Tableau Reader For Mac

This article describes how to use the command line to install Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder and perform other installation actions, such as activation and registration, as well as how to uninstall the product.

The Tableau application offers you the option to create on point data visualizations with the help of both intuitive and efficient tools. Tableau Reader is the companion app that allows you to open and navigate the projects created with the Tableau app.

Note: The instructions in this article apply to Tableau Prep Builder, Tableau Desktop for Public and Tableau Reader where noted.

Before you begin

To install Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder you will need two things; a Creator product key and the installer for the version you want to install.

You can find your product key and the most current product installer files on the Customer Portal page. You can also find all installers on the Product Downloads page.

For more detailed information about finding your product key and installer, see Where's my product key? and Where's the installer?

Click on the tab below for the product you are installing to view the installation steps.

Windows

  1. Run the installer .exe file from the computer's command line as an administrator. If you need to extract the .msi files, follow the instructions in the Extract and run the Windows (MSI) installer section of this article.

    The syntax for running the Tableau installer from the command line is:

    tableau_<product_installer_name>.exe /option1 /option2 PROPERTY1 PROPERTY2

    • tableau_<product_installer_name>.exe: This is the Tableau installer for the product and version you're installing.

    • Options: The options that you use specify how the installation process should run. For example, whether it should display output while installing or whether it should create log files. See Installer options for the list of available options.

    • Properties: These settings specify configuration settings that the installer should make during the installation process. See Installer properties for the list of available properties.

  2. Run the command from the directory where the .exe file is located or specify a full path to the location of the .exe file on the computer. Do not run the setup program from a shared directory on your network. Instead, download the .exe file to a directory on the computer where you're installing.

    Example

    The following example shows an installer command with some options and some property settings.

    tableauDesktop-64bit-2019-1-0.exe /quiet /norestart ACCEPTEULA=1 AUTOUPDATESERVER='assets.intranet.lan' REPORTINGSERVER='http://mytableau'

    The command in the example does the following:

    • Installs the 64-bit version of Tableau Desktop 2019.1.0

    • Runs the installer in quiet mode, meaning that the setup process doesn't display prompts, UI or the license dialog box.

    • Sets the installation to finish without restarting.

    • Accepts the End User License Agreement (EULA).

    • Configures a non-default product update server.

    • Configures the product to send license reporting to an internal Tableau Server.

Mac

  1. Upload a copy of the Tableau Desktop DMG file to a network share and tell users to download it to their Mac computers from there. You can follow the prompts to complete the installation.

    You can also create a .sh script that mounts the DMG file and copies Tableau to your user's computers. The following examples shows a script that performs this task for different versions of Tableau Desktop.

    Note: For Tableau Reader or Tableau Public, you would open Tableau Reader.pkg or Tableau Public.pkg instead of Tableau Desktop.pkg.

    Example: Tableau Desktop version 10.2 and later versions

  2. (optional) Run the installer application to perform a silent installation. Type the following at a Terminal prompt:

    sudo installer -pkg <path and name of .pkg file> -target /

    This will prompt for an admin password, and then perform a mostly silent install. You will see these three lines:

    • installer: Package name is Tableau Desktop

    • installer: Upgrading at base path /

    • installer: The upgrade was successful.

Select the drivers to install automatically

By default, several data source drivers are automatically installed with Tableau Desktop. For a complete list, see Before You Install.

Mac

To prevent one or all of the drivers from installing automatically, first run the Mac installer application against the Desktop.pkg with ‑showChoiceChangesXML to generate a plist file containing all possible customizations. The syntax is:

installer -showChoiceChangesXML -pkg <path and name of .pkg file> –target / > <name of plist>

Example:

installer -showChoiceChangesXML -pkg Install Tableau Desktop.pkg –target / > InstallTableauDesktopChoices.xml

For the Oracle driver, the section in the resulting plist file looks like the following:

To prevent a driver from being installed, do the following:

  1. In the .plist file, change the value of <integer> from 1 to 0 for any drivers you don't want to install automatically.

