Troubleshooting and common questions
I forgot my password.
Use your recovery key: on the unlock screen choose "Forgot password? Use recovery key". Without the password or the recovery key, nobody — including Clavis — can open your files. That is what makes the encryption real.
Clavis says my password is wrong, but I'm sure it's right.
Check Caps Lock and your keyboard layout, and make sure the right vault is selected (click the vault name at the bottom of the sidebar). If the vault uses a key file, it must be the exact same, unchanged file.
An encrypted file won't decrypt and Clavis says it was changed or damaged.
Clavis checks every chunk of every file and refuses to return data that has been altered. Try a copy from your backup or cloud folder. Use Verify regularly to catch problems early.
A file encrypted on another PC won't open here.
Files belong to the vault that encrypted them. Restore that vault's backup on this PC, or ask the sender to share the file with your Clavis ID instead.
Windows SmartScreen says "Windows protected your PC".
Choose More info, then Run anyway. SmartScreen shows this for apps that are new and don't yet have a long download history. You can check the file against the SHA-256 checksum on the download page.
I don't see Clavis in the right-click menu.
On Windows 11 it's under Show more options. Check Settings, Explorer, Show Clavis in the right-click menu. The menu is only available in the installed app, not the portable ZIP.
I closed the window but Clavis is still running.
The window's close button hides Clavis to the system tray so watch folders keep working. Use Quit Clavis in the top-right corner to stop it completely.
How do I move to a new computer?
Make a vault backup in Settings, copy your .enc files, install Clavis on the new PC and choose Restore from a backup on the first screen. Remove your licence on the old PC and activate it on the new one.
Where does Clavis keep my vault?
In the .fileencryptionapp folder in your user folder (for example C:\Users\You\.fileencryptionapp). Your password is never stored there — only what's needed to check it.
Does Clavis upload anything?
No. Encryption happens on your PC. Clavis only connects to the internet to check for updates and to activate or remove a licence.
Still stuck? Email clavis.enc@gmail.com.
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