QX Manager Software
Installation Guide

QX Manager Software
Installation GuideBio-Rad Technical Support Department
The Bio-Rad Technical Support department in the U.S. is open Monday through Friday, 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM,
Pacific time.
Phone: 1-800-424-6723, option 2
Email: Support@bio-rad.com (U.S./Canada Only)
For technical assistance outside the U.S. and Canada, contact your local technical support office or click theContact Us link at bio-rad.com.

Legal Notices
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission
in writing from Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
Bio-Rad reserves the right to modify its products and services at any time. This guide is subject to change
without notice. Although prepared to ensure accuracy, Bio-Rad assumes no liability for errors or omissions, orfor any damage resulting from the application or use of this information.
BIO-RAD, DDPCR, QX200, and QX600 are trademarks of Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. in certain jurisdictions.
EvaGreen is a trademark of Biotium, Inc. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. is licensed by Biotium, Inc. to sell
reagents containing EvaGreen Dye for use in real-time PCR, for research purposes only.
Purchase of Digital PCR and/or Single-Cell NGS Sample Preparation products (the “Products”) from
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can be accessed at https://bio-rad.com/en-us/terms-conditions. Unless we expressly state otherwise inadditional Terms and Conditions, no rights are granted for you to distribute or resell the Products. Unless we
expressly state otherwise in additional Terms and Conditions, ​no rights are granted for the development orcommercialization of diagnostic assays for use with the Products without a license from Bio-Rad. It is theuser’s obligation to obtain a commercial license from Bio-Rad for (i) all commercial uses (not just diagnosticuses) and (ii) sale of assays for use on Bio-Rad's ddPCR and ddSEQ instruments. The Products and/or theiruse are covered by U.S.​ and foreign patents and/or pending patent applications owned by or under license to
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. See https://bio-rad.com/en-us/trademarks for trademark information.
All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owner.
Copyright © 2024 by Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved.

Revision History

Revision History
Document

Date

Description of Change

QX Manager Software Installation GuideMay

Add firmware installation requirement for

Software version 2.22024

the QX600 Droplet Reader

QX Manager Software Installation Guide

Octobern Update computer requirements

Software Version 2.12023

n Add sections on Windows Update

DIR No. 1000158585, Ver C

settings and Power settings

DIR No. 10000158585, Ver B

n Rename File Exclusion List to Antivirus Settingsn Update topics on adding local
accounts and adding the first user to
add clarity
n Add Troubleshooting section and two
subsections
QX Manager Software Installation Guide
Software Version 2.0
DIR No. 10000158585, Ver A

SeptemberCreate new installation guide for2022

QX Manager, v2.0 (standard andpremium editions)

Installation Guide | iii

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iv

Table of Contents
Front Cover
Revision Historyaiii

Chapter 1 Installation Overview

7

Chapter 2 Installation Prerequisites

9

Computer Requirements

10

Changing Windows Update Settings

11

Power and Sleep Settings

13

Anti-virus Settings

15

Finding Network or Computer Names and User Names

16

Creating Local Windows User Accounts

18

Chapter 3 Installation and Verification

21

Installing the Software

21

Installing Standard Edition

21

Installing Premium Edition

23

Adding the First User

24

Verifying the Software Installation

25

Connecting the Instrument

25

Logging Into the Software

25

Selecting the Instrument

26

Appendix A Troubleshooting

27

Creating the Windows Users Profile

27

Reinstalling the Software

27

Back Cover29

Installation Guide | v

Table of Contents

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viChapter 1 Installation Overview
This installation guide explains how to install QX Manager Software, Standard Edition or Premium Edition,on the computer that will connect to the QX200™ Droplet Reader or QX600™ Droplet Reader. If yourorganization uses both editions, you can install them on the same computer, but only one edition can beopen at a time.
This guide assumes you are installing v2.0 or later.
Important: Before you begin the installation, if the default language on the computer on which QXManager Software will be installed is not English, you must ensure the Users profile is included in
Windows Local Groups or the installation might fail. For information, see Appendix A,
Troubleshooting.
If you are installing Standard Edition, then you must choose whether or not to enable the User
Management module during the installation, as follows:n

If you do enable User Management, all user functions are included in the installation and you areprompted to add the first user.

n

If you do not enable User Management, then the corresponding tab does not appear in the left panel
and a generic user, with a small subset of user preferences, is automatically added and logged into
the software. The password requirement is also disabled, so all users can access the QX Manager
functionality with the same generic user ID.