  2. Save the file, then pass it to the installer by adding it to the command line using the following command:

    -applyChoiceChangesXML <pathToXMLFile>

The full command line might look something like this after you’ve created a plist file with the changes you want in it:

sudo installer -pkg Install Tableau Desktop.pkg -applyChoiceChangesXML InstallTableauDesktopChoices.xml -pkg -target /

For documentation on the Mac Installer application, see https://developer.apple.com/legacy/library/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man8/installer.8.html.

Disable the desktop shortcut

To prevent the Tableau installer from creating a desktop shortcut for Tableau Desktop, generate the XML file as per the previous section and change the integer value from 0 to 1 in the following section.

Note: This option is only available for Windows.

  1. Run the installer .exe file from the computer's command line as an administrator.

    The syntax for running the Tableau installer from the command line is:

    tableau_<product_installer_name>.exe /option1 /option2 PROPERTY1 PROPERTY2

    • tableau_<product_installer_name>.exe: This is the Tableau installer for the product and version you're installing.

    • Options: The options that you use specify how the installation process should run. For example, whether it should display output while installing or whether it should create log files. See Installer options for the list of available options.

    • Properties: These settings specify configuration settings that the installer should make during the installation process. See Installer properties for the list of available properties.

  2. Run the command from the directory where the .exe file is located or specify a full path to the location of the .exe file on the computer. Do not run the setup program from a shared directory on your network. Instead, download the .exe file to a directory on the computer where you're installing.

    Example

    The following example shows an installer command with some options and some property settings.

    tableauPrepBuilder-64bit-2019-1-2.exe /quiet /norestart ACCEPTEULA=1 CRASHDUMP='0' SENDTELEMETRY='0'

    The command in the example does the following:

    • Installs the 64-bit version of Tableau Prep Builder 2019.1.2.

    • Runs the installer in quiet mode, meaning that the setup process doesn't display prompts, UI or the license dialog box.

    • Sets the installation to finish without restarting.

    • Accepts the End User License Agreement (EULA).

    • Sets error reporting to off.

    • Sets usage reporting to off

Installer options

You can specify one or more options as part of the command line. Note the following about options:

  • Each option is prefixed with a slash (/).

  • Options must come before properties.

OptionDescription
quietRun the installer without messages (status or installation progress) and without requiring user interaction. The product doesn't launch after installation is complete.
passiveRun the installer and display dialog boxes and installation status. But does not prompt the user for input. The product launches after installation is complete.
norestartSuppress any attempts to restart. By default, the installer will prompt you before restart unless you run the installer in quiet mode.
log 'logfile.txt'Log installation information to the specified path and file. Specify the path and file name, such as /log 'c:logslogfile.txt'. The default log file is the system %TEMP% directory.
repairRun the installer to repair an existing installation of Tableau.
hHelp—lists options and properties for the installer. This option only applies to Tableau Desktop 9.3 and later versions.

Installer properties

You can include one or more properties in the command line for the installer. Note the following about these properties:

  • All of these properties can be used for the initial installation of Tableau Desktop. They can't be used to update any settings after initial installation.

  • Some of these properties can be used for the initial installation of Tableau Prep Builder. Check the Tableau Prep Builder column in the table below to see if the property is available.

  • Property names are case sensitive.

  • There are no spaces on either side of the equal sign.

  • Each property set is delimited with a space.

  • Some properties are version specific.

PropertyDescriptionTableau Desktop Tableau Prep BuilderValue
ACCEPTEULAAccept the End User License Agreement (EULA). If you don't set this option to 1, Tableau cannot be installed using quiet or passive mode. Version 10.1 and later All versions1=Accept
0=Don't accept (default)
ACTIVATE_KEY

Activate Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder from the command line. You will need your product key. Add a single command line that includes the installer option ACTIVATE_KEY='<key>'. The installer runs -activate to apply the product key.

