# Installation and Restore

This page covers the supported ways to install and undo the emoji patch. For DPI
work, start with [DPI Fixes](DPI-Fixes.md).

## Requirements

| Item | Requirement |
| --- | --- |
| OS | Windows 10 or Windows 11 |
| IMVU | IMVU Classic installed under `%APPDATA%\IMVUClient` |
| Python source install | Python 3.10+ |
| Installer exe | Windows x64, bundled Python |
| Runtime state | IMVU closed while patching |

The patch needs write access to:

```text
%APPDATA%\IMVUClient\library.zip
%APPDATA%\IMVUClient\ui\chrome\imvuContent.jar
```

## Recommended Install

Use the PowerShell installer if Windows Defender blocks unsigned PyInstaller
executables, or if you already have Python installed:

```powershell
git clone https://github.com/JSukar/IMVU-TOOLKIT.git
cd IMVU-TOOLKIT
.\install.ps1
```

Restore:

```powershell
.\install.ps1 --restore
```

## GUI Installer

Download `IMVU-Emoji-Installer.exe` from the official Releases page, run it, and
choose **Install** or **Restore**.

To run the GUI from source:

```powershell
git clone https://github.com/JSukar/IMVU-TOOLKIT.git
cd IMVU-TOOLKIT
.\install_gui.ps1
```

Restore from the GUI source wrapper:

```powershell
.\install_gui.ps1 --restore
```

## Unified CLI

Install:

```powershell
python -m imvu_toolkit emoji install
```

Restore:

```powershell
python -m imvu_toolkit emoji restore
```

Install and relaunch IMVU after patching:

```powershell
python -m imvu_toolkit emoji install --relaunch-imvu
```

Patch a non-default IMVU directory:

```powershell
python -m imvu_toolkit emoji install --imvu-dir "C:\Users\you\AppData\Roaming\IMVUClient"
```

Patch explicit files:

```powershell
python -m imvu_toolkit emoji install --library "C:\path\library.zip" --content-jar "C:\path\imvuContent.jar"
```

## Legacy Scripts

Root-level scripts still work for backward compatibility:

```powershell
python .\patch_imvu_emoji.py
python .\patch_imvu_emoji.py --restore
```

Prefer the unified CLI for new docs and issue reports.

## Backups

The emoji patch creates backups next to the files it changes:

```text
library.zip.bak-emoji-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS
imvuContent.jar.bak-emoji-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS
```

Restore mode uses the newest matching `bak-emoji-*` backup for each target.

## Installer Verification

Use release artifacts only from the official GitHub Releases page. Each release
includes a SHA256 hash and VirusTotal link.

PowerShell hash check:

```powershell
Get-FileHash .\IMVU-Emoji-Installer.exe -Algorithm SHA256
```

If the hash matches the release page but Windows blocks the file, use
`install.ps1` instead. It applies the same patch without bundling Python into an
unsigned `.exe`.

## After Installing

Restart IMVU if the installer did not relaunch it automatically. Open chat and
look for the smiley button beside **Send**.