Installation

Installation

SenseTree ships as a standard Windows installer. There is nothing to configure at the OS level — it installs like any other desktop app.

1. Download

Go to the Releases page and download the latest asset:

File	Choose it if…	Notes
sensetree_x.y.z_x64-setup.exe (recommended)	You're an individual user.	NSIS wizard. Installs per-user in %LOCALAPPDATA%, no admin required. This is the target for the future in-app auto-update.
sensetree_x.y.z_x64_en-US.msi	You manage many machines.	Windows Installer package. Deployable via GPO / Intune / SCCM, supports silent install (msiexec /i sensetree_x.y.z_x64_en-US.msi /quiet). Usually per-machine → needs admin.

Both install the exact same application; only the packaging and audience differ.

Pick one and stick with it across versions. NSIS and MSI track their installs separately — mixing them can leave two entries in Apps & Features.

2. Install

Run the installer and follow the prompts. When done, SenseTree appears:

• in the Start menu,
• in Settings → Apps → Installed apps (uninstall from there),
• optionally as a desktop shortcut.

Windows SmartScreen may warn on first run because the binary isn't code-signed with a paid certificate — choose More info → Run anyway.

3. First launch

On first start, SenseTree:

1. Creates its data directory at %APPDATA%\com.virgi.sensetree (config, SQLite metadata, LanceDB vectors).
2. Writes a default settings.json (see Configuration).
3. Provisions the local embedding runtime (ONNX Runtime) lazily on first index.

Then head to Getting Started.

Requirements

• Windows 10/11, x64.
• To use the AI features you need model endpoints. You have two options (mixable per slot):
  • the built-in local embedding engine (fastembed / ONNX) — no extra install, embeddings only; or
  • a local model runner: Ollama or LM Studio for reasoning/vision (and optionally embedding).
• A GPU is optional but strongly recommended for the LLM reasoning/vision models. Embedding runs fine on CPU.

See Models & Providers for what to install and which models to pick for your hardware.

Upgrading

Download the newer installer of the same type and run it. Because the app identifier (com.virgi.sensetree) is stable, it upgrades in place — one app entry, no duplicate. Your index and settings in %APPDATA% are preserved.

There is no in-app auto-update yet — upgrades are manual (download + run). This is planned for a future release. See the FAQ.

Uninstalling

Uninstall from Apps & Features like any app. This removes the program but not your data. To wipe everything, also delete %APPDATA%\com.virgi.sensetree.