Troubleshoot: Desktop App

Troubleshooting errors on the desktop app in Window and MacOS

Georges-Antoine Assi avatar
Written by Georges-Antoine Assi
Updated over a week ago

This article discusses methods to help troubleshoot the Fellow desktop app:

Reset the Desktop App

If your desktop app behaves in an unexpected way or won't load, resetting it could help. You can do this by accessing the help menu > reset app as pictured below for both Windows and MacOS devices.

Reset on MacOS:

Reset on Windows:

JavaScript Error

This is a general error that indicates a background process has failed. If a specific error message does not appear below this, please contact support using the blue chat bubble or via email at support@fellow.co.

JavaScript Error: Can Not Find Squirrel [Windows]

This error occurs when the app tried to auto-update, but has not been installed to the system. Fellow should not be run directly from the executable; verify that the app has been correctly installed.

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen

"Microsoft SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from Running. running this app might put your PC at risk."

You may see this error for one of two reasons:

  1. You're attempting to install Fellow on a company computer, and a policy was set by your company's System Administrator or IT team to prevent non-whitelisted apps from running. We recommend contacting your System Administrator or IT team to ask them to whitelist Fellow.

  2. Microsoft SmartScreen may have blocked the Fellow desktop app. As the desktop app is newer, relatively speaking, Fellow needs some time to build trust with Microsoft SmartScreen. In this case, you can try the following steps:

    1. Right click on installer (.exe)

    2. Select Properties option.

    3. Click on checkbox to check Unblock at the bottom of Properties.

windows smart screen error message

Desktop App Running in Background

Closing the desktop app from the x in the top right (Microsoft) or from the red in the top left (MacOS) will minimize the app to your system tray. As long as the Fellow icon is visible in the system tray, the app will continue to run. You can fully close the app by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Quit".

Multiple Instances in Task Manager

In the task manager, you may see what looks like multiple instances of Fellow running. These are in fact multiple threads processing data. This is perfectly normal and should not cause an issue in MacOS or Microsoft.

task manager
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