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ArchiveMind will not launch

Symptoms

You open ArchiveMind (double-click the app or exe) and nothing appears — no window, no error — or an error dialog appears and the app closes.

What this usually means

Most "will not launch" cases are one of:

  • the operating system's security check blocking a build on first launch — on Windows the beta is unsigned (SmartScreen); the macOS builds are notarized, but macOS can still quarantine a download;
  • the interface window failing to appear even though the app started — which is really The ArchiveMind page does not open;
  • on Windows, the portable folder was broken apart (the exe separated from its _internal folder);
  • a previous instance is already running.

Safe steps to try

  1. First launch on macOS: both macOS builds (Intel x86_64 and Apple-silicon arm64) are notarized by Apple, so they open with a plain double-click — no override. If macOS still blocks the app (for example an older, unsigned build, or a download flagged as quarantined): System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway. See macOS (Intel) or macOS (Apple silicon).
  2. First launch on Windows: in the SmartScreen dialog, click More info → Run anyway. See Windows.
  3. Windows portable folder: confirm ArchiveMind.exe still has the _internal folder directly beside it. If you moved or copied only the exe, re-extract the zip and keep the folder together.
  4. Wait ~15 seconds, then try the page directly: open a browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:8765/. If the interface loads, the app is running — only the window failed to appear.
  5. Check whether it is already running: look for ArchiveMind in Activity Monitor (macOS) or Task Manager (Windows). If present, quit it there once, then start the app again.
  6. Restart your computer and try once more — this clears stale processes and locks.

What not to delete or change

  • Do not delete the catalogue database — a launch problem is not a catalogue problem.
  • Do not delete the application-data folder.
  • Do not re-download from unofficial sources.

Information to collect for support

  • Your OS and version, and which build you installed (Windows, macOS Intel x86_64, or macOS Apple silicon arm64 — and, if it is an Apple-silicon Mac running the Intel x86_64 build, that it goes through Rosetta 2).
  • The exact error wording or a screenshot, if any dialog appeared.
  • The newest archivemind.log — see Finding logs.
  • Whether this is a first launch or the app worked before.