Before you start
- A Windows 10 or 11 PC.
- Claude Desktop installed and signed in with your Claude account.
- Your licence key, from the email we sent after you started your trial.
1. Install
- Download Private Desk and run the installer. No administrator password is needed.
- If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, check the publisher, then Run anyway. (This appears until our code-signing certificate is in place.)
2. Activate
Enter the email address you used to sign up and your licence key. Each key works on one PC.
No internet on that PC? Use No internet on this PC? on the same screen: email us the PC code and we'll reply with an activation code.
3. Set up
- Choose the folder the AI may use, usually your clients or matters folder. It can't see anything outside it.
- Choose what the AI may do. "New documents only" is the default: it can save new letters and notes but can never change or delete your files.
- Connect your AI app. Tick Claude Desktop, then finish.
- Quit Claude Desktop completely (right-click its icon by the clock, then Quit) and open it again.
4. Ask for something
In Claude Desktop, ask in plain English. Mention the client or matter so it knows where to look. For example:
- "Using Private Desk, summarise the latest letter in the Smith divorce matter."
- "Draft a reply to the client's last email and save it as a Word letter in the same folder."
- "Fill in the client care template for the new Patel matter."
- "List every deadline mentioned in the documents in the Jones folder."
Claude will show placeholders such as [PERSON_1] where client details were. That is expected: the real details are added when the document is saved on your PC. Open the saved Word file to see them.
Your letterhead and templates
In Privacy > New Word documents, choose your letterhead (a Word document with your logo in the header). New Word documents the AI creates will use it.
Templates: mark fields in your Word templates as {{client_name}}, {{matter}} and so on. Ask the AI to "fill the client care template for this matter" and it will match the fields to the right details.
Checking what the AI sees
In Privacy, click Preview what the AI sees and pick any document. If something should be hidden but isn't, add it to Always hide these words. Your own firm's name can go in Never hide.
The activity log
The Activity tab lists every document the AI opened and every file it created. Double-click a row to see exactly what was sent. Export to CSV for your records, and use Check the log hasn't been altered before relying on it.
Moving to a new PC
On the old PC: Help > Move my licence to another PC. Then install and activate on the new one. If the old PC is gone, just activate on the new one and choose to move the licence.
Getting help
In the app, Help > Report a problem makes a small report (no documents or client details) to email to us. See Support for remote help.