings.

40 2/17/2021
 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 2 Libraries

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the settings
are lost.

Comments tab
On the Comments tab, you can enter free text for each object. You can use this function for documentation
purposes or to leave information for other users.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the settings
are lost.

History tab
The History tab shows all changes to the settings of an object via a time stamp, the user that made the
change, and a message.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Libraries

§ Library Management

§ Libraries and Node Settings

§ Notification Triggers Settings

§ Inheritance of Settings

2/17/2021 41
Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 3 Sensors

6.3 Sensors

On the Sensors tab, you can show a list of all sensors of the selected server. You can select which kind of
sensors you want to see.

All sensors in an Up status

In the list of sensors on the left-hand side, you can take the following actions:

§ Click to sort the list of sensors according to Name, Last Value, Status, Priority, or Probe > Group >
Device. The default is No Sorting. An arrow icon next to the category name indicates an ascending or
descending sorting order.

§ Click to display the list of sensors as a list or to display the list of sensors as a table. Click
above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the table by
enabling or disabling the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table
headers.
§ Click a sensor’s name to display the sensor on the right. Right-click a sensor’s name to open its context
menu 30 .
§ Select multiple items to view graphs or to apply the same action to them via the context menu.

Available filters
You can also enable filters to only show specific sensors. To do so, choose from two different dropdown
lists to build a filter. With each filter, you can further decrease the number of shown sensors.

42 2/17/2021
 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 3 Sensors

Filter Description

By Type The first dropdown list shows various filter types. Select an entry to
apply the filter. The default value is All.

By Status The second dropdown list shows all possible sensor states. Select
an entry to only show sensors that show this status. Choose
between All, Up, Warning, Down, Down (Acknowledged), Down
(Partial), Unusual, Paused, and Unknown. The default value is All.
If you click a sensor status icon in the page header bar 23 , you
can directly view a sensor list filtered by the selected sensor
status for the selected server.

If you have filtered out all sensors and the list shows no entries, remove some filters by reverting them
to the default values.

Overview tab

PRTG Desktop sensor subtabs on the Sensors tab

The Overview tab shows sensor details, current status, the last value of all sensor channels, and a channels
table, as well as graphs for different time spans.

The Last Value in the sensor's channels table shows only the last value of the sensor's primary
channel.

Click a gauge of a channel to open the channel’s settings from the PRTG web interface. View and
functionality are the same as in the PRTG web interface. You can also right-click a gauge to change its
settings or to make this channel the primary channel of the sensor.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Channel Settings.

Click a graph to open it in a new window:

§ Click Show All Channels or Hide All Channels to show or hide all channels at once. You can also show or
hide channels individually by enabling or disabling the check box next to the channel names. To show or
hide the value table, click Hide Value Table or Show Value Table.
§ Right-click the graph in the new window to open the context menu for graphs. Here, click Copy to
Clipboard to export the graph as a .png file for use in other applications.
§ The following options are only visible for sensors:

ú Use the slider on the timeline below the graph to show the graph data for different points in time.

ú Click to zoom in or to zoom out of the graph.

ú Click to reset all zoom and timeline slider settings.

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Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 3 Sensors

Graphs tab
The Graphs tab shows graphs for different time spans and their corresponding value tables. Click Hide
Graphs or Hide Value Tables to only display value tables or graphs. To show the graphs or the value tables
again, click Show Graphs or Show Value Tables.

Click Hide All Channels or Show All Channels to show or hide all channels at once. You can also show or
hide channels individually by enabling or disabling the check box next to the channel names.

Click a graph to open it in a new window:

§ Click Show All Channels or Hide All Channels to show or hide all channels at once. You can also show or
hide channels individually by enabling or disabling the check box next to the channel names. To show or
hide the value table, click Hide Value Table or Show Value Table.
§ Right-click the graph in the new window to open the context menu for graphs. Here, click Copy to
Clipboard to export the graph as a .png file for use in other applications.
§ The following options are only visible for sensors:

ú Use the slider on the timeline below the graph to show the graph data for different points in time.

ú Click to zoom in or to zoom out of the graph.

ú Click to reset all zoom and timeline slider settings.

Historic Data tab

On the Historic Data tab, you can generate reports and charts for the data of the selected sensor. The
functionality is the same as in the PRTG web interface.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Historic Data Reports.

Log tab
The Log tab shows all log information for this object. This is a subset of the entries that are available via the
Logs 52 tab.

Settings tab
The Settings tab loads and displays the object's settings from the PRTG web interface. View and
functionality are the same as in the PRTG web interface. For every type of object, different options are
available.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Sensor Settings.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the settings
are lost.