For more information, see Activate Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder.

Version 10.5 and laterVersion 2018.1.2 and laterProduct key entered using quotes.
ATRENABLEDEnable automatic license deactivation. You need to enable this at install or by editing the registry if you want to use automatic license deactivation. Version 10.5 and laterVersion 2018.2.1 and later1=Enabled
0=Not enabled (default)
ATRREQUESTEDDURATIONSECONDS Set the length of time Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder can run without contacting the ATR service before its license is automatically deactivated. This defaults to 45 days. This only applies if ATREnabled is set.

You do not need to set this option if you want to use the default of 45 days. To change the interval, specify the new interval in seconds using this option. For example, the following command installs Tableau Desktop, configures it for automatic license deactivation, and sets the duration to 12 hours (43200 seconds):
tableau-setup-std-x64.exe /quiet ACCEPTEULA=1 ATRENABLED=1 ATRREQUESTEDDURATIONSECONDS=43200

Version 10.5 and laterVersion 2018.2.1 and later An integer value, in seconds. Minimum is 12 hours (43200 seconds) and maximum is six months (15552000 seconds).
AUTOSAVE Configure Tableau to automatically save your work every few minutes. In the event that Tableau closes unexpectedly, users can open a recovered version of the file (.twbr).

If you select AUTOSAVE=0, the option to change the Autosave setting on the Help menu in Tableau Desktop is disabled for users.

This option is not available for Tableau Reader or Tableau Public.

For more information see Turn off Autosave (Tableau Desktop only).

Version 10.2 and laterNot Available1=Yes (default)
0=No
AUTOUPDATE Configure Tableau to check for product updates. You can also control which version of Tableau Desktop your users will update to.
If you select AUTOUPDATE=0, the option to change the Auto Update and the Check for Product Update settings on the Help menu in Tableau Desktop is disabled for users. For more information, see Control Product Updates for Tableau Desktop. 		Version 9.1 and later (Auto update)

Version 10.2 and later (Check for Product Updates)

Not Available1=Yes (default)
0=No
AUTOUPDATESERVERSpecify which server to check for Tableau product updates. You can control updates for your users by customizing and hosting the TableauAutoUpdate.xml file along with the appropriate Tableau installer. For more information, see Control Product Updates for Tableau Desktop.Version 9.1 and laterNot AvailableA host name, such as assets.internal.lan. The default is
downloads.tableau.com
CRASHDUMP

If Tableau Prep Builder has a problem and shuts down unexpectedly, crash dump files and logs are generated. Use this option to enable or disable this option from the command line.

For more information, see Turn off error reporting.

This option is not available on the Mac.

Not AvailableAll versions1=Yes (default)
0=No
DATABASEDRIVERS Install the default set of drivers for databases that your users might connect to from Tableau Desktop. For more information, see the 'Database drivers' section in Before You Install.

To download other drivers, see the Driver Download page. You must distribute other drivers using whatever asset management tools you use for software deployment in your organization.

This option is not available for Tableau Reader or Tableau Public.

Version 9.3 and laterAll versions1=Yes (default)
0=No
DESKTOPSHORTCUTCreate a desktop shortcut.All versionsAll versions1=Yes (default)
0=No
DISABLEEXTENSIONS

Enable dashboard extensions to expand dashboard functionality with the help of web applications created by third-party developers. If you don't want to make this option available to your users set DISABLEEXTENSIONS=1 to disable this functionality.

For more information about this feature, see Use Dashboard Extensions in the Tableau Desktop online help. For more information about data security when using dashboard extensions, see Extension Security - Best Practices for Deployment.

Version 2019.1 and laterNot available1=Yes
0=No (default)
DRIVERDIR

The default location for drivers is Program Files/Tableau/Drivers. This location is shared by Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep Builder and Tableau Bridge.

