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How do I set up xTool laser software so students can use it from standard Windows accounts?

In a classroom, the usual setup is to have a teacher or IT staff member install the xTool software once with an administrator account. Students then run it from their own standard Windows accounts, without signing in to the teacher's profile. This guide shows you how to set that up, and what to check when students can't run the software.

Why students can't run it

xTool Creative Space (XCS) installs system-wide on Windows. When you run the installer, Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" (xTool: Install XCS on the Computer). So the install itself needs an administrator.

Once it's installed, two things usually stop a standard user from running it:

  • A folder the app needs to write to that standard users don't have permission to change.
  • The USB driver for the machine, which needs administrator rights to install.

Also note that xTool doesn't support bulk installation and doesn't offer an MSI package for XCS. You need to download it and install it separately on each computer (xTool: XCS Software Installation Information).

Set up the software as an administrator

  1. Log in to Windows with an administrator account.
  2. Download XCS from the xTool software page and install it.
  3. Open XCS once to finish the first-run setup.
  4. While you're still logged in as the administrator, connect the xTool machine with its USB cable and turn it on so that the USB driver installs. xTool says you need a USB connection the first time you connect any device, even if you'll use Wi-Fi later (xTool: Download and install XCS).
  5. If XCS shows a pop-up saying a driver is missing, click Install Now. xTool uses different drivers for different models: CH340 for the D Series, gs32 for the S1, and RNDIS for the F1 Ultra, F1, M1 Ultra, M1 and P2 Series (xTool: Install Driver on Your Computer). If your lab has more than one model, install all the drivers you need. For the CH340 driver, see xTool's CH340 Driver Installation Guide.

Test from a student account

  1. Log out of the administrator account and log in as a student or another standard user.
  2. Open XCS and connect to the machine.

If XCS opens and connects, you're done. If it doesn't, follow the next section.

If XCS fails for standard users

The likely cause is a folder that XCS can't write to. To find that folder:

  1. Have your IT staff run Process Monitor, a free Microsoft Sysinternals tool, while a student account launches XCS.
  2. In the capture, look for entries with the result ACCESS DENIED. Those entries show which folder the app can't write to.
  3. Give the Users group Modify permission on that folder. You set this on the folder's Security tab in its Properties.
  4. Log in as a student again and test.

Fallback: a shared lab account

If it still won't run for standard users, create a dedicated shared Windows account (for example, "xTool Lab") that's used only for sending designs to the laser. Students still never use the teacher's account, and they can't reach the teacher's files.

Still stuck?

If XCS opens but can't find the machine over USB, see xTool's XCS Can't Find Device Through USB guide. It covers driver checks, security software that blocks the driver, and other programs (such as LightBurn) that hold the USB port at the same time. For anything else, see our article "How do I contact support?"