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How do I fix common installation problems?

How do I fix common installation problems?

This guide covers common issues you may encounter when installing or launching SwiftPrep, with solutions for all supported platforms.

General Issues

Application Will Not Start

Symptoms: Double-clicking SwiftPrep does nothing, or the application closes immediately after launching.

Solutions:

  1. Restart your computer - Sometimes a fresh restart resolves launch issues
  2. Run as administrator (Windows) - Right-click SwiftPrep and select "Run as administrator"
  3. Check for conflicting software - Temporarily disable antivirus or security software
  4. Reinstall the application - Download a fresh copy and reinstall
  5. Check system requirements - Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements

Installation Fails with Error

Symptoms: The installer shows an error message and cannot complete.

Solutions:

  1. Run installer as administrator - Right-click the installer and select "Run as administrator"
  2. Check disk space - Ensure you have at least 500 MB of free disk space
  3. Close other applications - Close running applications that might be using system resources
  4. Download again - The installer file may be corrupted; download a fresh copy
  5. Check permissions - Ensure you have write permissions to the installation directory

Application is Very Slow

Symptoms: SwiftPrep takes a long time to start or responds slowly.

Solutions:

  1. First launch is slower - The first launch initializes the database and is expected to be slower
  2. Check available RAM - Close other applications to free up memory
  3. Check disk space - Low disk space can cause performance issues
  4. Large campaigns - Very large campaigns with many entities may take longer to load

Windows-Specific Issues

SmartScreen Blocks the Installer

Symptoms: Windows SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC" warning.

Solution:

  1. Click More info
  2. Click Run anyway

If "Run anyway" is not visible:

  1. Right-click the installer file
  2. Select Properties
  3. Check the Unblock checkbox at the bottom of the General tab
  4. Click OK
  5. Run the installer again

Antivirus Flags SwiftPrep as Suspicious

Symptoms: Antivirus software quarantines or blocks SwiftPrep.

Solution:

  1. Open your antivirus software
  2. Check quarantine for SwiftPrep files
  3. Restore the files and add to exclusion list
  4. Add the SwiftPrep installation directory to your antivirus exclusions:
    • Default: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Programs\swiftprep
  5. Re-run the installer if needed

Missing Visual C++ Runtime

Symptoms: Error about missing DLL files or VCRUNTIME.

Solution:

  1. Download the latest Visual C++ Redistributable from Microsoft
    • Search for "Visual C++ Redistributable download" on Microsoft's website
  2. Install both x64 and x86 versions
  3. Restart your computer
  4. Launch SwiftPrep again

Application Closes Immediately

Symptoms: SwiftPrep window appears briefly then closes.

Solution:

  1. Right-click SwiftPrep shortcut
  2. Select Properties
  3. Click Compatibility tab
  4. Try checking "Run this program in compatibility mode" and select Windows 10
  5. Click OK and try launching again

Cannot Find Data Directory

Symptoms: Need to locate campaign data or configuration files.

Solution: SwiftPrep stores data at: %LOCALAPPDATA%\dm-swiftprep

To access:

  1. Press Win + R
  2. Type %LOCALAPPDATA%\dm-swiftprep
  3. Press Enter

macOS-Specific Issues

"Cannot Be Opened Because It Is from an Unidentified Developer"

Symptoms: macOS Gatekeeper blocks the application.

Solution:

  1. Click Cancel on the warning
  2. Open System Preferences then Security & Privacy (or System Settings then Privacy & Security)
  3. In the General tab, find the message about SwiftPrep being blocked
  4. Click Open Anyway
  5. Confirm by clicking Open

"App Is Damaged and Can't Be Opened"

Symptoms: macOS shows a damaged app warning.

Solution: Remove the quarantine attribute using Terminal:

  1. Open Terminal (Applications then Utilities then Terminal)
  2. Run: 
    xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/SwiftPrep.app
  3. Launch SwiftPrep again

Application Not Appearing in Launchpad

Symptoms: SwiftPrep is installed but not visible in Launchpad.

Solution:

  1. Open Finder
  2. Navigate to the Applications folder
  3. Confirm SwiftPrep.app is present
  4. If not present, re-install by dragging from the DMG to Applications
  5. Try resetting Launchpad: 
    defaults write com.apple.dock ResetLaunchPad -bool true; killall Dock

Cannot Open DMG File

Symptoms: The downloaded DMG file will not mount.