For Windows, you can specify an installation directory (other than the default) for drivers. This option creates the directory and creates an entry in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry.

Whichever application changes the directory last is the new directory that all three applications will point to.

If you change the driver directory, any drivers that were installed in the previous directory must be manually moved to the new directory. Otherwise the application may not find the driver.

For more information about driver requirements for connectors see Connector Examples in the online help. For information about downloading drivers see the Drivers Download page.

Version 10.3 and laterVersion 2018.2.1 and laterA path such as D:Drivers
DRIVER_MSSQL

Disable the Microsoft SQL Server driver from installing automatically during install.

Version 10.5 and laterAll versions1=Install (default)
0=Don't install
DRIVER_POSTGRES

Disable the PostgreSQL driver from installing automatically during install.

Version 10.5 and laterAll versions1=Install (default)
0=Don't install
DRIVER_REDSHIFT

Disable the Amazon Redshift driver from installing automatically during install.

Version 10.5 and laterAll versions1=Install (default)
0=Don't install
INSTALLDIR

Specify an installation directory other than the default.

If you specify a custom directory for the install location and plan to install future releases to this same location, you need to specify a version specific sub-folder to install to. Otherwise you will need to uninstall the previous version first.

Side-by-side installs of multiple versions in the same sub-directory is not supported.

All versionsAll versionsA path such as D:SoftwareTableau.
RECLAIMLICENSE

Deactivate any perpetual or term (subscription) product key from the command line when uninstalling Tableau Desktop. Add a single command line that includes the option RECLAIMLICENSE=1. Tableau.exe will run a -return command at the start of the uninstall to deactivate any active perpetual product keys. To learn more about deactivating product keys, see Deactivate the product key.

Note: This option is unavailable on the Mac.

Version 10.3 and laterNot Available1=Yes
0=No (default)
REGISTER

Automatically register Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder during install. Add a single command line that includes the installer option REGISTER=1. The installer runs -register to complete the registration.

This option uses the registration information in the registry location HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareTableauRegistrationData. For information about how to add this information to the registry, see Register Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder.

This option is not available on the Mac.

Version 2018.1 and laterVersion 2018.1.2 and later

1=Yes
0=No (default)

REMOVEINSTALLEDAPP

Automatically remove all versions of Tableau Desktop or Tableau Reader versions 9.3 and later when installing from the command line. To remove versions 9.2 and earlier, you must manually uninstall them.

This option is not available on the Mac.

Version 10.4 and laterNot Available1=Yes
0=No (default)
REPORTINGSERVERFor desktop license reporting. Specify the instance or instances of Tableau Server where license reporting information is sent. Requires Tableau Server in your organization to be enabled for Tableau Desktop license reporting. For details, see Manage Tableau Desktop License Usage.
Separate multiple server URLs with a comma. For example, the following command installs Tableau Desktop and configures it to report to two Tableau Server instances:
tableau-setup-std-x64.exe /quiet ACCEPTEULA=1 REPORTINGSERVER='http://mytableau,https://mytableau02:8060'		Version 10.1 and laterNot AvailableA server URL, such as http://mytableau.
SCHEDULEREPORTINTERVAL For desktop license reporting. Specify the interval that Tableau Desktop will use to report licensing information to Tableau Server. Tableau Server must be enabled for Tableau Desktop license reporting. For details, see Manage Tableau Desktop License Usage.
You do not need to set this option if you want to use the default of eight hours. To change the interval, specify the new interval in seconds using this option. For example, the following command installs Tableau Desktop, configures it to report to two Tableau Server instances, and sets the reporting interval to four hours (14,400 seconds):
tableau-setup-std-x64.exe /quiet ACCEPTEULA=1 SCHEDULEREPORTINTERVAL=14400 REPORTINGSERVER='http://mytableau,https://mytableau02:8060'		 Versions 10.0 starting from 10.0.5

10.1 starting from 10.1.2

10.2 starting from 10.2.1

Not Available An integer value, in seconds.