44 2/17/2021
 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 3 Sensors

Notification Triggers tab

The Notification Triggers tab loads and displays the object's notification trigger settings from the PRTG
web interface. The functionality is the same as in the PRTG web interface. You can set different notification
triggers.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Notification Triggers Settings.

You cannot change notification settings for multiple objects at a time. We recommend that you use
the inheritance of settings.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Inheritance of Settings.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the settings
are lost.

Comments tab
On the Comments tab, you can enter free text for each object. You can use this function for documentation
purposes or to leave information for other users.

Save your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu without saving, all changes to the settings
are lost.

History tab
The History tab shows all changes to the settings of an object via a time stamp, the user that made the
change, and a message.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

§ Channel Settings

§ Historic Data Reports

§ Sensor Settings

§ Notification Triggers Settings

§ Inheritance of Settings

2/17/2021 45
Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 4 Alarms

6.4 Alarms

On the Alarms tab, you can show the alarms of the selected server.

You can see all sensors that are in the Down, Down (Partial), Down (Acknowledged), Warning, or the
Unusual status. Sensors in other states, for example, Up, Paused, or Unknown, do not appear here. This is
useful for keeping track of all irregularities in your network.

From this list view, you can select multiple items 27 to view graphs or to apply the same action to the
selected items via the context menu 30 .

Alarms list

You can hide and show sensors in the Down, Down (Acknowledged), Down (Partial), Warning, or the
Unusual status by removing and adding check marks next to the status icon.

Remove and add check marks

In the list of alarms on the left-hand side, you can also take the following actions:

§ Click to filter the list of alarms for Name, Last Value, Down for, Status, Priority, or Probe > Group >
Device. The default is No Sorting. An arrow icon next to the category name indicates an ascending or
descending sorting order.

§ Click to switch to a more detailed table view. Click above the table to see a list of all possible
categories. You can show or hide categories in the table by enabling or disabling the check box next to
the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

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 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 4 Alarms

Acknowledge alarm
An acknowledged alarm shows up in the alarms list as Down (Acknowledged) and does not trigger any
more notifications.

If the alarm condition clears, the sensor usually returns to an Up status with the next sensor scan.

To acknowledge an alarm, right-click a sensor and select Acknowledge Alarm from the context menu, then
select a time frame. For the time frame, you can choose between Acknowledge Indefinitely, acknowledge
for 5 Minutes, for 15 Minutes, for 1 Hour, for 3 Hours, for 1 Day, or Until. You can optionally enter a
message that appears in the last message value of the sensor. Click OK to confirm your settings.

If you select Acknowledge Until, a dialog box appears:

Acknowledge

Acknowledge [Objects] Shows the sensors for which you want to acknowledge the alarm. You can
acknowledge alarms for more than one sensor using multi-edit.

Until Enter the date when the Down (Acknowledged) status ends, or use the date
time picker to enter the date and time.
If the alarm condition still persists after the specified date, the sensor
shows the Down status again.

Optional Message Enter a text, for example, the reason why you acknowledge the alarm. Enter a
string or leave the field empty.

You can also acknowledge an alarm for a selected sensor by clicking . Then select a time frame and
optionally enter a message. Click again to change your settings, for example, to select a different time
frame.

Only users with write access rights can acknowledge alarms. You can give read-only users the right to
acknowledge alarms, too.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: User Accounts, section User Account Settings.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

§ Notification Triggers Setting

§ Notifications

§ Multi-Edit

2/17/2021 47
Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 4 Alarms

§ User Accounts

48 2/17/2021
 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 5 Maps

6.5 Maps

The Maps tab content is split into two parts. On the left-hand side, you see all available maps from the
selected server, on the right-hand side, the details of the selected map.

Maps

You can take the following actions:

§ Click a map's name in the list on the left to display it in the window on the right-hand side. In the tabs
above the map, select from View Map, Map Designer, Settings, Get HTML, Comments, and History.
Remember to click Save to apply your settings.
§ You can edit a map using the Map Designer.

§ Right-click a map's name to open a context menu 30 . The following options are available: Open in new
window, Rename, Edit, Clone, and Delete.

§ Click to add a new map.

For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Maps.

Map Rotation
With the Map Rotation feature in PRTG Desktop, you can show several maps or dashboards rotating on one
page. Map rotation also lets you show different information on one screen based on time. You can compare
this to a slide show. Follow the steps below to configure your own map rotation.

1. Select the maps that you want to rotate by holding down the Ctrl key while left-clicking.
2. Right-click the selected objects for the multi-edit 27 menu to appear.
3. Click Map Rotation in the multi-edit menu.
4. Enter the time until a new map appears, the default is 30 seconds.
5. PRTG Desktop now shows the selected maps in rotation in a new window.