If you are installing Premium Edition, you are prompted to add the first user automatically. Premium
Edition is designed to align with regulatory requirements, so each user must log in with an individual username and password.
For information on all QX Manager Software functions, see the user guide for the instrument and software
edition you are installing.

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Chapter 1 Installation Overview

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8

Chapter 2 Installation Prerequisites
Before you begin the installation, ensure the following prerequisites are met:n

The computer on which the software will be installed must meet the minimum requirements specified
in Computer Requirements on page 10.
You can use a company computer or purchase a laptop from Bio-Rad.

n

As the installer, you must log into the computer as an administrator.

n

You must know the name of the local computer or network domain.
If you don't already know the domain name and user name, see Finding Network or Computer
Names and User Names on page 16.

n

If you are installing Premium Edition, or Standard Edition with the User Management module
included, all users must have either a network domain user account or a local user account set up on
the computer that will connect to the instrument.
To create local user accounts, see Creating Local Windows User Accounts on page 18.
Note: If you are installing Standard Edition without enabling User Management, a single genericuser is automatically created during the installation.

n

If you are installing Standard Edition, you must have a registered Bio-Rad user account to log into the
Bio-Rad website and download the software.
If you have not created your user account, go to http://www.bio-rad.com and click the Log In/Registerlink at the top of the page. Follow the prompts to create your Bio-Rad user account.

n

If you are installing Premium Edition, you must have the USB drive containing the installation files(Catalog No. 12018108).

n

You must exclude certain folder paths in your anti-virus software and external tools, or theapplications can block QX Manager Software from running. For information, see Anti-virus Settings
on page 15. For assistance, contact your system administrator.

Installation Guide | 9

Chapter 2 Installation Prerequisitesn

For QX600 instruments, you must install firmware version 1.5 (or later) on the instrument before you
can install and connect version 2.2 of QX Manager Software (or later).
To check the firmware version for compatibilitya.

Open QX Manager Software.

b.

From the left pane, select the Help (?) tab to display the software information window.

c.

To display a table containing all system specifications, including the firmware version, click thelink containing the current name and version of the software (for example, QX Manager
Standard Edition Version 2.2.0.67).

Computer Requirements
To accommodate the software and a library of experiments performed in your lab, the computer on which
QX Manager Software will be installed must meet the requirements specified in Table 1.
Table 1. Computer requirements

SystemComponent

Minimum

Recommended

Operating system

Windows 10 64-bit

Windows 10 64-bit
Windows 11 64-bit

CPU

6th generation Intel 2 core processor

8th generation Intel 4 core processor

Hard disk space

500 GB

1 TB

System memory

8 GB

32 GB

Display resolution

1920 x 1080 (scaling at 100%)

1920 x 1080 (scaling at 100%)

Ports

1 USB

1 USB

10 QX Manager SoftwareChanging Windows Update Settings

Changing Windows Update Settings
To improve security and the performance of your computer, Windows 10 and Windows 11 automaticallydownload and apply critical system updates. To ensure the updates do not interfere with experiments you
are running, you must set active hours to cover the entire period when the ddPCR system is typically inuse. During active hours, Windows does not automatically install updates or restart the computer.

To verify or change your active hours settings
1.

Click the Windows icon in the lower-left corner and then click the Settings icon.

2.

Click Update & Security.

3.

Select Windows Updates from the left pane, and then click Change active hours.