The default is 28800 (8 hours).

SENDTELEMETRY

To help improve Tableau, you can share usage pattern data with us. We never collect any specific user data, only metadata about the kind of data you are working with.

For Windows, to turn off this option from the command line during install, add a command line that includes the property SENDTELEMETRY=0.

To enable or disable this option after install for Windows and on the Mac see Turn off usage reporting

Version 2018.2 and laterAll versions1=Yes (default)
0=No
SKIPAPPLICATIONLAUNCHFor Windows. You can set SKIPAPPLICATIONLAUNCH=1 to prevent the new application from opening automatically when the install process is complete. This option applies to manual installs and automatic updates. This option doesn't apply to quiet installs, as the application doesn't open automatically when using that option.Version 10.4 and laterNot Available1=Yes
0=No (default)
STARTMENUSHORTCUTCreate a Tableau entry on the Windows Start menu.All versionsAll versions1=Yes (default)
0=No

Extract and run the Windows (MSI) installer

Note: This section applies to Tableau Desktop 9.3 and later versions and Tableau Prep Builder (all versions).

If you're using a deployment tool that requires the Windows installer (.msi file) to install Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder, you can extract the .msi file from the Tableau installer .exe file. When you extract the .msi file, you see the installer .msi file plus .msi files for each database driver that is included in the Tableau Desktop install process.

To extract the .msi file, you can use a third-party tool like WiX Toolset.

Disclaimer: This solution includes information about a third-party product. While we make every effort to keep references to third-party content accurate, WiX Toolset options might change without notice. For the most up to date information, please consult WiX documentation. For assistance with the WiX utilities, contact the WiX users mailing list.

  1. On the computer where you downloaded the Tableau installer, download and install the latest version of the WiX Toolset from the WiX website (http://wixtoolset.org/).

  2. Open a command window as an administrator and navigate to the root of the folder where you installed WiX Toolset.

  3. Run the following command:

    Dark.exe <path_to_the_Tableau_exe_installer> -x <output_folder>

    For example, run the following command:

    Dark.exe C:tableau-setup-std-tableau-2019-1.19.0123.2120-x64.exe -x c:output

The output folder will contain a folder named AttachedContainer that includes the .msi files.

Activate Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder

After Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder has been installed, you need to activate the product by sending an activation request to Tableau. You can enter a product key from the command line during install (Windows) or after install (Windows and Mac).

To automate this process during install, add a single command line that includes the installer option ACTIVATE_KEY '<key>' and enter the product key in quotes. The installer applies the product key as part of the installation process.

To automate this process after install, run Tableau.exe or Tableau Prep Builder.exe after installation with the -activate <key> option, for example tableau.exe -activate <my_product_key> .

Note: If you want to activate Tableau Server using automated scripts, see Automate Licensing Tasks in the Tableau Server Help.

Windows

Run tableau.exe or Tableau Prep Builder.exe with the -activate option and a product key.

For example:

Tableau Desktop: 'C:Program FilesTableauTableau <version>bintableau.exe' -activate <product_key>

Tableau Prep Builder: “C:Program FilesTableauTableau Prep Builder <version>Tableau Prep Builder.exe' -activate <product_key>

Mac

Run the Tableau or the Tableau Prep Builder executable with the -activate option and a product key in the Applications path.

For example:

Tableau Desktop: 'Tableau Desktop <version>.app/Contents/MacOS./Tableau' –activate <product_key>

Tableau Prep Builder: 'Tableau Prep Builder <vesion>.app/Contents/MacOS./Tableau Prep Builder' –activate <product_key>

For information about exit codes that you can capture and evaluate if licensing fails, see Troubleshoot activation errors using activation exit codes in the Troubleshoot Installation article in this guide.

Register Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder

You can ensure consistent registration across your organization by automating the task of registering individual copies of Tableau. To automate this process for Windows, add a single command line that includes the installer option REGISTER='1'. The installer runs -register and registers the product.

