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Windows

The Windows desktop app is a native WPF application that embeds the Starsky web UI via Microsoft WebView2. It bundles the full Starsky server and launches it automatically in the background — no separate server setup is needed.

Requirements​

  • Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
  • Microsoft WebView2 Runtime — pre-installed on Windows 11; on Windows 10 it is usually already present via Edge, but can be installed separately from Microsoft's site

Installer step 1​

Open the downloaded installer: starsky-win-x64-desktop.exe

Can you install it globaly or in your own user space. The default option is "Only for me"

Step 1

Installer step 2​

This is the default location when installing "Only for me"

Step 2

Wait for the installer is done​

Step 3

Installer is done​

Step 4

It runs​

See the First Steps in the Getting Started Guide for more info on how to set up the storage folder

Connection modes​

The Windows app supports two modes, switchable in Settings:

  • Local — starts the bundled Starsky server on a free port; no login is required (intended for single-user desktop use)
  • Remote — connects to an existing Starsky server URL; full authentication applies

Automatic updates​

The app checks for updates on startup and will prompt you when a new version is available. You can postpone the update; the check is suppressed for 4 days after dismissing a prompt. Update checking can be disabled in Settings.

Advanced: custom installation directory​

By default the installer places the application in %LocalAppData%\Starsky.Desktop. To install to a different location, run the setup from the command line with the --installto flag:

starsky-win-x64-desktop.exe --installto "D:\Apps\Starsky"

The directory will be created if it does not exist. All Velopack update mechanics (auto-update, uninstall) continue to work from the custom location.

Data locations​

PurposePath
Application binaries%LocalAppData%\Starsky.Desktop\current\ (default)
Settings%AppData%\starsky\settings.json
Logs%AppData%\starsky\logs\
Database (local mode)%AppData%\starsky\starsky.db
Thumbnails (local mode)%AppData%\starsky\thumbnailTempFolder\
Temp files (local mode)%LocalAppData%\starsky\tempFolder\