> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.minicor.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The Minicor Desktop Service

> The service that connects a Windows machine to the platform and executes every automation step.

The Minicor Desktop Service (MDS) is what turns a Windows machine into a [desktop](/running/desktops) the platform can use. It executes automation steps, captures screenshots and replays, records input telemetry for the run analysis, and manages browser sessions for web applications. Every click and keystroke a job makes goes through it.

Cloud desktops provisioned through Minicor come with the service already installed. For a machine you control, install it yourself.

## Install

Windows 10 or later. Open an elevated PowerShell window and paste:

```powershell theme={null}
$installPath = "$env:TEMP\install.ps1"
irm https://minicor.com/installs/desktop-service/ps1 -OutFile $installPath
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File $installPath
```

To register the machine in one shot, set your VM API key from the dashboard first:

```powershell theme={null}
$env:MDS_VM_API_KEY="your-key"
irm https://minicor.com/installs/desktop-service/ps1 -OutFile C:\temp\install.ps1
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\temp\install.ps1
```

Prefer a guided setup? Download the installer from [minicor.com/installs/desktop-service](https://minicor.com/installs/desktop-service) and enter the VM API key when prompted.

## After the install

The service registers with the platform automatically. The machine appears in your workspace with a live screen view, and jobs can run against it immediately. If it does not show up, check the dashboard's desktops page for its connection state.

Where you install it is up to you: a Minicor cloud VM, your own cloud project or VPC, or on premises next to the system being automated. See [Desktops](/running/desktops#where-automations-run) for the deployment options and [Deploy on your cloud](/operations/network-boundary) for keeping everything inside your boundary.