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Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 5 Maps

6. You can change the refresh interval by clicking in the lower-right corner.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Maps

§ Map Designer

§ Map Rotation

50 2/16/2021
 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 6 Reports

6.6 Reports

On the Reports tab, you see all available reports of the selected server.

Reports

You can take the following actions:

§ Click a report's name to open its details. On the right-hand side, you see the options for the selected
report.
§ In the tabs above the report, select from Run Now, Stored Reports, Settings, Select Sensors Manually,
Sensors Selected by Tag, and Comments.
§ Right-click a report's name to open its context menu 30 . The following options are available: Rename,
Edit, Clone, and Delete.

§ Click to add a new report.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Reports

2/16/2021 51
Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 7 Logs

6.7 Logs

On the Logs tab, you can find all past activities and events of your PRTG monitoring setup. This is useful for
researching past user activities, system events, and, for example, to check whether messages were sent. In
a typical setup, a huge amount of log data is produced. Because the activity of every single object is
recorded, you can use this information to check if your setup works exactly as desired.

There are two options to call the logs list: Either you click the Log tab while you view an object's details
on the Devices 36 tab, or you click the Logs tab to show a list of all log entries of the selected server.

Logs list

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the table
by enabling or disabling the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table
headers.

Available filters
You can also enable filters to only show log entries of a specific event from the categories Status Changes,
System Events, and Object History. Select the category from the first dropdown list.

The second dropdown list shows all possible event types for the selected category. Select an entry to only
show events of the respective event type. Select a sensor status for status changes, Probe Related, Auto-
Discovery, Notification Templates, or Status Messages for system events, or a system object for object
history.

You can also select a time span for which you want to show logs, or you use the date time picker to
enter the date and time.

More
PRTG MANUAL

52 2/16/2021
 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 7 Logs

§ Logs

§ Sensor states

2/16/2021 53
Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 8 Tickets

6.8 Tickets

On the Tickets tab, you can view a list of all tickets for the selected server. A badge displays the number of
open tickets (the maximum number is 99 tickets).

Tickets list

You can take the following actions:

§ Click a ticket in the list on the left to display it in the window on the right-hand side. You can also multi-
edit tickets via the context menu. Select several tickets by holding Ctrl or Shift (or for macOS) and
clicking on the corresponding tickets.
§ Right-click a ticket to open a context menu 30 . The following actions are available: Edit, Assign, Resolve,
Reopen, and Close.

§ Click to add a new ticket.

§ Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the
table by enabling or disabling the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the
table headers.

Available filters
You can also enable filters to only show tickets from the categories Open, Resolved, and Closed. Select the
category from the first dropdown list.

The second dropdown list shows all possible ticket types. Choose from User Tickets, ToDo Tickets, and
Notification Tickets.

In the third dropdown list, you can select a ticket assignee. This can be yourself, a different user, or a user
group.

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 Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 8 Tickets

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Tickets

2/16/2021 55
Part 6: Menu tabs and page content | 9 Tools

6.9 Tools

On the Tools tab, PRTG Desktop offers several tools. All placeholders (or variables) that are configured in a
tool command are resolved for the selected object.

Tools

The following tools are available:

Tool Description

Ping To ping a device, enter the hostname or IP address and the number
of packets to send and click Ping.
PRTG Desktop then shows the number of sent, received, and lost
packets; the loss percentage; and the minimum, maximum, and
average times.

Traceroute To start a traceroute on the selected device, enter the hostname or

IP adress and click Traceroute.
PRTG Desktop then displays the route and measures transit delays
of packets across the IP network.

DNS To start a DNS lookup, enter the hostname and click Lookup.
PRTG Desktop then shows the IP address of the hostname.

Raw HTTP To get the raw HTTP from a website, for example, enter a GET
request and click Go.
PRTG Desktop then returns the raw HTTP.

56 2/17/2021
Part 7
Compare sensors

2/17/2021 57
Part 7: Compare sensors |

7 Compare sensors
Use the Compare Sensors functionality of PRTG Desktop to compare sensors from different PRTG servers.

Compare Sensors window

To add sensors to the Compare Sensors window, select one or more sensors in the device tree and click
Add to Compare Sensors in the context menu. Repeat this for every PRTG server whose sensors you want
to compare.

The Compare Sensors window shows a table with detailed information about the compared sensors. You
can take the following actions:

§ Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the
table by enabling or disabling the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the
table headers.

§ Click to export the table as a .csv file.

§ Right-click a sensor in the sensor list on the left side to remove it from the list or to go to this sensor's
Overview tab.