To register Tableau from the command line, you need to prefill the registry (Windows) or .plist (Mac) values on each computer that will run Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder. For Windows, you can trigger this process during installation. For Windows and the Mac, you can perform the installation process and then use the register command line option. When Tableau starts, it reads the registration information and registers Tableau for that user.

Registration information is stored on the computer where Tableau is installed.

  • Windows: The information is in the registry.

  • Mac: The information is in the property list (.plist) file.

The registration information includes location fields that may be the same for many users (for example, city, country, and zip), and fields that are typically unique to each user (email, first_name, last_name, title).

The registration information is saved under one of the following locations:

  • Windows. Registry: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareTableauRegistrationData

  • Mac. .plist file location: /Users/<user_name>/Library/Preferences/<.plist_file_name>

The easiest way to prefill the registry or property list values on multiple computers is to manually install and register Tableau on one computer, and then use the registry entries or property list file that are populated by that process as a template for updating the registry on other computers.

Windows

Register Tableau and create a template

  1. As an administrator on the computer, make a backup of the registry file before you make any changes to it.

  2. Install and manually register the product on at least one Windows computer. You can use the registration information as a template when installing Tableau on other computers.

    The registration information is saved in the Windows registry under the following key:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareTableauRegistrationData

  3. Export the data (key) to a registry text file.

  4. Create a script that does the following:

    1. Makes a copy of the template registry text file and updates the fields that are unique for a user.

    2. Copies the updated registry text file to the user's computer.

    3. Updates the registry on that computer.

    The fields you update will depend on the information you want sent with the registration. For information on how to automate updates to the registry, see the Microsoft documentation.

    The following image shows an example of the registry values that you might see in the registry editor (regedit):

Tableau Reader For Ipad

Use the template to register Tableau on another computer

  1. On another computer, install Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder.

  2. Run tableau.exe or Tableau Prep Builder.exe with the -register option.

    For example:

    Tableau Desktop: 'Program FilesTableauTableau <version>bintableau.exe -register'

    Tableau Prep Builder: 'Program FilesTableauTableau Prep Builder<version>Tableau Prep Builder.exe -register'

    If registration is successful, the install log file will have an entry:

    Current registration state: complete / not needed

    If registration is not successful, Tableau will close with the error code error 117. You can also check the log file, which has information about invalid or missing fields. The log file is in this location:

    Documents >My Tableau Repository or My Tableau Prep Builder Repository > Logs> log.txt

    If registration fails, the automated script you created needs to be updated. For troubleshooting tips, see Troubleshoot Your Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder Installation.

Mac

Tableau Reader For Mac

Register Tableau and create a template

To register Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder on the Mac, you can use Xcode or the defaults command to update the following property list file: com.tableau.Registration.plist.

You can find more information about how to edit OS X property list files at Apple Support.

  1. Install and manually register the product on at least one Mac computer. This creates the .plist file that you can use as a template to register Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder on other computers.

  2. Go to /Users/<user_name>/Library/Preferences and make a backup of the com.tableau.Registration.plist file that you want to use as the template.

  3. Copy the template com.tableau.Registration.plist file to the /Users/<user_name</Library/Preferences folder on the Mac where you want to install Tableau Desktop.

  4. Run the following command:

    cd /Users/<user_name>/Library/Preferences

    For example:

    cd /Users/agarcia/Library/Preferences

  5. For each .plist key you want to update, run the following command:

    defaults write com.tableau.Registration.plist <key_value>

    For example:

    defaults write com.tableau.Registration.plist Data.first_name Ashley

    defaults write com.tableau.Registration.plist Data.last_name Garcia

Use the template to register Tableau on another computer

  • On another computer, install Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder.

