Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Status: no release exists yet, so there are no known problems with a released app. This page holds what is known about early builds, and the planned safety nets. It will grow when builds exist. See Roadmap and status.

Windows warns about the file

Early test builds may not be code-signed. Code signing is required before the first beta.

1. Download OpenNote only from the Releases page.
2. If Edge says the file "isn't commonly downloaded", choose Keep.
3. If Windows SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC", select More info, then Run anyway.

The app doesn't open

• OpenNote needs Microsoft Edge WebView2, which is part of Windows 10 and 11. If it is missing, the app offers Microsoft's small installer.
• Check that you picked the right file: OpenNote_Windows64.exe for most PCs, OpenNote_Windows32.exe for 32-bit PCs, and OpenNote_WindowsARM64.exe for Arm PCs.
• OpenNote supports Windows 10 version 22H2 and Windows 11. Older versions aren't supported.

A new version crashes

If a new version crashes twice in a row at start-up, OpenNote puts the previous exe back automatically and reports the problem. You can also choose "Go back to the previous version" in Settings, or download an older release from the Releases page.

After two crashes in a row, the next start offers "Start in safe mode" (Phase 13). It turns off background work, embeds, and on-device models. Your notebooks stay open for reading and editing.

A page looks damaged or empty

1. Saves are atomic, so a crash can't leave half a page. Your earlier versions are kept.
2. Open the page's history and restore an earlier version (Phase 3).
3. Run "Check notebook" (Phase 3). It lists damaged files, missing images and recordings, and broken links, with a repair for each. Nothing changes until you pick one.
4. Restore from a scheduled backup if you set one. Backups open read-only, so you can copy back single pages.

Search is wrong or slow

The search index is only a cache. You can delete it from %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenNote\cache\, and OpenNote rebuilds it from your notes.

Notes in OneDrive or Dropbox show duplicates

OpenNote notices when your notes folder sits inside a sync service. Choose "Always keep on this device" for that folder. Conflict copies from those services open in a side-by-side view, not as duplicate pages.

Ink feels late

Phase 1 measured ink about one frame behind a plain Windows window on a fast screen. Real-pen tests happen in Phase 5. If ink lags on your PC, open an issue with your PC model, your pen, and your screen refresh rate.

Report a problem

• Search the open issues first.
• Open a new issue with steps to reproduce, your Windows version, and which exe you use.
• Don't post note content you want to keep private. Report security problems privately, as the security policy explains.