Install on Windows
Probe on Windows ships as a single signed installer. It's code-signed with an Extended Validation (EV) certificate, so Windows trusts it natively — no separate bootstrap, no Root CA install, no manual trust step. Later releases arrive through Probe's built-in updater, which runs this same installer again (see Auto-update below).
System requirements
Section titled “System requirements”- Windows 10 (1809) or Windows 11. 64-bit only.
- Administrator account. UAC is required to install Probe under
Program Files. - About 250 MB of free disk space.
Install
Section titled “Install”-
Go to the Download page and click Download for Windows. You'll get a file named
ProbeSetup-<version>.exe. -
Double-click
ProbeSetup-<version>.exe. -
If Windows SmartScreen warns you, click More info, then Run anyway. This only happens until the signature builds reputation; once enough installs have completed, SmartScreen recognizes it automatically.
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Accept the User Account Control prompt and step through the installer. The defaults are fine.
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When it's done, Probe launches automatically.
Firewall prompts
Section titled “Firewall prompts”Right after install, Windows Defender Firewall pops up asking whether to allow Probe to accept incoming connections.
You'll see two checkboxes:
- Private networks — your home or office Wi-Fi.
- Public networks — coffee shop, airport, conference Wi-Fi.
Tick both. Probe needs inbound access on:
9099for the proxy itself, so phones and other devices on your LAN can route traffic through it.9098for the CA certificate landing page, so devices can download the cert in a browser.
If you only allow Private and your Wi-Fi profile is set to Public (Windows often defaults new networks to Public), the proxy still works for traffic from this machine, but no other device can reach it. You can change the firewall rule later under Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall.
What you get
Section titled “What you get”After install, Probe is registered with Windows like any other app:
- A Start menu entry under Probe.
- A desktop shortcut, if you tick the desktop-shortcut task on the installer's additional-tasks page; it is unticked by default.
- A Programs and Features entry for clean uninstall.
The installer is EV-signed. The MITM CA used to decrypt HTTPS traffic is a separate certificate — it's generated locally the first time Probe runs and still needs to be installed into your trust store. See Install CA on Windows.
The first time you launch Probe, the proxy starts on 0.0.0.0:9099 and configures the WinINET system proxy automatically. You'll see your machine's IP and port in the toolbar.
When you click Stop, Probe turns the WinINET system proxy off. It doesn't bring back a proxy you had configured before Probe — set that again yourself. If Probe crashes or is force-quit, the proxy can stay pointed at the dead port: start and stop Probe once, or see Troubleshooting.
Auto-update
Section titled “Auto-update”Probe updates itself with WinSparkle and checks its update feed each time it starts. On Probe's second launch, WinSparkle asks whether to check for updates automatically; say yes and it also checks about once an hour while Probe is running. WinSparkle only offers builds your version of Windows can run. To check by hand, choose Help → Check for Updates….
When a newer version is out, WinSparkle opens its update window with the release notes. You can install the update, be reminded later, or skip that version; Probe never forces an update.
An update is not silent. Install it, and Probe downloads ProbeSetup-<version>.exe and runs it. The installer asks for administrator permission, so Windows shows the User Account Control prompt again, as it did for your first install. If Probe is still running, the installer asks you to close it first. Its last page offers Launch Probe, ticked, to start the new version.
The first time you open the new version, Probe shows a short What's New dialog with the release notes. It appears once, right after the update.
Data directory
Section titled “Data directory”Probe keeps your saved sessions, Composer collections, flows, and other working files in:
%USERPROFILE%\.probe\Paste that path into the Explorer address bar to open it. The CA is kept apart, in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Probe\probe_ca\. If you uninstall Probe and want to start clean, delete those folders by hand — the uninstaller leaves them in place so you don't lose your work.
Uninstall
Section titled “Uninstall”- Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
- Find Probe, click the ⋯ menu, then Uninstall.
- (Optional) Delete
%USERPROFILE%\.probe\to remove your saved sessions, Composer collections, and flows. - (Optional) Delete
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Probe\probe_ca\to remove Probe's CA. Devices that trusted it need the new certificate Probe makes the next time it runs.
Quit Probe before you uninstall it: quitting switches off the system proxy Probe turned on. If you previously ran Probe before the EV-signed release (when we shipped via ProbeBootstrap.exe), an unused Probe Internal Root CA certificate may still be in your Trusted Root Certification Authorities store. It's harmless, but you can delete it via certmgr.msc if you want a clean trust store.