You can also select Window | Compare Sensors from the Windows menu to bring the Compare Sensors
window to the foreground.
This option is only visible if you already added sensors to the sensor comparison.

PRTG Desktop does not save the selected sensors in the Compare Sensors window. If you close the
window, you have to add the sensors again to compare them.

PRTG Desktop does not automatically refresh the data of sensors in the Compare Sensors window.
Click or press F5 to refresh the sensors' data.

58 2/17/2021
Part 8
Multi Server

2/17/2021 59
Part 8: Multi Server |

8 Multi Server
Use the Multi Server functionality of PRTG Desktop to view data of all your independent servers in a single
window so you can manage your monitoring centrally.

From the main menu of PRTG Desktop, select the Servers 69 menu.
This menu is only displayed if you have configured more than one server.

Click Multi Server to open the Multi Server window. You can also use the shortcut Ctrl+M to open the Multi
Server window. For macOS, the shortcut is +M.

General layout

Layout of the Multi Server window

From top to bottom, the main layout of the Multi Server window consists of:

Screen Page area name Description

number

1 Main menu The main menu gives access to general configuration and
settings.
For more information, see section Main menu
structure 69 .

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 Part 8: Multi Server |

Screen Page area name Description

number

2 Page header bar This area shows the aggregated status of all sensors from all
configured servers, divided into different sensor states.

3 Menu tabs bar This area contains the main navigation tabs.

4 Page content This area contains different content depending on the tab you
select.

Use the menu tabs bar to navigate through the Multi Server window. The following menu tabs are available:

§ Dashboard 62

§ Details 65

§ Report

More
I have issues with PRTG Desktop. What can I do?
§ [Link]

2/17/2021 61
Part 8: Multi Server | 1 Dashboard

8.1 Dashboard

On the Multi Server Dashboard page, you can use different widget types to show overviews of configured
servers and overviews of sensors sorted by status for each server.

Overviews of configured servers in the Multi Server dashboard

Add widget
Click the plus icon to open the Add Widget dialog.

Select a widget type and the servers and sensor states to display

You can take the following actions:

§ Enter a name for the widget.

62 2/17/2021
 Part 8: Multi Server | 1 Dashboard

§ Select a widget type. You can display a Server List or Server Donuts.

§ Select the configured servers and the sensor states that you want to display by enabling or disabling the
check box next to the name of a server or status. Enable Select All to show all configured servers or all
states. Click OK to add the new widget.

Work with widgets

Widget types on the overview page

On the overview page, you can take the following actions for each widget:

§ Click a server donut to open the respective server in a new window.

§ Click a sensor status in the status list of a configured server to open a list of sensors filtered by the
selected status in a new window.

§ Click for the following options:

ú Delete: Select to delete the respective widget.

ú Delete all: Select to delete all widgets on the dashboard.

ú Settings: Select to edit a widget. The Edit Widget dialog opens. All settings you can change here are the
same as when adding a widget. Click OK to save your settings.

You can display a maximum of 6 servers at a time.

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Part 8: Multi Server | 1 Dashboard

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

64 2/17/2021
 Part 8: Multi Server | 2 Details

8.2 Details

On the Multi Server Details page, you can see all sensors of all configured servers as a sensor list or in a
more detailed table view.

Multi Server Details view

You can take the following actions:

§ Move configured servers via drag-and-drop.

§ Click a configured server to show its sensors at a glance.

§ Select a sensor on the left to see the sensor's Overview tab on the right-hand side. Click to view the
overview in a new window.

§ Click to filter the list of sensors by sensor states. Enable or disable the check box next to a specific
sensor status to show or hide sensors in the specific status.

§ Click to sort the list of sensors according to Probe, Group, Device, Name, Status, Down for, Last Value,
or Priority. The default is No Sorting. An arrow icon next to the category name indicates an ascending
or descending sorting order.
§ Click Load more sensors to show more sensors in the sensor list. When PRTG Desktop already displays
all available sensors, you can click Reload sensors to refresh all sensor data at once.

§ Click to switch to a more detailed table view. Click above the table to see a list of all possible
categories. You can show or hide categories in the table by enabling or disabling the check box next to
the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table headers.

More
PRTG MANUAL

2/17/2021 65
Part 8: Multi Server | 2 Details

§ Sensor States

66 2/17/2021
 Part 8: Multi Server | 3 Report

8.3 Report

On the Multi Server Report page, you can see an overview of the number of sensors on each connected
server and in total, and the number of sensors that show a certain status.

Multi Server Report view

View, for example, the number of sensors that are in the Down, Down (Partial), Down (Acknowledged),
Warning, Unusual, Up, Paused, or the Unknown status for each server and in total.

