Install guide

This guide walks through installing Atelier on a Windows machine and getting to the first launch. Allow about ten minutes the first time through.

Activation, in plain terms#

Before you install, three facts about how Atelier handles licenses — these surface during first launch and worth knowing in advance:

• Up to 3 devices per license. A single Atelier license activates on up to three computers concurrently. You can deactivate any device at any time from inside Atelier (Settings → License) or from the customer portal at dunamisstudios.net/account/atelier-licenses to free a slot for a new device.
• First launch needs internet. Atelier verifies the license against the activation server on first launch. You have a 7-day provisional grace period if you're offline at first launch — Atelier will work, but it'll attempt activation each subsequent launch and lock if it can't reach the server within 7 days.
• 30-day offline grace after activation. Once activated, Atelier checks in with the server about once per day and works offline for up to 30 days between successful check-ins. The day-of mode at the venue, working from a hotel, traveling for destination weddings — none of those scenarios are an issue. A laptop that hasn't seen the internet in over a month is.

The heartbeat payload is small (license ID, hashed hardware fingerprint, version) and contains zero business data. See the privacy notice for the exact contract.

System requirements#

• Operating system: Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) or Windows 11. Windows Server is not officially supported but works on Server 2019 / 2022 in our testing.
• Architecture: 64-bit only. Atelier does not ship a 32-bit build.
• Disk space: 200 MB free for the install, plus room for your data. A typical studio's database is under 50 MB after a year of use; storage is not a meaningful concern.
• Memory: 4 GB RAM minimum, 8 GB recommended.
• WebView2 runtime: Pre-installed on Windows 11. On Windows 10, the installer will prompt to install it if missing — accept the prompt.

Atelier does not require .NET, Java, Python, or any other runtime. It is a single self-contained Windows binary.

Download#

Download the installer from https://dunamisstudios.net/atelier/download. The file is named Atelier-Setup-{version}.exe.

Save it somewhere you'll find it again — your Downloads folder is fine.

SmartScreen warning#

When you run the installer for the first time, Windows SmartScreen will likely show a warning that says "Windows protected your PC" or "unrecognized publisher". This is expected.

Atelier is not yet code-signed with an Authenticode certificate. We're a small studio and the cost-benefit on a code-signing cert hasn't crossed our threshold for v1 — we'd rather pass the savings to customers as a one-time license price. The downside is this SmartScreen warning, which we acknowledge is not great UX.

To proceed:

1. Click More info on the warning dialog.
2. Click Run anyway.

If you're uncomfortable running unsigned software, that's a reasonable position. The installer is open to inspection — the source ships with the install once it lands, and you can verify the binary's SHA-256 against the checksum published at /atelier/download#checksum. If you'd rather wait until we sign the binary, email us — we'll let you know when that happens.

Installer wizard#

The installer is a standard Windows wizard with a few decisions to make:

• Install location. Default is C:\Program Files\Atelier\. Change it if you'd rather install per-user (no admin needed) at %LOCALAPPDATA%\Atelier\. Either is fine.
• Start menu shortcut. Yes by default. Leaves an Atelier entry under the studio name in Start.
• Desktop shortcut. Off by default. Turn on if you'd rather click an icon on the desktop than open Start.
• Launch on install. On by default. Atelier opens to the EULA acceptance screen as soon as the install finishes.

The installer does not modify the registry beyond what's required for uninstall registration. It does not install drivers, services, or background tasks.

First launch#

The first time Atelier opens, three things happen in order:

1. EULA acceptance. A scrollable view of the End User License Agreement. Read it, scroll to the bottom, and click Accept. Atelier records the acceptance in your local database; you won't be asked again unless the EULA version changes (in which case the same view re-appears after the update lands).
2. License key entry. Paste the license key you received in your purchase confirmation email. The key starts with ATLR- and is a single line of base64-style text. Atelier verifies the signature locally — there's no network call, no phone-home — and saves the verified license to your local database. Once activated, the license is permanent for this install of this major version.
3. Setup wizard. Studio name, business name, time zone, and an optional logo file. See the first-time setup guide for the details on each step.

After the wizard, Atelier opens to the multi-wedding dashboard. The first time it's empty — that's expected.

Upgrading from a previous version#

Atelier checks for updates on launch by default, against the GitHub Releases for the current major version. When a new minor version is available, you'll see a small badge in Settings → Software Updates. Click through, read the release notes, and click Download and install. The updater downloads the patch, verifies the signature against an embedded public key, and re-launches Atelier into the updated build.

You can disable update checks in Settings → Software Updates. Toggling that off stops every outbound network call from Atelier — see the privacy notice for the full list of what does and doesn't leave your machine.

Major version upgrades (v2, v3) are separate paid purchases and are not delivered through the auto-updater. When a new major version is available, you'll receive an email with a discount code and a link — see the bug fix policy for the major-version policy.

Uninstalling#

Atelier installs through Windows' standard installer infrastructure, so it shows up in Settings → Apps → Installed apps. Uninstall from there.

Two things to know about uninstall:

• The uninstaller removes the program files, but does not remove your data. Your wedding database lives at %APPDATA%\studios.dunamis.atelier\atelier.sqlite and stays put unless you delete it manually. This is intentional — accidentally re-installing shouldn't lose a year of work. If you want a clean wipe, delete that file after uninstall.
• Your license key is yours. Save it somewhere safe before uninstalling if you might want to re-install later. We can re-issue lost keys (see Troubleshooting), but it's faster if you have it on hand.

If you're thinking of uninstalling because of a problem, the troubleshooting guide covers the common ones. If it's a refund question, see the refund policy.