    During installation, you are prompted for a product key followed by the activation wizard. If you exit the program before completing activation or registration or are installing silently, start the Terminal application, and then run the following commands:

    • To activate Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder run the following command:

      Tableau Desktop: 'Tableau Desktop <version>.app/Contents/MacOS./Tableau' –activate <product_key>

      Tableau Prep Builder: 'Tableau Prep Builder <vesion>.app/Contents/MacOS./Tableau Prep Builder' –activate <product_key>

    • To register Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder run the following command:

      Tableau Desktop: 'Tableau Desktop <version>.app/Contents/MacOS./Tableau' –register

      Tableau Prep Builder: 'Tableau Prep Builder <vesion>.app/Contents/MacOS./Tableau Prep Builder' –register

Refresh the product key (Tableau Desktop only)

If the maintenance date for your product key is not up-to-date, you can refresh the product key. This process updates all the keys in the machine's trusted storage with the date that your current maintenance period expires and stops expiration messages you may have already received

E-reader For Mac

To refresh your Tableau Desktop product key using the command line, use the -refresh option.

Note: If you are using the Authorization to Run (ATR) service to manage Tableau Desktop licenses, you do not need to use these commands to refresh or deactivate Tableau. To learn more about the ATR service, see, Configure Virtual Desktop Support.

If you want to refresh a Tableau Server product key using automated scripts, see Automate Licensing Tasks in the Tableau Server Help.

Windows

Run tableau.exe with the -refresh option and a product key. For example:

start/wait ' 'C:Program FilesTableauTableau <version>bintableau.exe' -refresh

Mac

Run the -refresh option on the Tableau object in the Applications path:

./Applications/Tableau.app/Contents/MacOS/Tableau -refresh

Deactivate the product key

If you want to move Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder to another computer, or need to remove it from a computer, you should deactivate the product key.

Note: This option is only available for Tableau Prep Builder version 2018.2.1 and later.

To retrieve and deactivate a Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder product key without having to manually remove it from an individual computer, start Tableau from the command line and use -return option. This option takes one parameter, which is the product key.

Note: If you are using the Authorization to Run (ATR) service to manage Tableau Desktop licenses, you do not need to use these commands to refresh or deactivate Tableau. To learn more about the ATR service, see, Configure Virtual Desktop Support.

Note: If you want to deactivate a Tableau Server product key using automated scripts, see Automate Licensing Tasks in the Tableau Server Help.

Windows

Run tableau.exe with the -return option and a product key, as in the following example:

start/wait ' 'C:Program FilesTableauTableau <version>bintableau.exe' -return <product_key>

or

start/wait ' 'C:Program FilesTableauTableau Prep Builder <version>Tableau Prep Builder.exe' -return <product_key>

Note: You can also remove perpetual licenses when uninstalling Tableau Desktop using the RECLAIMLICENSE property, described above in Installer options.

Mac

Run the -return option on the Tableau object in the Applications path:

./Applications/Tableau.app/Contents/MacOS/Tableau -return <product_key>

or

'./Applications/Tableau Prep Builder <version>.app/Contents/MacOS/Tableau Prep Builder' -return <product_key>

Uninstall Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder

While it is not necessary to uninstall previous versions of Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder when installing a newer version, you can uninstall any version of these applications if you no longer need them on your computer.

Windows

To uninstall Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder silently from the command line, do the following:

  1. Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator.

  2. In the location where the .exe was installed, run the following command:

    TableauDesktop-<product_installer_name>.exe /uninstall /quiet

    or

    TableauPrepBuilder-<product_installer_name>.exe /uninstall /quiet

    For example:

    DownloadsTableauPrepBuilder-2019-1-0.exe /uninstall /quiet

    To uninstall Tableau Desktop 9.2 and earlier versions, from the command prompt type msiexec /x tableau.msi /q instead.

Mac

To uninstall Tableau Desktop on the Mac, drag the application and the Desktop shortcut (if there is one) to your trash folder and then empty your trash.

Any drivers that were installed automatically (Tableau Desktop 10.2 versions and later only) must be uninstalled manually.

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