Click to export the report in comma-separated values (CSV) format.

Click above the table to see a list of all possible categories. You can show or hide categories in the table
by enabling or disabling the check box next to the category names. Sort the table by clicking the table
headers.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

2/17/2021 67
Part 9
Main menu structure

68 2/17/2021
 Part 9: Main menu structure |

9 Main menu structure

The main menu of PRTG Desktop includes the File 69 menu, the Servers 69 menu, the Window 70 menu,
and the Help 70 menu.

Main menu structure

File
The File menu offers system-related options for PRTG Desktop.

File menu

File

Settings 73 Show settings for accounts 74 , certificates 77 , updates and themes 78 ,

notifications 81 , and device tools 84 .

Open PRTG Setup Open the system settings in the PRTG web interface.

Exit Close PRTG Desktop.

Servers
The Servers menu displays a list of all configured servers.

This menu is only visible if you have more than one configured server.

Servers menu

2/17/2021 69
Part 9: Main menu structure |

Servers

Multi Server Open the Multi Server 60 window to centrally view and manage all your
configured servers.

[Name of Server] Show a list of all configured servers. Click a server to view its data in a new
window of PRTG Desktop.

Window
The Window menu lists all open windows of PRTG Desktop, for example, for different servers or graphs.

Window menu

Window

Close all Graphs Click to close all open graph windows at once.

Compare Sensors This option is only visible if you add sensors to the Compare Sensors 58
window. Click to bring the Compare Sensors window to the foreground.

[Name of Non-Graph Show a list of all open windows that do not display graphs. Click an item in
Window] the list to jump to the respective window.

[Name of Graph Window] Show a list of all open graph windows. Click a graph in the list to jump to the
respective window.

Help
The Help menu provides links to help and information.

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 Part 9: Main menu structure |

Help menu

Help

Help Center and § PRTG Help Center: Open the PRTG Help Center in the PRTG web interface
Documentation where you have access, for example, to the PRTG Manual or where you
can contact the Paessler support team.
§ PRTG Desktop Documentation: Download the PRTG Desktop Manual in
PDF format.
§ PRTG Desktop Release Notes: View the release notes for PRTG Desktop.

Quick Tips Open the Quick Tips 92 window that gives you short tips on how to work
with PRTG Desktop.

Check for Update Check for new PRTG Desktop versions.

About Open an information window about PRTG Desktop with version number and
copyright and license information.

2/17/2021 71
Part 10
Settings

72 2/17/2021
 Part 10: Settings |

10 Settings
To open the settings dialog, select File | Settings from the main menu of PRTG Desktop.

Window menu

You can edit the settings of PRTG Desktop via the following tabs:

§ Accounts 74

§ Certificates 77

§ Updates & Theme 80

§ Notifications 81

§ Device Tools 84

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Part 10: Settings | 1 Accounts

10.1 Accounts

In the Accounts settings, you can add, edit, and remove connections to one or more PRTG servers. PRTG
Desktop connects to the web server Application Programming Interface (API) that runs on the PRTG core
server installation, or it connects to a PRTG Hosted Monitor instance.

For a successful connection, the PRTG core server has to be version PRTG 17.4.35 or later. PRTG
Desktop can be any version. However, we recommend that you always update to the latest version of
PRTG Desktop.

Accounts settings

You can take the following actions:

§ Double-click an account in the list to edit it.

§ Click to add 74 a new account.

§ Select an account and click to delete it.

Add account
Click to open the New Account dialog and enter the following settings.

Note that PRTG Desktop does not support multiple connections to the same PRTG server. You can
only add one account per PRTG server.

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 Part 10: Settings | 1 Accounts

Add new account

Setting Description

Name Optionally enter a name that PRTG Desktop displays in the Servers list and in the
page header bar 23 .

If you leave this field empty, PRTG Desktop displays the IP address or
Domain Name Service (DNS) name that you enter under Server.

Server Enter the IP address or DNS name of the server to which you want to connect.
This is the same address or name as defined in the web server settings for the
PRTG core server. Make sure that the values match.
Make sure that the server is reachable and that no firewall settings block the
connection. This is especially important if you use Network Address Translation
(NAT) rules.
PRTG Desktop can connect to a maximum of two non-commercial
installations (Trial Edition or Freeware Edition).
There are no restrictions on connections to commercial installations.

Port Enter the port on which the server runs. This is the same port as defined in the
web server settings for the PRTG core server. Make sure that the values match.
Make sure that the server is reachable and that no firewall settings block the
connection. This is especially important if you use NAT rules.
For connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor instances, the default port is 443.
For more information, see section Requirements for connections to PRTG
web servers 8 .

