FYI Desktop App

The FYI Desktop App is used to download documents to open locally on your computer using the apps installed on your machine, instead of using OneDrive. For example, opening a Word Document will download and automatically open Microsoft Word using the Microsoft Office desktop app, not a browser window. 

Once you have finished editing documents, the files are re-uploaded to FYI automatically via FYI Desktop. 

The benefits of using FYI Desktop include:

• Being able to edit PDFs using your default PDF editor.
• Improved performance for large sites that use their OneDrive heavily and may be experiencing issues with opening documents from FYI via their OneDrive.
• If you would normally use OneDrive when editing at the office and when working from home, you can switch to editing using FYI Desktop.

This article is suitable for deployment to individual devices. Where deployments for shared workstations, terminal servers, etc are required, the MSI version found in Installing the FYI Desktop App for MSI installation should be used.

Note: We highly recommend that the practice's proxy and firewall settings and group policies are configured to ensure users experience optimum results using the FYI Desktop App. Refer to Configuring proxy and firewall settings for FYI Desktop App and A group policy is preventing the FYI Desktop App versions from automatically updating.

Overview

Using FYI Desktop, a temporary copy of the document is opened in a dedicated local folder - not your OneDrive.

FYI Desktop sits in a user's taskbar and does not open a new browser or window when used. While a "Downloading document..." pop-up may appear, the app simply opens the document for editing. 

The document will not show in the FYI - Processed folder in your OneDrive after you have clicked I am finished editing.

Note: The FYI Desktop App is not available for Apple/Mac computers.

Installing the FYI Desktop App

Step 1 - Enable the FYI Desktop App

To be able to use the FYI Desktop App, it first needs to be enabled.

Individual users can enable the FYI Desktop App from the user's Profile Settings. Refer to Setting Defaults and Filing Defaults for your Own Login - My Settings.

1. From FYI, click Settings in the top right-hand corner.
2. Select My Settings.
3. On the Profile tab, set Use FYI Desktop to "On".
   
   

When Use FYI Desktop is enabled, you will be able to select your default for Open Office Using as "FYI Desktop". This will set FYI Desktop as the default when you click the Edit button. Refer to Opening, Editing and Finish Editing Documents with FYI Desktop.

The My Settings - Status tab will be updated to display FYI Desktop as "Enabled" in your Status tab. Refer to Individual Settings and Status.

Step 2 - Download and Install the FYI Desktop App

The FYI Desktop App needs to be downloaded and installed on each computer on which it will be used. You do not need to have administrator rights to the computer to install it.

When Use FYI Desktop is enabled in your Profile, you see an additional option Download FYI Desktop in Settings.

1. From FYI, click Settings in the top right-hand corner.
   
   
2. Select My Settings.
   
   
3. Click Download FYI Desktop.
   The Setup.exe file will download. Depending on your browser, this will display at the bottom of the browser window.
   
   
4. Run the Setup.exe (by clicking on the file at the bottom of your browser or from your default download location, for example, C:/Downloads).
   
   
5. If a message about Windows Defender displays, click the More info link, then click Run anyway.
   
   
6. A progress bar for the install displays. Once complete, the FYI Desktop Settings will open. 
   
   
   
   
7. The Documents Path is where the documents will be stored temporarily when they are opened in FYI Desktop.
   
   FYI recommends using the FYI Desktop folder in combination with OneDrive to enable Autosave when editing Office Documents. When OneDrive is installed, the Document Path defaults to the folder FYI Desktop within your "OneDrive\Documents". If OneDrive is not installed locally, the file path defaults to C:\Users\yourname\Documents\FYI Desktop. You can leave this as set or change it using the Browse if required.
   
   
8. You are prompted to log in.
   Note: During the installation, you need to log in using your Microsoft 365 login. 
   
   
9. The following message displays in a new browser window:
   "Authentication complete. You can return to the application. Feel free to close this browser tab."

Important Note: If the same computer is used by more than one person, FYI Desktop needs to be individually installed on each user account.

Step 3 - Using FYI Desktop to Open, Edit and Finish Editing Documents

For information on how to open, edit and finish editing documents with FYI Desktop, refer to Opening, Editing and Finish Editing Documents with FYI Desktop.

Using the FYI Desktop App

Windows Taskbar Icon

FYI Desktop icon displays in your Windows taskbar at the bottom of your screen as the following icon.

If you do not see this, click the Show hidden icons tool in the Windows taskbar and then drag the FYI Desktop icon onto the Windows taskbar.

FYI Desktop Window

Clicking the FYI Desktop icon in the taskbar displays a window. When you edit documents using FYI Desktop, this will display the files currently being edited.

If you need to uninstall the FYI Desktop, this can be uninstalled in the usual way from Settings - Apps & Features.

Logging into FYI Desktop

When you start your computer, you will be logged in automatically. If not, you will be prompted to log in.

If the token expires, you will be logged out. When you are not logged in, the FYI Desktop icon displays with a red circle.

• You would usually click Login with Windows to log in with your Microsoft 365 login.
• You can alternatively click Login with Xero to log in with your Xero Practice Manager login. This can be used, for example, if there is an issue where the Microsoft sign-in isn't available.

Restart FYI Desktop App

To restart the FYI Desktop App:

1. Click the FYI Desktop icon to open the window.
   
   
   
2. Click the Restart icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the FYI Desktop App.
   

3. Alternatively, you can right-click on the FYI Desktop App icon and click Restart.

   

4. The app will automatically close and reopen.

Exit FYI Desktop App

To exit FYI Desktop App:

1. Right-click on the FYI Desktop icon
2. Select Exit.
   
   

Updates to the FYI Desktop App

If there is an update to the version of the FYI Desktop App, the icon in the Windows taskbar at the bottom of your screen will be updated to show an arrow pointing up.

Hovering over the icon displays "FYI Desktop - An update is available"

To update FYI Desktop App:

1. Open the FYI Desktop window.
   A message displays in FYI Desktop Window.
   
   
2. Click the restart now link.
3. This will restart the FYI Desktop App.
   
   Note: This also applies to users who have had FYI Desktop App originally installed using the MSI.

Logging Out of the FYI Desktop App

There may be occasions where you need to log out of the FYI Desktop App, for example, if you are on a shared computer login, if you have access to more than one FYI instance with different emails, or if you are asked by our Support team to log out of the app.

If you need to log out of the FYI Desktop App, refer to Logging out of the FYI Desktop App.

Uninstalling the FYI Desktop App

If you need to uninstall the FYI Desktop App, refer to Uninstalling FYI Desktop App.

FYI Desktop Apps FAQs

For FAQs on FYI Desktop App, or to troubleshoot installation issues, refer to FYI Desktop App FAQs.