Installation and Setup

Installation & Setup

This guide covers installing CyberSnap, first-run configuration, and keeping it up to date.

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System Requirements

Requirement	Minimum
OS	Windows 10 (build 19041) or later, including Windows 11
Architecture	x64 for the published installer and portable ZIP
Runtime	.NET 10 Desktop Runtime included; no separate installation required
Disk space	Space for the extracted app, bundled runtime and FFmpeg, plus your captures

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Installation Methods

Installer (Recommended)

1. Download CyberSnap-Setup-{version}.exe from Releases
2. Run it as your normal Windows user (no administrator rights or UAC elevation required) and follow the wizard:
   • Choose the installation directory (%LocalAppData%\Programs\CyberSnap by default)
   • Optional tasks: Run at startup, desktop shortcut, CyberSnap Editor desktop shortcut (--editor)
   • Start Menu entries (CyberSnap + CyberSnap Editor) are always created
3. Launch CyberSnap when complete

Starting with version 1.20.1, installation is per user. If you have an older all-users installation in Program Files, uninstall that copy before switching to this installer. Removing the old machine-wide installation may require administrator approval; the new installer does not migrate it in place.

What the Installer Does

• Copies program files to the installation directory
• Registers the .csnp file association for the current user (CyberSnap.Project → "<exe>" "%1", icon from the exe)
• Creates current-user Start Menu shortcuts (CyberSnap, CyberSnap Editor)
• Creates desktop shortcuts (only if tasked)
• Uses the same HKCU\...\Run startup value as the in-app toggle. The selected or unchecked installer task is applied on first launch; later in-app changes remain effective.
• Registers one current-user Inno Setup uninstall entry. CyberSnap.exe --uninstall delegates to that uninstaller.

Portable ZIP (No Installer)

Releases also ship a portable ZIP:

1. Download and extract it anywhere
2. Run CyberSnap.exe directly

The ZIP is installation-free, but settings, gallery data, and logs still live in %APPDATA%\CyberSnap. Extracting it creates no installer-managed shortcuts or file associations. The app can still register startup for the current user according to its Launch on startup setting.

Windows SmartScreen

Windows may show a SmartScreen warning the first time you run the CyberSnap installer; this is expected until Windows builds enough reputation for the file. The same can appear when launching the portable build.

To continue:

1. Click More info.
2. Click Run anyway.

SmartScreen is separate from UAC. The per-user installer does not request administrator elevation.

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Setup Wizard

On first launch (or anytime via Settings → General → System → Setup wizard), a 5-step stepper walks you through:

1. Appearance — Language and visual theme
2. Capture — Behavior and overlays
3. Saving — After-capture steps and files
4. Hotkeys — Your shortcuts (only Area Capture is pre-bound)
5. Ready — Review and finish

Re-running the wizard never wipes settings made outside of it.

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Auto-Update

CyberSnap checks the GitHub releases feed once shortly after startup (toggle: AutoCheckForUpdates, on by default):

1. When an update is available, a silent toast notification appears (14 s) with a changelog peek
2. Clicking the toast opens the About window update section: changelog peek plus View Release (release page), Update Now (asks for confirmation, then downloads with progress), and Skip this version
3. Downloading fetches the installer asset with progress; installing asks for confirmation again before CyberSnap exits so it can be replaced
4. Skip this version silences that release (no toast, widget badge, or tray LED) until a newer version appears; checking manually from About always reports

There are no channel (pre-release), interval, or auto-download options, just the on/off toggle.

Manual Update

• About window → Check for Updates... (also reachable from every Help submenu)
• Or download the latest installer/ZIP from releases. A per-user installer can update an existing per-user installation. When switching from an older Program Files installation, uninstall that machine-wide copy first.

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Auto-Start Configuration

Enable/Disable

• Settings → General → System → Launch on startup (on by default for fresh app settings; an explicit installer choice takes precedence on first launch)
• Or: Windows Settings → Apps → Startup → Toggle CyberSnap

How It Works

The in-app toggle writes:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run  →  "CyberSnap" = "<exe path>"

The installer and the app use this same value, so there is no duplicate Startup-folder shortcut. Windows launches the app at sign-in without elevation. Uninstalling removes the value even if startup was enabled later in the app.

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File Associations

The installer registers only .csnp (CyberSnap projects): double-click opens the file in the editor.

Image files get no shell integration. To edit an outside image:

• Drag and drop it onto the editor, or
• Run CyberSnap.exe --editor "path\to\image.png", or
• Open the bare editor (CyberSnap.exe --editor) and use Open / Paste / New canvas

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Uninstallation

Standard Uninstall

1. Windows Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
2. Find CyberSnap → Uninstall, or run CyberSnap.exe --uninstall. Both use the registered Inno Setup uninstaller for an installed copy; no administrator elevation is required for the per-user installation.

What Gets Removed

• Installed program files and installation directory
• Start Menu and desktop shortcuts
• .csnp file association keys
• Uninstall registry entry
• HKCU\...\Run startup value

What Is Kept

• %APPDATA%\CyberSnap — settings, gallery data, logs (delete it manually for a full wipe; the app recreates defaults on next launch)
• Your captures/recordings folder (%USERPROFILE%\Pictures\CyberSnap by default)