Login Using This setting is only available for connections to PRTG Hosted Monitor
instances.

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Part 10: Settings | 1 Accounts

Setting Description

Select a login method from the dropdown list. You can log in with your Google,
Facebook, Microsoft, or Amazon account via single sign on (SSO) (Auth0), or via
username and password.
Alternatively, you can also select Login Name & Password from the drop down list
to log in via email address and password
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: Using PRTG Hosted Monitor.

Login Name Enter the login name that you use to log in to the PRTG web server. This can be
the login name of the PRTG System Administrator user or the login name of a
different PRTG user.
The default login name of the PRTG System Administrator user is prtgadmin.
For more information, see the PRTG Manual: User Accounts.

Password Enter the password that you use to log in to the PRTG web server.
The default password of the PRTG System Administrator user is prtgadmin.

Click Save to save your settings or Cancel to discard them.

PRTG Desktop stores 95 the connection settings for each Windows user individually under %allusers
%\AppData\Roaming\Paessler\PRTG Desktop\data.

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Using PRTG Hosted Monitor

§ User Accounts

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 Part 10: Settings | 2 Certificates

10.2 Certificates

The Certificates settings show a list of all expired, self-signed, or otherwise invalid certificates that you
have explicitly trusted.

Certificates settings

Select a certificate and click to remove it from the list.

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Part 10: Settings | 3 Updates & Theme

10.3 Updates & Theme

In the Updates & Theme settings, you can set, for example, the color mode, the device tree view, or the
language of the user interface, and you can select the update channel of your PRTG Desktop installation.

Updates & Theme settings

User interface settings

You can change the settings of the user interface as follows:

Setting Description

UI theme Select the color mode of the user interface. Choose between a Light and a Dark
mode.

Device tree view Select how to display the device tree.

§ The Classic View uses columns.

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Setting Description

Classic device tree view

§ The Modern View has no columns.

Modern device tree view

Language Select the language of the user interface. Choose between Operating System
Language, Deutsch (German), and English.

Date/time format Select whether you want to use the operating system's date/time format
independently of your language setting.
The check box next to the Use the date/time format from the operating system
option is enabled by default.

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Part 10: Settings | 3 Updates & Theme

Setting Description

Last viewpoint Select whether you want to open PRTG Desktop to the last viewpoint when you
start the application.
The check box next to the Restore last viewpoint after application start option is
enabled by default.

Update channel setting

Select an update channel:

§ Stable: The stable channel is the best-tested version of PRTG Desktop for live systems. It is updated
about once or twice a month.
§ Preview: The preview channel offers the latest features and fixes and is updated several times a month.
Consider this channel as beta. Do not use this channel on live systems that you depend on.

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 Part 10: Settings | 4 Notifications

10.4 Notifications

In the Notifications settings, you can define what PRTG Desktop does if there are new alarms, even if the
application is closed.

For more information, see section Desktop notifications 88 .

Notifications settings

You can change the settings for desktop notifications as follows:

Setting Description

Show the tray icon This setting is disabled by default. If you enable this setting, a PRTG
icon appears in the Windows tray. When you hover over it, it shows
important status information about your monitoring.
Left-click the tray icon to open an alarms overview where you see the
status of all of your configured servers at a glance. Right-click the tray
icon to show a context menu 89 .
To use any alerting functionalities, you must enable the option
Show the tray icon. Otherwise, PRTG Desktop cannot alert you if
there are new alarms.

For more information, see section Desktop notifications 88 .

Blink the tray icon for new This setting is only available if you enable the option Show the tray icon.
down states

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Part 10: Settings | 4 Notifications

Setting Description

The tray icon blinks if there are sensors in a new Down status or a new
Down (Partial) status.

Blink the tray icon for new This setting is only available if you enable the option Show the tray icon.
warning states
The tray icon blinks if there are sensors in a new Warning status.

Automatically start the tray at This setting is only available if you enable the option Show the tray icon.
system startup
This setting is disabled by default. If you enable this setting, PRTG
Desktop automatically starts the tray at system startup.

Show notifications for new This setting is only available if you enable the option Show the tray icon.
down states
Enable this setting to receive alerts for sensors in a new Down status or
a new Down (Partial) status.
§ Minimum Priority: Select a minimum priority that sensors must have
for notifications to be shown.
§ Notification Sound: Play an audible notification sound. The default
setting is No sound. PRTG Desktop already comes with a set of
sounds from which you can choose. Select Choose a custom file
from the dropdown list to browse for any standard .wav file on your
hard disk drive.
The sound is played only on the computer that runs PRTG
Desktop.