Installation Guide | 11

Chapter 2 Installation Prerequisites

4.

If the specified time range is incorrect, click Change.

5.

In the Active Hours dialog, enter the start time and end time, up to a maximum of 18 hours.

6.

Click Save.

7.

Close the Settings windows.

12 QX Manager SoftwarePower and Sleep Settings

Power and Sleep Settings
To prioritize system performance over energy consumption, Bio-Rad recommends configuring thecomputer to use the high performance power settings.

To change performance settings
1.

Click the Windows Settings icon.

2.

In the Search field, type perf.

3.

In the Performance Options dialog, select Adjust for best performance and click OK.

Installation Guide | 13

Chapter 2 Installation Prerequisites

To help ensure the computer is operating in an optimal condition during PCR runs, you should also
configure Windows to never go to sleep.

To change the sleep setting
1.

Click the Windows Settings icon and then click System.

2.

In the left pane, click Power & Sleep.

3.

Under Sleep, click each dropdown arrow and select Never.

14 QX Manager Software

Anti-virus Settings

Anti-virus Settings
This section contains the directory paths that you must add to the exclusion list for the anti-virus software.
Important: QX Manager has been successfully validated with Windows Defender, an anti-virus
application that is a built-in component of Windows 10 and Windows 11. You can install the anti-virus
application of your choice, but you must add all QX Manager Software-related folders to the exclusion
list or the tools can block QX Manager Software from running. For assistance, contact your systemadministrator.

Application Installation Path
C:\Program Files\Bio-Rad\QXMgrStandard
C:\Program Files\Bio-Rad\QXMgrPremium

Application Public Data Folder Path
C:\Users\Public\PublicDocuments\Bio-Rad\QXMgrStandard
C:\Users\Public\PublicDocuments\Bio-Rad\QXMgrPremium

Executable Paths
QX Manager Software, Standard Edition
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\QXMgrStandard\QXMgrStandard.exe (main application executable)
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\QXMgrStandard\WinSCP.exe (new executable required for QX600)
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\QXMgrStandard\7za.exe
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\QXMgrStandard\GeneStudy\7za.exe
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\QXMgrStandard\GeneStudy\Applications.DdpcrExtractor.exe
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\QXMgrStandard\GeneStudy\BioRadGeneStudy.exe

QX Manager Software, Premium Edition
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\QXMgrPremium\QXMgrPremium.exe (main application executable)
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\QXMgrPremium\WinSCP.exe (new executable needed for QX600)
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\ QXMgrPremium\7za.exe
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\ QXMgrPremium\GeneStudy\7za.exe
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\ QXMgrPremium\GeneStudy\Applications.DdpcrExtractor.exe
C:\ProgramFiles\Bio-Rad\QXMgrPremium\GeneStudy\BioRadGeneStudy.exe

Installation Guide | 15

Chapter 2 Installation Prerequisites

Finding Network or Computer Names and User Names
Before beginning the installation and adding the first user (if User Management will be enabled), you must
know either the network domain name and your network user name or the local computer name.
Important: You must log in as an administrator on the local computer.

To find the network domain name and network user name1.

Press and hold the Windows key, and then press the R key.

2.

After the Run prompt appears in the lower-left corner, type cmd.exe in the Open field.

3.

When the command prompt appears, type whoami at the command prompt.

Windows returns the network domain name, followed by your network user name.

16 QX Manager Software

Finding Network or Computer Names and User Names

To determine the local computer name1.

In the Windows search field in the lower-left corner, type comp, and then click View your PC Name.

The About window appears and the computer name is displayed as the Device name.

Installation Guide | 17

Chapter 2 Installation Prerequisites

Creating Local Windows User Accounts
You can set up QX Manager Software users with local Windows user accounts or your organization's
network user accounts.
n

If you will use local Windows accounts to set up users in QX Manager Software, you must create
them on the computer that will connect to your QX200 Droplet Reader or QX600 Droplet Reader.
Before you begin the installation, complete the instructions in this section.
Note: Local accounts must comply with the conventions and policies established by yourcompany.

n

If you will use network user accounts, no preliminary setup is necessary. You can add users,
including the first user, immediately in QX Manager Software. If necessary, contact your systemadministrator for the domain information and user names or see Adding the First User on page 24 for
information on locating domain, computer, and user names.