Solution:

  1. The download may be incomplete; download again
  2. Check your internet connection during download
  3. Try opening from Terminal: 
    hdiutil attach ~/Downloads/SwiftPrep-*.dmg
  4. Check Console.app for disk mounting errors

Slow Performance on Apple Silicon

Symptoms: Application runs slowly on M1/M2/M3 Mac.

Solution:

  1. Check Activity Monitor to see if SwiftPrep is running under Rosetta
  2. The universal binary should run natively; if issues persist, contact support
  3. Ensure you have the latest version of SwiftPrep

Linux-Specific Issues

Missing Dependencies

Symptoms: Application fails to start with library errors.

Solution: Install required dependencies for your distribution:

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 libgtk-3-0 libayatana-appindicator3-1 librsvg2-common

Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf install -y webkit2gtk3 gtk3 libappindicator-gtk3 librsvg2

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S webkit2gtk gtk3 libappindicator-gtk3

"Permission Denied" When Running

Symptoms: Cannot execute the application.

Solution:

  1. For AppImage, make it executable: 
    chmod +x SwiftPrep-*.AppImage
  2. For installed packages, check that the binary is in your PATH: 
    which swiftprep
  3. Check file ownership: 
    ls -la /usr/bin/swiftprep

WebKit2GTK Version Mismatch

Symptoms: Error about wrong WebKit2GTK version.

Solution:

  1. Check your installed version: 
    apt list --installed | grep webkit2gtk  # Debian/Ubuntu
rpm -qa | grep webkit2gtk              # Fedora/RHEL
  2. The application requires WebKit2GTK 4.0 or later
  3. Update your system packages: 
    sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade    # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf update                         # Fedora/RHEL

AppImage Sandbox Issues

Symptoms: AppImage fails with sandbox-related errors.

Solution: Run with sandbox extraction disabled:

APPIMAGE_EXTRACT_AND_RUN=1 ./SwiftPrep-*.AppImage

Or extract and run manually:

./SwiftPrep-*.AppImage --appimage-extract
./squashfs-root/AppRun

Graphics Issues on Wayland

Symptoms: Visual glitches or rendering problems on Wayland.

Solution: Force X11 backend:

GDK_BACKEND=x11 swiftprep

Or for AppImage:

GDK_BACKEND=x11 ./SwiftPrep-*.AppImage

Data and Migration Issues

Moving Data to a New Computer

Steps:

  1. On the old computer, locate your data directory:
    • Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\dm-swiftprep
    • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/dm-swiftprep
    • Linux: ~/.local/share/dm-swiftprep
  2. Copy the entire dm-swiftprep folder to a USB drive or cloud storage
  3. Install SwiftPrep on the new computer
  4. Close SwiftPrep if running
  5. Copy the dm-swiftprep folder to the same location on the new computer
  6. Launch SwiftPrep

Database Corruption

Symptoms: SwiftPrep shows errors about database corruption or fails to load campaigns.

Solution:

  1. Close SwiftPrep
  2. Navigate to your data directory (paths listed above)
  3. Locate the database file (typically named swiftprep.db or similar)
  4. Create a backup copy of the database file
  5. If SwiftPrep has a "Repair Database" option in Settings, try that first
  6. If the issue persists, contact support with your backed-up database file

Lost Campaigns After Update

Symptoms: Campaigns missing after updating SwiftPrep.

Solution:

  1. Check that you are signed into the correct account
  2. Campaigns are stored locally; check that the data directory still exists
  3. If you used a different installation location, campaigns may be at the old location
  4. Check for backup files in the data directory
  5. Contact support if data appears to be lost

Network and License Issues

Cannot Activate License

Symptoms: License activation fails or times out.

Solution:

  1. Check your internet connection
  2. Disable VPN temporarily and try again
  3. Check if firewall is blocking SwiftPrep
  4. Try from a different network
  5. Clear application cache and try again

Subscription Not Recognized

Symptoms: Paid features locked despite active subscription.

Solution:

  1. Sign out and sign back in
  2. Check Settings then Subscription to verify status
  3. Ensure your payment method is valid
  4. Wait a few minutes and check again (sometimes sync is delayed)
  5. Contact support if the issue persists

Getting Additional Help

If your issue is not covered here:

  1. Check for updates - Ensure you have the latest version of SwiftPrep
  2. Check system requirements - Verify your system meets all requirements
  3. Gather information - Note the exact error message, your operating system version, and steps to reproduce
  4. Contact support - Reach out to SwiftPrep support with your details

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