Maintaining pgAdmin: Update or Removal

PgAdmin application is often being pointed out by customers' security scanners or audits. It is installed as a part of PostgreSQL server, but unfortunatelly its release cycle does not follow the release cycle of PG DB itself - meaning the latest PGSQL server usually does not contain the very latest version of PgAdmin. Due to some valid limitations it is not possible to distribute or install PGSQL package for Windows without pgAdmin.

It may happen that existing installation contains outdated or vulnerable version of pgAdmin installed. Yet latest PGSQL server version may not contain the latest and fixed version of pgAdmin in it. In that case, it is possible to delete the pgAdmin from the YSoft SafeQ 6 installation or to update the pgAdmin itself manually.

There are certain scenarios in the YSoft SafeQ 6 lifecycle where the pgAdmin tool is necessary, e.g. Backup of Internal and External PostgreSQL Database , but these are rare. The YSoft SafeQ 6 does not need the pgAdmin for it's functionality. It can be deleted or manually updated freely.

Deletion of the pgAdmin from YSoft SafeQ 6 installation

pgAdmin can be deleted from a YSoft SafeQ 6 installation.

1. Make sure pgAdmin application is not running.

2. Locate the pgAdmin folder withing the YSoft SafeQ 6 installation location
   <YSOFT SAFEQ6 INSTALL DIR>\Management\PGSQL\pgAdmin 4

3. Delete the entire ”pgAdmin 4” folder

Please be aware that after deleting the pgAdmin 4 folder, it may be installed again during YSoft SafeQ 6 update procedure. This happens in case the newer version to which is the YSoft SafeQ 6 being updated contains newer version of PGSQL inside.

In this case, the pgAdmin will be installed again and it would be possible to delete it again.

In case there is a need to use a pgAdmin after it was deleted previously, it is possible to install it manually back. This step is described below in the “Manual update of the pgAdmin of the YSoft SafeQ 6 installation” section

Manual update of the pgAdmin of the YSoft SafeQ 6 installation

The original pgAdmin is copied to the “<YSOFT SAFEQ6 INSTALL DIR>\Management\PGSQL\pgAdmin 4” folder as a part of standalone portable PGSQL installation. Therefore the pgAdmin itself is not included in the “Installed apps” or “Add or remove programs” sections in Windows. However the PostgreSQL does not provide such standalone portable binairies of the pgAdmin only. Therefore there are three possibilities, how to approach this during manual installation or update of YSoft SafeQ 6’s pgAdmin.

Option 1 - Standalone installation of the latest pgAdmin separate from YSoft SafeQ 6 installation

1. Delete the pgAdmin which was deployed together with the YSoft SafeQ 6

   • as described on this page above “Deletion of the pgAdmin from YSoft SafeQ 6 installation“

2. Download latest pgAdmin 4 Windows installation file from postgresql.org

   • For example pgAdmin 4 version 9.4 for Windows x64

   • https://www.postgresql.org/ftp/pgadmin/pgadmin4/v9.4/windows/

3. Install it to some default directory apart from the YSoft SafeQ 6 installation.

   • e.g. C:\Program Files\pgAdmin 4

4. This installation is now up-to date, completely separate and can be updated or uninstalled as it is a common Windows application.

Please be aware that after deleting the pgAdmin 4 folder, it may be installed again during YSoft SafeQ 6 update procedure. This happens in case the newer version to which is the YSoft SafeQ 6 being updated contains newer version of PGSQL inside.

In this case, the pgAdmin will be installed again, and there will be two instances of installed pgAdmin 4 - one installed separately and second as part of the YSoft SafeQ 6 (which can be deleted again).

Option 2 - Standalone installation of the latest pgAdmin into the YSoft SafeQ 6 installation directory

1. Delete the pgAdmin which was deployed together with the YSoft SafeQ 6

   • as described on this page above “Deletion of the pgAdmin from YSoft SafeQ 6 installation“

2. Use the same procedure as described in the section “Standalone installation of the latest pgAdmin separate from YSoft SafeQ 6 installation“

3. But instead of installing the pgAdmin into some unrelated directory, install it into the YSoft SafeQ 6 pgAdmin original location:

   • “<YSOFT SAFEQ6 INSTALL DIR>\Management\PGSQL\pgAdmin 4”

The pgAdmin 4 is now located where it was originally located before. But now it is registered in the Windows as a regular application. It is possible to uninstall it as a regular application. But also it can be overriden during YSoft SafeQ 6 update procedure without proper unregistration from the Windows.

Please be aware that after deleting the pgAdmin 4 folder and replacing it by standalone installation of the pgAdmin 4, this standalone installation may be replaced back to older version during YSoft SafeQ 6 update procedure. This happens in case the newer version to which is the YSoft SafeQ 6 being updated contains newer version of PGSQL inside.

In this case, the newer pgAdmin will be replaced back to older version. The previous newer standalone pgAdmin installation will not be properly uninstalled from the Windows apps. And the attempt of following proper uninstallation from the Windows apps will fail with error. Therefore we strongly recommend to uninstall the standalone pgAdmin installation from Windows apps before any YSoft SafeQ 6 update.

Option 3 - Manual updating of the latest pgAdmin into the YSoft SafeQ 6 installation directory

1. Delete the pgAdmin which was deployed together with the YSoft SafeQ 6

   • as described on this page above “Deletion of the pgAdmin from YSoft SafeQ 6 installation“

2. Use the same procedure as described in the section “Standalone installation of the latest pgAdmin separate from YSoft SafeQ 6 installation“

3. Copy the following directories from the standalone installation to the pgAdmin4 location in the YSoft SafeQ 6 directory: (docs, python, runtime, web)

   • E.g. copy these four directories (docs, python, runtime, web) from

   • C:\Program Files\pgAdmin 4\

   • to

   • <YSOFT SAFEQ6 INSTALL DIR>\Management\PGSQL\pgAdmin 4

4. Uninstall the standalone pgAdmin 4 installation using Windows Apps as it is not needed anymore.

Please be aware that after manually updating the pgAdmin 4 folder it may be replaced back to older version during YSoft SafeQ 6 update procedure. This happens in case the newer version to which is the YSoft SafeQ 6 being updated contains newer version of PGSQL inside.

In this case, the newer pgAdmin will be replaced back to older version. Therefore we strongly recommend to backup the pgAdmin 4 folder before any YSoft SafeQ 6 update and to restore it after update.