# Windows

# Windows: "ComfyUI Portable" vs "ComfyUI Desktop"

## Available Packages for download

Comfy UI Desktop | This version separates the ComfyUI application from the "BASE Directory" (assets, models and plugins). With the other Portable version you need to start a terminal webserver and use your web browser to work, this Desktop version does all that in one UI application. The webserver runs hidden in the backgound while you work. Your workflow is loaded within the Desktop and therefore you do not need a separate browser. •Version control / install on new machine You can store the installer and use it later to install the same version on other machines. The installer contains a copy of the ComfyUI Git. Which means it does not download the latest version. So as long as an artist does not update, you use the same version on all machines. •Per Project setup By default, you already have a separated BASE Directory. While you create workflows, download models and custom nodes, your comfyUI application folder is kept the same. Small Disadvantages: The location of the BASE Directory is set once at installation and then "hardcoded" into ComfyUIs config file (in your users preference directory). Then Comfy UI Desktop version places its python.exe into the \.venv subfolder of the BASE directory. If you want to create a new BASE Directory, you have to copy the \.venv folder and pre-create the other folders. Installation notes: •Install into versioned folder It is recommended that you do not install ComfyUI Desktop into a default folder "/ComfyUI/" if you are concerned of version control. Instead you should at least add the version to the path (with underscore) like "/ComfyUI_0.8.5/". •BASE Directory on any drive If you have multiple disks in your workstation and you want to install on a drive other than C:\, then the installer complains that you should not do that. So far test have shown no issues installing to an other local harddrive. Network drives cause issues. Perhaps the installer assumes that any other drive than C:\ must be a network drive?
Comfy UI Portable | All-in-one folder. The folder contains everything. All applications, all plugins and all your data. You start the ComfyUI webserver in a terminal and use your own internet browser to connect to it. •Version control / install on new machine On Installation, it always downloads the latest version of ComfyUI. It is more complicated to track the version used. Which means you cannot just install it a month later on some other machine and assume you get the same version. You would have to retrieve some snapshot ID (git commit-ID) on one machine and tell local Git download to use that specific on the other machine. If you want to copy it to instead of installing it on a new machine, then you have to remember that all plugins including those 100GB of models and all your workflows are stored in this folder. You copy everything even if you don't need all these models for your next project. I highly recommend that you follow "Per Project setup" right after installation. Even before you start it the first time. •Per Project setup By default, all data gets downloaded into this application folder. Temp files, application, workflows and assets are mixed. Even if you never switch to a different model folder, you should still think of seperating your assets from the application. You should edit the run_nvidia_gpu.bat file that starts the webserver and provide a new "Base Directory" to store all asset files separated from the application. o Separate BASE directory from application. With this step, you separate the application from the assets. Edit the file run_nvidia_gpu.bat and add the commandline flag --base-directory "C:\Comfy_Base" o Additional: Place workflow, input and output on fileserver While the whole BASE directory should not be on a network share as it gets really slow, you can still place everything workflow related on the fileserver. --base-directory "C:\Comfy_Base" --database-url "sqlite:///C:/Comfy_Base/user/comfyui.db" --output-directory "//fileserver/share/projectX/Comfy/Output" --input-directory "//fileserver/share/projectX/Comfy/Input" --user-directory "//fileserver/share/projectX/Comfy/User" Note: The user folder contains all workflows, but it contains a comfyUI database as well. And you might not want the database for your ComfyUI installation on the fileserver, which is why we relink it back.

# Setup

## Submission

Please see the parent ComfyUI help page how to setup the submission.

## Setup Render - Comfy UI Desktop

This description is for "Comfy UI Desktop".

For "Comfy UI Portable", please see next section.

Please copy your ComfyUI Desktop folder into RR.

The folder in RR has to be named like this:
[RR]\render_apps\renderer_exe\comfyui\win_x64\ComfyUI_Desktop_0.8.4
You have to change the version "0.8.4" to match your ComfyUI Desktop version.
Do not change any other naming.

After you have copied the application, you have to copy the .venv folder from your ComfyUIs BASE Directory to

[RR]\render_apps\renderer_exe\comfyui\win_x64\ComfyUI_Desktop_0.8.4\.venv

### Which ComfyUI Desktop version do I have?

•Either
open ComfyUI, choose Settings from the Menu and open About.
Search for ComfyUI_desktop at the top.

•Or
open the rrSubmitter via the CompfyUI submission plugin.
Take a look at the bottom left of the rrSubmitter.
Or submit the job and take a look at Job Info tab.

### Verify that the folder in RR is right

Submit a job and let a client start to render.

Open a Render log file in rrControl and look at the first few lines:

Exe source root directory is set to \\server\RoyalRender\render_apps\renderer_exe\comfyui\win_x64\ Exe source file is set to \\server\RoyalRender\render_apps\renderer_exe\comfyui\win_x64\ComfyUI_Desktop_*\.venv\Scripts\python.exe Exe source file, best desired match \\server\RoyalRender\render_apps\renderer_exe\comfyui\win_x64\ComfyUI_Desktop_0.8.4\.venv\Scripts\python.exe Auto-version change

### What if the version does not match?

If you do not have the exact same version in RR; then RR will take the closest matching version that it finds.

Note that you may use any way to write the version.
Either with minor and release number or without:
ComfyUI_Desktop_0.8.4
ComfyUI_Desktop_0.8

ComfyUI_Desktop_0

## Setup Render - Comfy UI Desktop

This description is for "Comfy UI Portable".

Please copy your ComfyUI Portable folder into RR.

The folder in RR has to be named like this:
[RR]\render_apps\renderer_exe\comfyui\win_x64\ComfyUI_Portable_0.13.0\
You have to change the version "0.13.0" to match your ComfyUI Desktop version.
Do not change any other naming.

If you have not followed "Per Project setup" (see table above) to set the BASE_Directory, then your ComfyUI Portable might be filled with a lot of uncecessary files.

The portable folder contains all plugins (models, custom nodes), a temp folder, a user settings database and old workflows.
In this case it is recommended that you reinstall a fresh portable version and change the BASE_Directory right at startup.

### Which ComfyUI version do I have?

•Either
open ComfyUI, choose Settings from the Menu and open About.
Search for ComfyUI_Core at the top.

•Or
open the rrSubmitter via the CompfyUI submission plugin.
Take a look at the bottom left of the rrSubmitter.
Or submit the job and take a look at Job Info tab.

### Verify that the folder in RR is right

Submit a job and let a client start to render.

Open a Render log file in rrControl and look at the first few lines:

Exe source root directory is set to \\server\RoyalRender\render_apps\renderer_exe\comfyui\win_x64\ Exe source file is set to \\server\RoyalRender\render_apps\renderer_exe\comfyui\win_x64\ComfyUI_Portable_*\python_embeded\python.exe Exe source file, best desired match \\server\RoyalRender\render_apps\renderer_exe\comfyui\win_x64\ComfyUI_Portable_0.13.0\python_embeded\python.exe Auto-version change

### What if the version does not match?

If you do not have the exact same version in RR; then RR will take the closest matching version that it finds.

Note that you may use any way to write the version.
Either with minor and release number or without:
ComfyUI_Portable_0.13.0
ComfyUI_Portable_0.13
ComfyUI_Portable_0