---
title: "Managing the CTERA Agent From the Command Line"
slug: "managing-the-ctera-agent-from-the-command-line-1-1"
tags: ["Windows", "Protect", "Agent", "Share", "7.12", "Drive"]
updated: 2026-02-09T13:09:24Z
published: 2026-02-09T13:09:24Z
canonical: "kb.ctera.com/managing-the-ctera-agent-from-the-command-line-1-1"
---

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

# Managing the CTERA Agent From the Command Line

You can manage the CTERA Agent directly from the command line, from the folder where the CTERA Agent was installed. The default folder is `C:\Program Files (x86)\CTERA\CTERA Agent`

To display the CLI syntax, in the folder where the CTERA Agent was installed, use: `cteractl --help`

The command line interface has the following syntax: `cteractl [--version] [--help] command`

*version* provides details of the CTERA Agent version and copyright information. *help* provides the help for cteractl.

*command* can be: **signin** [-u string ] [-p string ] [-c ActivationCode ] [--allow-untrusted] [-r ReplacementDeviceID ] [-replacelist] ServerAddress [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **signout** [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **backup-add** -f PATH [-f PATH]... [--background] [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **backup-remove** -f PATH [-f PATH]... [--background] [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **backup-start** [--background] [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **backup-stop** [--background] **backup-suspend** [--background] [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **backup-unsuspend** [--background] [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **dbg** [level ] [level ] ... **gui-access** --all | --localhost **pin** [-f PATH] [--run-as=Windows user account] **settings re-auth** [--signout=n seconds or never ] [--network-loss=n seconds or never ] [--timer=n seconds or never ] [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **status** [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **sync-add** -f PATH [--rename=string ] [--merge] [--caching] [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **sync-remove** -f PATH **sync-start** [--name=string ] [--merge] [--override] [--pinned] [--local-folder=path ] [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **sync-stop** [--name=string ] [--run-as=windowsUserAccount ] **sync-suspend** **sync-unsuspend** **unpin** [-f PATH] [--run-as=Windows user account]

#### Examples

```
cteractl signin -u User1 -p 12345678Aa portal.ctera.com
cteractl signin -run-as paul -user User1 -p 12345678Aa! portal.ctera.me -allow-untrusted
cteractl sync-start --name “ReleaseNotes” --override
cteractl sync-suspendcteractl sync-unsuspend
cteractl dbg debug backup
```

### Description of *command*

The following keyword is available for all the cteractl commands: `run-as= windowsUserAccountName` and means that when an agent is installed per user, an administrator can run cteractl commands as another user.

| Keyword | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| signin | Sign in to the server specified in Server Address. |
| u | The username for signing in. |
| p | The password for the username. |
| c *Activationcode* | An activation code instead of the username and password. |
| allow-untrusted | Ignore untrusted certificates when logging in to the server. |
| *ReplacementDeviceID* | Use this device ID to replace the existing device. |
| replacelist | A list of replacement device IDs to use. |
| *ServerAddress* | The server address to sign in to – either a portal or gateway. |
| signout | Sign out of the server. |
| backup-add/backup-remove | Add or remove files and folders to be backed up. |
| PATH | The full path of the file or folder to be added or removed. |
| background | Run the command in background. |
| backup-start/backup-stop | Start or stop a backup. `run-as= windowsUserAccountName` is not available with `backup-stop`. |
| background | Run the command in background. |
| backup-suspend/backup-unsuspend | Suspend or unsuspend a running backup. |
| background | Run the command in background. |
| dbg | Set the log level or, when no additional arguments are specified, get the current level. Level is hexadecimal, and you can combine different values for Level. For example: dbg 0x00000002 sets the current level to warning. dbg 0x00000042 sets the level to warning for storage. You can also use the name instead of the hexadecimal value. For example: dbg warning sets the current level to warning. dbg warning storage sets the level to warning for storage. |
| Level | Debugging based on the level: aapi = 0x00000020 alert = 0x00020000 apps = 0x04000000 auth = 0x00200000 av = 0x00080000 backup = 0x00000800 caching = 0x20000000 cbck = 0x00040000 cloud_extender = 0x02000000 collaboration = 0x00800000 cttp = 0x00004000 cttp_data = 0x00008000 db = 0x00001000 debug = 0x00000004 dns = 0x00000200 error = 0x00000001 error_abort = 0x01000000 evictor = 0x08000000 evictor_verbose = 0x10000000 files = 0x00002000 http = 0x00000100 index = 0x00100000 info = 0x00000003 license = 0x00400000 none = 0x00000000 ntp = 0x00000400 process = 0x00000008 rsync = 0x00010000 samba = 0x00000010 storage = 0x00000040 upload = 0x00000080 warning = 0x00000002 |
| gui-access | Set the user interface access. |
| all | All users have access to the user interface. |
| localhost | Only localhost users have access to the user interface. |
| pin/unpin | Pin or unpin folders to be always available locally. |
| PATH | The full path of folder to pin to or unpin. |
| settings re-auth | Settings that determine when re-authentication is required. |
| network-loss | Set the number of seconds after a disconnection that can elapse before authentication is required, even if the user is still signed in to the portal, when the connection returns, or never to never require re-authentication. |
| signout | Re-authentication is required, every *n* seconds when there is no activity or never required. |
| timer | Set the number of seconds during a session with the portal after which re-authentication is required, even if the user is still signed in to the portal, or never to never require re-authentication during a session. |
| sync-add | Add a local folder to be synced to the portal cloud drive. |
| PATH | The full path of folder to add to being synced. |
| rename | Rename a folder in the portal cloud drive. The default is the last folder in the path. |
| merge | Merge the folder with a folder in the portal cloud drive. |
| caching | Cache the folder in the portal cloud drive without pinning it locally. |
| sync-remove | Remove a local folder from being synced to the portal cloud drive. |
| PATH | The full path of folder to remove from being synced. |
| sync-start | Start syncing a portal cloud drive folder. |
| name | The name of the folder to start or stop syncing. |
| merge | Merge the portal cloud drive folder with a local folder. |
| override | Override the content of the local folder with the content from the portal cloud drive. |
| pinned | Pin the content of the folder so it is always available locally. |
| local-folder | Choose a different location. |
| sync-stop | Stop syncing a portal cloud drive folder. |
| name | The name of the folder to stop syncing. |
| sync-suspend/sync-unsuspend | Suspend or unsuspend syncing to the cloud. |
| status | Get the agent status. The following information is returned: * What the agent is connected to, including the IP address. * The username. * The status of the last backup. * The status of the license. |