Show or hide CrashPlan app visibility on user devices

Overview

The Client Visibility setting enables administrators to show or hide the CrashPlan app on user devices. Setting Client Visibility to Visible keeps all user interface elements easily accessible to users. Setting Client Visibility to Hidden removes most user-facing indications of CrashPlan's presence on the device.

Considerations

• Setting the visibility to Hidden does not uninstall any CrashPlan components. Backups continue to run in the background.
• The CrashPlan app must be installed for all users. Per-user installations are not supported.

What is hidden?

What's hidden varies slightly different for each operating system, but in general, setting Client Visibility to Hidden removes user visibility of:

• The CrashPlan app
• CrashPlan app shortcuts
• The CrashPlan icon in the Windows notification area (tray) and Mac menu bar
• CrashPlan-generated emails, including password reset notifications, backup alerts, and invitations for new users

If the CrashPlan app or the tray/menu bar app are open when an administrator changes the setting to Hidden, the apps close immediately.

• Removes CrashPlan app shortcuts from the Start menu.
• Prevents the CrashPlan app from appearing in the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.
• Prevents CrashPlan from appearing in the Start menu search.
• Removes the CrashPlan icon from the notification area (also referred to as the "tray app") and prevents it from auto-launching on restart.

• Makes the CrashPlan.app package a hidden file
• Removes the CrashPlan app icon from the Dock and Launchpad. 
  Note: Changing the setting from Visible to Hidden for devices with the CrashPlan app already installed restarts the Dock. This may cause the user's previously minimized windows to expand automatically when the Dock re-opens.
• Removes the CrashPlan app from the Applications folder.
• Removes the CrashPlan icon from the menu bar and prevents it from auto-launching on restart.

• Makes the CrashPlan app desktop shortcut a hidden file.
• Prevents the CrashPlan app from appearing in search and the Application Launcher interface.

What is still visible?

Setting Client Visibility to Hidden does not remove CrashPlan from:

• Processes or services in Task Manager (Windows) and Activity Monitor (Mac)
• Windows Explorer and Spotlight (Mac) searches

In addition, no CrashPlan components are removed, so backups continue to run in the background. This also means that if a user has the necessary permissions to find and open the CrashPlan install directory, the user can access the CrashPlan app.

Steps

To control the visibility of the CrashPlan app user interface on user devices:

1. Sign in to the CrashPlan console.
2. Select Administration > Environment > Organizations.
3. Select an organization.
4. From the action menu in the upper-right, select Edit.
5. Select the Security tab and scroll to the Client Visibility section.
   
6. If necessary, deselect Inherit setting from parent to enable this organization to change this setting.
7. Select Visible or Hidden.
   • Visible: All user interface elements are easily accessible to users.
   • Hidden: User interface elements are hidden, but the background service continues to run on the device.
8. (Recommended) Click the lock icon to:
   • Apply the setting to all child organizations
   • Prevent child organizations from changing this setting
9. Click Save.
10. If you use deployment policies to manage CrashPlan app installation, you must also update the install commands to match the setting in the CrashPlan console:
    • Visible: Set DEVICE_CLOAKED=false
    • Hidden: Set DEVICE_CLOAKED=true