This is expected. Nexus isn't code-signed yet. Click More info → Run anyway. Full explanation in Getting Started. If you want to verify the file is genuine first, check its SHA-256 hash against SECURITY.md.
- Confirm you're on Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). Nexus doesn't run on Windows 7/8 or on non-Windows systems.
- Check for a
nexus_startup.logfile on your Desktop. Nexus writes a step-by-step trace there as it starts up; if it crashes silently, the last line in that file tells us where it died. Attach this file when you report the issue. - Also check your Desktop for
nexus_crash.log, which captures unhandled crash details if one occurred. - Report it via Discord or open an issue, and include both log files if present. They only ever contain local diagnostic info; nothing is sent anywhere automatically.
- Double-check you typed the key exactly as sent. It's easy to mistake similar-looking characters.
- Make sure you're not trying to reuse a key on a second machine. Keys are machine-bound (see Activation).
- If it still won't activate, contact us with the key and we'll check it from our end.
Nexus has two recovery paths:
- Recovery phrase: the phrase you were shown during setup. If you saved it, use it from the lock screen to set a new master password. Important: this resets your password, it does not decrypt your old files. Anything added to the vault before you use it stays encrypted under the old password and will no longer appear. There's no way around this, since your files are encrypted directly with a key derived from your password, not a separately recoverable master key. The app's own recovery dialog states this plainly before you confirm, since it's an irreversible step.
- Machine bypass: a fallback tied to your specific device, available through Northbyte Studios if you've lost your recovery phrase too. Has the same limitation as above: it resets your password, it doesn't recover files encrypted under the old one.
If you've lost both your master password and your recovery phrase, there is currently no way for us to recover your vault. This is a direct consequence of the vault being genuinely encrypted rather than "encrypted but recoverable." We know this is a hard limitation, and it's why Getting Started stresses saving your recovery phrase before you rely on the vault for anything important.
- Confirm you're unlocking the correct vault if you've set up more than one. Nexus supports multiple vaults, including decoy vaults, and it's easy to end up on the wrong one.
- Don't manually move or rename anything inside Nexus's data folders outside the app. The storage layout isn't meant to be edited by hand.
- If a scan reports integrity issues, don't panic. Reach out with details before doing anything destructive (like reinstalling) so we can help diagnose first.
Streamer Mode is meant to hide vault content from screen capture and screenshot tools when enabled. If it's not behaving as documented:
- Confirm the toggle state in Settings.
- Check
nexus_startup.logon your Desktop for the line showing the resolved Streamer Mode state at startup. - Report what you're seeing, along with that log line, via Discord or a GitHub issue. This area has had a lot of attention recently and we want to know if anything's still off.
- Known Issues: check if it's already a known gap.
- Discord: fastest response.
- atharva.patil.cg@gmail.com: if you'd rather not use Discord.