Windows 10 / 11 · 64-bit · ~39 MB

Installation Guide

Everything you need to download, install, and launch ForensicToolkit in under 2 minutes.

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1

Download the Installer

Download the official Windows installer from GitHub Releases. It bundles the application, Qt6 runtime, and OpenSSL — no separate installs needed.

ForensicToolkit-1.0.0-Setup.exe Windows 64-bit · ~39 MB · v1.0.0
⬇ Download
ℹ️
No account required. The file downloads directly from GitHub Releases — no sign-up, no tracking.
STEP 2
2

Handle the Windows SmartScreen Warning

When you run the installer, Windows SmartScreen will show a blue warning screen — "Windows protected your PC". This is normal for any open-source app that doesn't have an expensive code-signing certificate.

⚠️
This is not a virus. SmartScreen flags any unsigned EXE, including legitimate open-source tools like VLC, 7-Zip, and others on first install.

Follow these steps to proceed:

1

You see the blue screen: "Windows protected your PC" with only a "Don't run" button.

2

Click "More info" — the small link text below the warning message.

3

A new "Run anyway" button appears at the bottom right.

4

Click "Run anyway". The installer will launch normally.

💡
You can verify the file is safe by right-clicking the EXE → Properties → Digital Signatures, or by scanning it on VirusTotal before running.
STEP 3
3

Run the Installer

The installer uses a standard Windows setup wizard. Follow these steps:

  1. The UAC prompt may appear asking for admin privileges — click Yes. This is required to install to Program Files.
  2. The Welcome screen shows. Click Next to continue.
  3. Review the License Agreement (MIT License). Select "I accept" and click Next.
  4. Choose the install location. Default is C:\Program Files\ForensicToolkit. Click Next.
  5. Choose whether to create a Start Menu folder. Click Next.
  6. Optionally check "Create a desktop shortcut". Click Next.
  7. Review the summary and click Install. Installation takes about 10–20 seconds.
  8. When complete, you can check "Launch ForensicToolkit" and click Finish.
STEP 4
4

First Launch

After installation, launch ForensicToolkit from the desktop shortcut or Start Menu. On first launch:

  • The application opens to the Dashboard view.
  • A default SQLite database is created in %APPDATA%\ForensicToolkit for storing cases.
  • Log files are written to %APPDATA%\ForensicToolkit\logs.
  • All modules are available immediately — no activation or license key needed.
  • The AI Assistant requires an API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, or local Ollama). Configure it in Settings.
OPTIONAL
5

Configure AI Assistant (Optional)

The AI Assistant module can connect to cloud LLMs or a local Ollama instance. Go to Settings → AI Assistant and enter your credentials:

  • OpenAI — Paste your API key. Works with GPT-4o, GPT-4, GPT-3.5.
  • Anthropic — Paste your API key. Works with Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Claude 3 Opus.
  • OpenRouter — Single key for access to dozens of models.
  • Ollama (local) — Set the endpoint to http://localhost:11434. No API key required. Fully offline.
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For fully offline use with no cost, install Ollama and pull a model like ollama pull llama3. Then set the endpoint in Settings.
TROUBLESHOOTING
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Troubleshooting

App won't start after install

Make sure you're on Windows 10 64-bit (1909+) or Windows 11. The installer only supports x64 systems.

Missing DLL errors

Re-run the installer — it bundles all required DLLs including the Visual C++ runtime. If it persists, install the Visual C++ Redistributable 2022 x64.

Antivirus quarantines the file

Add an exclusion for the ForensicToolkit install directory in your antivirus settings. The unsigned binary may trigger heuristic detections — this is a false positive.

Still having issues?

🐛
Open an issue on GitHub Issues with your Windows version, error message, and the log file from %APPDATA%\ForensicToolkit\logs.
⬇ Download ForensicToolkit v1.0.0

Windows 10/11 · 64-bit · Free forever · MIT License