To create a local Windows user account1.

Log into the local computer with an administrative account.

2.

On the Windows desktop, type Local User in the Search field, and then press Enter.
The Local Users and Groups window appears.

18 QX Manager Software

Creating Local Windows User Accounts

3.

Right-click on the Users folder and select New User to display the New User dialog.

4.

Complete the following substeps:a.

In the User Name field, enter a user name.

b.

(Optional) Enter the full name and user description in the corresponding fields.
For example, you can use the description field to further identify specific user access or to
explain different permission levels that will be assigned in the application.

5.

c.

Enter a password in the Password and Confirm Password fields.

d.

If the password is intended to be temporary, ensure the User must change password at next
logon checkbox is enabled and click Create.

Repeat to create each user account.

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Chapter 2 Installation Prerequisites

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20

Chapter 3 Installation and Verification
This section explains how to install the software, add the first user, and then verify the software
installation.

Installing the SoftwareThis guide assumes you are installing QX Manager Software, version 2.0 or later. Continue to theapplicable section to install Standard Edition or Premium Edition.
Note: If your organization uses both editions, you can install them on the same computer, but only
one edition can be open at a time.

Installing Standard Edition
To download and install Standard Edition
1.

Enter http://www.bio-rad.com into your browser .

2.

Enter QX Software into the Search field and click the search icon.

3.

When the search results appear, click QX Software to open the corresponding page.

4.

Scroll to the Download section and under QX Manager Software Standard Edition, locate the current
version and click Log in to download software.

5.

Log into the website with your Bio-Rad username and password.

6.

In the Software Download window, select the I agree with the compliance requirements checkbox,
and then click Download.
A zip file is downloaded and appears in the Downloads folder. The download process can take a few
minutes.

7.

Open the Downloads folder on the computer and select the QXManagerStandard_v<x.x> zip file.

8.

Right-click the file and choose Extract All. Optionally, you can navigate to a destination folder;otherwise, the files are automatically extracted to a folder in Downloads.

9.

Select the Show extracted files when complete checkbox and click Extract.

10. Locate the QXMgrStandard_<x.x>_Setup.exe file.

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Chapter 3 Installation and Verification

11. Double-click the file and follow the prompts in the Installation Wizard.
12. As the sequential windows appear, install the default settings.
13. When the User Management dialog appears, do one of the following:n

To bypass the User Management module, ensure the Enable User Management checkbox iscleared and click Continue.

A prompt appears, asking you to confirm. Click Yes to proceed.

QX Manager Software automatically sets up a generic user. When the installation concludes,
click Finish.
n

To install the User Management module, ensure the Enable User Management checkbox isselected and then follow the process in Adding the First User on page 24. You cannot click
Continue until the user is validated.

22 QX Manager SoftwareInstalling the Software

Installing Premium Edition
To install Premium Edition
1.

Copy the zip file from the product USB drive (PN# 12018108) to your Downloads folder.

2.

Open the Downloads folder on the computer and select the QXManagerPremium_v<x.x> zip file.

3.

Right-click the file and choose Extract All. Optionally, you can navigate to a destination folder;otherwise, the files are automatically extracted to a folder in Downloads.

4.

Select the Show extracted files when complete checkbox and click Extract.

5.

Locate the QXMgrPremium_<x.x>_Setup.exe file.

6.

Double-click the file and follow the prompts in the Installation Wizard. As the sequential windows
appear, install the default settings.

7.

When the User Management dialog appears, follow the process in Adding the First User on page 24.
You cannot click Continue until the user is validated.

