vamAIDocs

First launch on Windows

Why Windows may warn you the first time you start vamAI, how to get past it, and what the other first-start messages mean.

The first time you double-click vamAI.exe, Windows may step in before vamAI opens. This page explains what you might see and what to do.

"Windows protected your PC"

Windows shows this blue window for apps it doesn't recognise yet. vamAI isn't code-signed yet (signing is planned), so Windows can't tell who made it.

  1. Click More info.
  2. Check the app name reads vamAI.exe.
  3. Click Run anyway.

You only need to do this once. After that, vamAI starts normally.

Important

Only run a vamAI.exe you downloaded from the official downloads page. If you got it anywhere else, delete it and download it again.

Note

Some Windows 11 PCs have Smart App Control turned on. It blocks apps that aren't signed and doesn't offer Run anyway. Until vamAI is signed, it can't start on a PC where Smart App Control blocks it.

"vamAI can't write to its folder"

vamAI keeps your settings, characters and downloads inside its own folder, so it must be able to write there. If it can't, it shows this message and closes.

This usually means the folder is inside Program Files or on a read-only drive. Close the message, move the whole vamAI folder somewhere you own, such as C:\vamAI or D:\Games\vamAI, and start it again.

"vamAI is in a OneDrive folder"

vamAI still runs from a folder that OneDrive keeps in sync, but it isn't a good home. vamAI's files change all the time and its downloads are large, so OneDrive would keep uploading them.

For the smoothest experience, close vamAI and move the whole folder somewhere that isn't synced, such as C:\vamAI. If you'd rather keep it where it is, tick Don't remind me.

Starting vamAI twice

If vamAI is already open, starting it again just brings the open window to the front. You never end up with two copies of the same folder running.

If vamAI didn't start properly

Rarely, vamAI may say "vamAI started with problems" (part of it didn't start) or "Settings file recovered" (your settings file was damaged, so vamAI restored the last good copy or started with defaults). Restarting vamAI often fixes the first. If either keeps happening, see Troubleshooting.

Next steps

Once vamAI opens, the setup steps begin. See Download & install for a walkthrough.