Show notifications for new This setting is only available if you enable the option Show the tray icon.
warning states
Enable this setting to receive alerts for sensors in a new Warning
status.
§ Minimum Priority: Select a minimum priority that sensors must have
for notifications to be shown.
§ Notification Sound: Play an audible notification sound. The default
setting is No sound. PRTG Desktop already comes with a set of
sounds from which you can choose. Select Choose a custom file
from the dropdown list to browse for any standard .wav file on your
hard disk drive.
The sound is played only on the computer that runs PRTG
Desktop.

Show notifications when there This setting is only available if you enable the option Show the tray icon.
are no more sensors in a down
or warning status

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 Part 10: Settings | 4 Notifications

Setting Description

§ Notification Sound: Play an audible notification if there are no more

sensors in the Down, Down (Partial), or the Warning status. The
default setting is No sound. PRTG Desktop already comes with a set
of sounds you can choose from. Select Choose a custom file from
the dropdown list to browse for any standard .wav file on your hard
disk drive.
The sound file is played only on the computer that runs PRTG
Desktop.

More
KNOWLEDGE BASE

Which audible notifications are available in the PRTG web interface and in PRTG Desktop?
§ [Link]

PAESSLER WEBSITE

How to set up PRTG Desktop Notifications in 3 steps

§ [Link]

2/17/2021 83
Part 10: Settings | 5 Device Tools

10.5 Device Tools

In the Device Tools settings, you can define device tools that are available in the context menu 30 of
devices. There are predefined device tools for a remote desktop connection, ping, and traceroute.

You might need to run PRTG Desktop as an administrator user to make the device tool function work
with your Windows version.

Device Tools settings

You can take the following actions:

§ Double-click a device tool in the list to edit it.

§ Click to add 84 a new device tool.

§ Select one or more device tools and click to delete them.

§ Click to export 85 all or only selected device tools to your system.

§ Click to import 85 device tools to PRTG Desktop.

Add device tool

Click to open the Add Device Tool dialog and enter the following settings.

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 Part 10: Settings | 5 Device Tools

Add a device tool

Setting Description

Name Enter a custom name for your device tool. The device tool shows up with this
name in context menus. Enter a string.

Command Browse for the program or script that you want to execute on your local machine.

Parameters Enter the parameters with which you want to execute the command above. You
can use the placeholders (or variables) shown under Available Placeholders for
Parameters. Other placeholders are not possible.
For more information, see also section List of placeholders 97 .

Interpreter Select the program to run the device tool, either [Link] or [Link].
Leave the default option None to run the device tool directly.

Close interpreter This setting is only available if you select an Interpreter. Choose whether to close
when finished the interpreter after you ran the device tool.

Import or export device tools

Click to export all your custom device tools to a .json file and to store the file on your system. You can
also select a single device tool or multiple device tools by holding down the Ctrl key, then click to only
export the selected device tools to your system.

To import device tools to PRTG Desktop, click and select the stored .json file on your system. A dialog
opens where you can select the device tools that you want to import:

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Part 10: Settings | 5 Device Tools

Import device tools

Take the following steps:

1. Select one or more device tools by holding down the Ctrl key. You can also click Select All or Select
None.
2. Enable the check box next to Do not import duplicates if you do not want to import device tools that
already exist in your PRTG Desktop installation.
3. Click Import to upload the selected device tools to PRTG Desktop or click Cancel to close the dialog.

Device tool example

You can configure the device tools to run any local program or script. To understand the functionality of the
device tools, see the following example configuration:

Example of a device tool configuration

The resulting device tool Ping opens the command line and performs a Ping command for the %host entry
of the device that you select in the device tree.

To see the result of the ping request when you run the device tool from the Device Tools option in the
context menu of the selected device, do not enable the check box next to Close interpreter when
finished.

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Part 11
Desktop notifications

2/17/2021 87
Part 11: Desktop notifications |

11 Desktop notifications
You can define what PRTG Desktop does if there are new alarms.

To use any alerting functionalities, you must first enable the tray icon under File | Settings |
Notifications. If the tray icon is not enabled, no alerting from PRTG Desktop is available. For more
information, see section Notifications 81 .

Tray icon
Click the tray icon (or if there are no alarms) to open the servers overview where you see the status of
all of your configured servers at a glance.

Servers overview

You can take the following actions:

§ Click a server in the list to see all alarms. Enable or disable the check box next to a sensor status icon to
show or hide in the Down and Down (Acknowledged) or the Warning status. To go back to the servers
overview, click Back to Multi Server View.
§ Click an alarm to open the Alarms 46 tab in PRTG Desktop. If a server has no alarms, clicking it opens the
Devices 33 tab. You can also optionally set the tray icon to blink when there are new notifications. For
more information, see section Notifications 81 .
§ Right-click the tray icon to open a context menu with important functions.

