# Set current software version to a preinstalled version **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Tags:** app-version, update\ **Created:** [June 6, 2022, 12:30pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/set-current-software-version-to-a-preinstalled-version/5002 "2022-06-06T12:30:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![uishon](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/uishon/32/1326_2.png) [@uishon](https://hub.mender.io/u/uishon)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2022, 12:30pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/set-current-software-version-to-a-preinstalled-version/5002/1 "2022-06-06T12:30:45Z")
I’m installing mender on devices where some specific software version is already installed. Is there a way to let mender “know” what the currently installed version is, even though that version was preinstalled (i.e., not installed via mender)? ---
**Author:** ![kacf](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/kacf/32/146_2.png) [@kacf](https://hub.mender.io/u/kacf)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2022, 7:41am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/set-current-software-version-to-a-preinstalled-version/5002/2 "2022-06-07T07:41:39Z")
Not officially, but you can cheat your way to it by installing a dummy file, like an empty `/tmp/dummy` using the `single-file` Update Module, and then make sure you set the right Provides values in the artifact. Compare it to the real artifact, and use the `--provides` option of mender-artifact to set the headers. ---
**Author:** ![uishon](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/uishon/32/1326_2.png) [@uishon](https://hub.mender.io/u/uishon)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2022, 10:47am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/set-current-software-version-to-a-preinstalled-version/5002/3 "2022-06-07T10:47:49Z")
Thanks. I wanted to avoid having to go through deployment on all devices. Was rather looking for a way to have `mender` configured with the currently installed version upon - say - setup. But, this _is_ a nice workaround 🙂