Electron App with Auto-Updater for Windows

A simple Windows desktop application built with Electron, Node.js, HTML, and CSS. It checks for updates from a GitHub repository and auto-updates itself using GitHub Releases.

Features

• 🧭 Auto-check for updates on launch
• 🚀 Auto-download and install updates from GitHub Releases
• 🔁 Silent update & restart
• 💻 Built for Windows (32/64-bit)

Tech Stack

• Electron
• Node.js
• HTML & CSS
• electron-updater via electron-builder
• GitHub Releases for deployment

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or later)
• Git
• Windows OS (Tested on Windows 10/11)
• A GitHub repository with signed releases (for updates)

Getting Started

1. Clone the repo

   git clone https://github.com/ColdByDefault/electron-auto-updater.git
   cd electron-auto-updater

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Run the app in development

   npm start

4. Build the app for production

   npm run dist

Reusable Auto-Update Setup

Ensure you configure the build section in your package.json:

"build": {
  "appId": "com.yourdomain.yourapp",
  "productName": "YourAppName",
  "publish": [
    {
      "provider": "github",
      "owner": "your-username",
      "repo": "your-repo"
    }
  ],
  "win": {
    "target": "nsis"
  },
  "nsis": {
    "oneClick": false,
    "perMachine": true,
    "allowToChangeInstallationDirectory": true
  }
}

🔐 Make sure your GitHub repo has signed releases and you generate .yml and .exe assets during packaging.

How Updates Work

1. On launch, the app checks the GitHub Releases API for a new version.
2. If a new version is found, it's downloaded automatically.
3. When the download is complete, the app prompts or automatically installs the update and restarts.

Publishing Updates

1. Update your app version in package.json.
2. Build the release:

   npm run dist

3. Create a new GitHub Release and upload the generated .exe and .yml files from the dist folder.

Security Tips

• Always sign your releases
• Never expose sensitive keys in your codebase
• Use .env files or GitHub Secrets for CI/CD