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 Part 11: Desktop notifications |

Tray menu

Option Description

Scan Now Perform an immediate scan for all servers. This option queries new data for all
objects on all servers.

Settings Open the Settings 73 menu.

Show Server List Display an overview list of your PRTG servers.

Open Multi Server Open the Multi Server 60 window.

Quit Close PRTG Desktop.

Desktop notifications
In addition to the tray icon, PRTG Desktop can optionally show desktop notifications in the event of new
Alarms.

Desktop notification

You can also play sounds when there are new notifications for sensors.
For more information, see section Notifications 81 .

More
PRTG MANUAL

§ Sensor States

KNOWLEDGE BASE

Which audible notifications are available in the PRTG web interface and in PRTG Desktop?
§ [Link]

PAESSLER WEBSITE

2/17/2021 89
Part 11: Desktop notifications |

How to set up PRTG Desktop Notifications in 3 steps

§ [Link]

90 2/17/2021
Part 12
Quick Tips

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Part 12: Quick Tips |

12 Quick Tips
In the Quick Tips window, you see short tips on how to work with PRTG Desktop. PRTG Desktop displays
new quick tips by default. You can show or hide new quick tips on startup by disabling or enabling the check
box next to Show New Quick Tips on Startup.

Quick tips for PRTG Desktop

Click Next Tip to show the next new quick tip. To display a list of all quick tips, click All Tips. Hover over an
image to enlarge it.

Show all quick tips

You can close the Quick Tips window any time. To open the window again, select Help | Quick Tips from
the main menu 70 .

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Part 13
Appendix

8/26/2020 93
Part 13: Appendix |

13 Appendix
Find more information about PRTG Desktop in the following sections.

§ Data storage 95

§ List of icons 96

§ List of placeholders 97

§ Shortcuts overview 98

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 Part 13: Appendix | 1 Data storage

13.1 Data storage

PRTG Desktop stores data in different directories. There is also data in the Windows registry.

Data storage directories

By default, the PRTG Desktop setup program stores the core installation in one of the following program
directories:

§ 32-bit Windows systems

%programfiles%\Paessler\PRTG Desktop

§ 64-bit Windows systems

%programfiles(x86)%\Paessler\PRTG Desktop

User data, certificates, logs, and the database, for example, are stored in the following data folder:
%allusers%\AppData\Roaming\Paessler\PRTG Desktop\data

Qt WebEngine caching and storage files are stored in the following data folder:
%localappdata%\Local\Paessler\PRTG Desktop

Windows registry
PRTG Desktop settings:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Paessler\PRTGDesktop

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Part 13: Appendix | 2 List of icons

13.2 List of icons

See below for a list of icons used in this documentation.

Notes that contain additional information.

Notes that contain critical information on the functioning of PRTG. Pay close attention to this
information to avoid serious consequences for PRTG.

There is more information on this topic in another section in the PRTG Desktop Manual, the
PRTG Manual, or the Knowledge Base.

This information is relevant for PRTG Hosted Monitor.

This information is relevant for macOS systems.

There is more information on this topic in the Knowledge Base or on the Paessler Website. This
icon is only used in More sections.

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 Part 13: Appendix | 3 List of placeholders

13.3 List of placeholders

See below for a list of placeholders you can use in PRTG Desktop:

Placeholder Resolved content

%id ID of an object as shown in the page header of the object's details page

%name Name of an object

%host IP address or DNS name of a sensor or device

%message Last message of a sensor

%value Last result value of a sensor

%type Sensor type

8/18/2020 97
Part 13: Appendix | 4 Shortcuts overview

13.4 Shortcuts overview

The following shortcut keys are available in PRTG Desktop:

Shortcut Shortcut Function

(Windows) (macOS)

Left Left Collapse an object in the device tree.

Right Right Expand an object in the device tree.

Ctrl+Left +Left Display the previous viewpoint.

F5 +R Refresh the window.

Ctrl+C +C Copy the selected object to the clipboard.

For more information, see section Manage device tree 29 .

Ctrl+V +V Clone the copied/cut object to the selected object.

For more information, see section Manage device tree 29 .

Ctrl+X +X Cut the object to the clipboard. Select a different object and use
Ctrl+V or +V to move the object to the new position.
For more information, see section Manage device tree 29 .

Ctrl+M +M Open the Multi Server 60 window.

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Last change to this manual: 2/17/2021