Install Issues

Common installation problems and how to resolve them.

System requirements

  • Operating system: Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
  • Architecture: x64 only
  • Privileges: Administrator access for installation
  • WebView2 Runtime: Required for editors and modals (included in Windows 11; may need manual install on Windows 10)

ThinkForge ships as a self-contained application — you do not need to install .NET separately.

First-run setup dialog keeps appearing

Symptom: The setup dialog asking where to store projects appears every time you launch.

Cause: The settings file was not saved or the projects folder is missing.

Solution: Complete the dialog fully and choose a writable folder. If it reappears, go to Settings → General and set the projects path manually, then restart the app.

Invalid folder or write permission errors

Symptom: Settings shows "Invalid Folder — Make sure you have write permissions" when selecting a projects location.

Cause: ThinkForge tests whether it can write to the selected folder. If the folder is read-only or in a protected location (like C:\Program Files), validation fails.

Solution: Choose a folder you own, such as a location under Documents or a dedicated drive. Avoid system-protected directories.

App will not start after install

Symptom: Nothing happens when launching ThinkForge, or you see missing DLL errors.

Possible causes:

  • Incomplete or corrupted installation
  • Antivirus quarantined application files
  • Missing WebView2 Runtime (Windows 10)

Solutions:

  1. Re-download the installer from your ThinkForge account and verify the download completed fully.
  2. Check your antivirus quarantine for ThinkForge files and add an exception if needed.
  3. On Windows 10, install the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime if not already present.
  4. Run the installer again to repair the installation.

Semantic search not working after install

Symptom: Search only returns keyword matches, no semantic (meaning-based) results.

Cause: The local AI model files are missing from the installation. ThinkForge needs model.onnx and vocab.txt in the Resources\Models folder.

Solution: Repair or reinstall ThinkForge to restore the bundled model files. Keyword search still works without them, but semantic search requires the model.

Settings or databases missing after reinstall

Symptom: After reinstalling, your settings or previous configuration is gone.

Cause: User data (settings, databases) lives in Documents\Think Forge, separate from the install directory. If you changed this location previously, the new installation may not find it.

Solution: In Settings → General, point the projects path back to your original projects folder. Your project data is preserved across reinstalls.

Chrome extension setup dialog

Symptom: A dialog about setting up the Chrome extension keeps appearing on launch.

Solution: Either follow the steps to load the extension, or dismiss the dialog permanently by checking "Don't show this again." See Connect Browser Extension for extension setup steps.

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