# Updating gateway launcher

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/updating-gateway-launcher/109402>\
**Category:** Ignition 8.3 Early Access\
**Created:** [August 5, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/updating-gateway-launcher/109402 "2025-08-05T19:50:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drewdin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/drewdin/32/3363_2.png) [@drewdin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/drewdin)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/updating-gateway-launcher/109402/1 "2025-08-05T19:50:10Z")

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sorry if this has been asked already, i only have one client machine, before I update the launcher to 8.3 beta, will I be able to still launch my 8.1 projects and are there any issues? Thanks

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**Author:** ![avaughn](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/avaughn/32/38972_2.png) [@avaughn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/avaughn)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 7:52pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/updating-gateway-launcher/109402/2 "2025-08-05T19:52:07Z")

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Yes you will be able to use an 8.3 launcher to launch against 8.1 gateways.

Not an issue necessarily since it's by design, but by default you won't be able to launch against gateways on 8.1.33 or older.

> [@Launch client jar invalid](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/launch-client-jar-invalid/109145):
>
> Testing Ignition 8.3.0 Beta. I had to upgrade my Designer Launcher to 1.3.0 Beta-1 to access the 8.3 designer. However, I'm now unable to open any of my other 8.1.23 designers; I receive a "Launch client jar invalid" message. I ended up downgrading my designer, but this means I can no longer access 8.3. Has anyone else encountered this issue?

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**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/updating-gateway-launcher/109402/3 "2025-08-05T20:28:26Z")

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I'll plug this here again now that I can share it in a useful way:

> [@How to start multiple project specific designer sessions at once (batch file)?](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-start-multiple-project-specific-designer-sessions-at-once-batch-file/102947/15):
>
> My personal favorite productivity boon so far is a browser bookmarklet that navigates to the designer deeplink for "whatever host and port I am currently looking at " - so even without any corresponding web UI (or if I'm looking at an 8.1 gateway) I can have a one-click designer launch experience. Deep links are one of the less flashy but very impactful features for folks who are in the trenches smile

If you make a bookmark to the below URL (using whatever instructions are appropriate for your browser of choice):

```python
javascript:(function()%7Bwindow.location.href %3D %60designer%3A%2F%2F%24%7Bwindow.location.hostname%7D%3A%24%7Bwindow.location.port%7D%3F%24%7Bwindow.location.protocol !%3D%3D 'https%3A' %3F 'insecure%3Dtrue' %3A ''%7D%60%3B%7D)()%3B

```

Which is essentially just the URL encoded version of this code:

```python
function() {
	window.location.href = `designer://${window.location.hostname}:${window.location.port}?${window.location.protocol !== 'https:' ? 'insecure=true' : ''}`;
};

```

You can navigate to a gateway webpage hosted anywhere, click the bookmark in your web browser, and it'll invoke a deep link to that gateway, **even for 8.1 gateways**.  
Instant productivity boon if you're frequently working with different systems, including 8.1.

Disclaimer: As you can see in the code it's deliberately opting in to allow plaintext HTTP launching, which deeplinks are designed to discourage. I consider this a totally acceptable thing to do in development environments, but your company/IT department/grandma may not.