Installation Guide | 23

Chapter 3 Installation and Verification

Adding the First User
If you enabled User Management as part of the Standard Edition installation, or if you are installing
Premium Edition, you must add the first user as part of the installation.
Important: QX Manager users must already be set up as either local users on the computer or as
network users, and you must know the network name or local computer name.

To add the first user
1.

In the User Name field on the right, do one of the following:n

If the computer is connected to a network and you are using network accounts, enter the user inthe following format:<network domain name>/<network user name>.

n

If you set up users with local Windows user accounts, enter the user in the following format:<local computer name>/<local user name>.

Important: The names must match exactly or an error appears.
2.

Click Check Name.
When the software recognizes the network domain or computer name and the user name, avalidation message appears and the Continue button is enabled.

3.

Click Continue to finish the installation, and then click Finish.

For information on user privileges and preferences, see the most recent version of the applicable user
guide, as follows:n

QX200 Droplet Reader and QX Manager Software, Standard Editionn

QX200 Droplet Reader and QX Manager Software, Premium Editionn

QX600 Droplet Reader and QX Manager Software, Standard Editionn

QX600 Droplet Reader and QX Manager Software, Premium Edition

24 QX Manager Software

Verifying the Software Installation

Verifying the Software Installation
To verify that QX Manager Software installed properly and is ready to run experiments, complete thesteps in the following sections.

Connecting the Instrument
To connect and start the instrument
1.

Connect the USB cable provided by Bio-Rad to the USB port on the back of the QX200 or QX600
Droplet Reader, and then to the computer.

2.

Press the Power button on the instrument.
The Power indicator light turns solid green to indicate that power is on.

3.

Turn on the connected computer and log in with the account set up for the first user.

Logging Into the Software
4.

Enter the user name in the following format:<computer or domain name\user name>5.

Enter the password and click Sign in.

6.

Ensure the Do not show EULA on sign-in checkbox is selected and tap I Agree.

When you agree to the EULA, the dialog closes and the application opens to the Instrument window
in System Settings.

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Chapter 3 Installation and Verification

Selecting the Instrument
The first time you log into the software, the Instrument window appears automatically and you must selectthe instrument you are using. For complete information on your instrument and software edition, see themost recent version of the applicable user guide, as follows:n

QX200 Droplet Reader and QX Manager Software, Standard Editionn

QX200 Droplet Reader and QX Manager Software, Premium Editionn

QX600 Droplet Reader and QX Manager Software, Standard Editionn

QX600 Droplet Reader and QX Manager Software, Premium Edition

To select the instrumentuSelect QX200 or QX600.
Note: If you are using the QX200 Droplet Reader, you can also select a droplet volume. See theapplicable user guide for information.

When the software recognizes the connected instrument, the status bar includes the instrument
information.

26 QX Manager Software

Appendix A Troubleshooting
Creating the Windows Users Profile
If you plan to install QX Manager Software on a computer on which the default language is not English,
the installation might fail due to a missing Users profile in local Groups. Complete the following steps tocreate the Users profile.

To create the Users profile1.

In the Windows Search field, enter Computer Management.

2.

Select Local Users and Groups, then double-click Groups.

3.

Determine whether the Users profile is missing from the list; if so, continue to step 4.

4.

In the left panel, right-click Groups and select New Group.

5.

For Group Name, enter Users, and then click Create.

6.

Restart the computer and then install QX Manager Software.

Reinstalling the Software
To perform a clean reinstallation of the software
1.

Back up all data you want to preserve.

2.

Click the Windows icon in the lower-left corner and select Apps in the Windows Settings window.

3.

Scroll to and select QX Manager Software, and then click Uninstall.

4.

After the software is uninstalled, navigate to5.

n

C:\Program Files\Bio-Rad and delete the folder for your QX Manager editionnC:\Program Data\Bio-Rad and delete the .folder for your QX Manager edition

Run the QX Manager installation executable file to reinstall the software.

Installation Guide | 27

Appendix A Troubleshooting

28 QX Manager Software

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