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Version: Latest

Troubleshooting

Use these fixes when Solar Sailer will not start, media will not play, or a tool fails.

Wait out a slow first launch​

The first launch after an install or update can take a few minutes while Windows scans the app's files. If the starting window is still open, leave it alone. Later launches should be faster.

Recover from "Solar Sailer could not start"​

If startup fails while the starting window is open, the window says Could not start the editor. Hover over that message to see the error and the folder with that launch's logs. If the starting window has already closed, an error box titled Solar Sailer could not start shows the same details.

Open that folder in File Explorer and send the whole folder to support. You can also find it with the other log files.

Recover from "Solar Sailer is already running"​

A previous session is running but not responding.

  1. Open Task Manager.
  2. End every process named Solar Sailer.
  3. Launch Solar Sailer again.

This force-closes the stuck session. If a Solar Sailer window still responds, save your work and close it normally instead. You can also restart Windows.

Find your log files​

Solar Sailer keeps each session's logs in a separate dated folder.

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Paste %APPDATA%\solar-sailer\logs into the address bar and press Enter.
  3. Open the newest dated folder.

Send the whole folder when support asks for logs.

Local logs can contain file paths and project names. Review them before sending if those details are sensitive. Solar Sailer hides recognized API keys, sign-in tokens, and passwords in new logs. Log folders from older versions aren't rewritten.

A dimmed file with a red tint and a white ! over its thumbnail means Solar Sailer can no longer find the source file. In List view, OFFLINE also appears after its name.

  1. Right-click the media item and choose Relink….
  2. Select the file in its current location.

See Media Processing and Proxies for the full relinking steps.

Play a clip that says Proxy required​

A yellow Proxy required badge across the bottom of a thumbnail means the source format cannot play directly. List view's small thumbnails cut the badge short to Proxy r. In Table view, the file shows a yellow warning triangle instead. Hover over it to see the reason.

  1. Right-click the media item.
  2. Choose Generate Proxy.

The clip can play after its proxy is ready. See Media Processing and Proxies for more about proxies.

Read a yellow warning on a thumbnail​

Hover over the yellow ! to see what Solar Sailer found during import. The warning identifies a file with missing metadata or a format that may not play directly.

Get sound back when the app started without it​

If Solar Sailer opens without sound, it shows an audio engine error. For a device problem, Solar Sailer has already tried once more on its own before showing it. Follow the advice in the message:

  • No audio output device was found: connect speakers or headphones, then click Restart audio.
  • The audio engine could not open your audio device: check that other apps can play sound, then click Restart audio.
  • The audio engine does not match this build: reinstall Solar Sailer. Restart audio won't fix this one.
  • For any other audio engine error, click Restart audio.

Restart audio restarts the audio engine without restarting the app.

Restore audio after unplugging a device​

If playback stops after an audio device disconnects or Windows changes the output device:

  1. Reconnect the device, or select a working output device in Windows.
  2. Click Reconnect audio in Solar Sailer.
  3. Start playback again.

Fix a failed AI tool run​

If a tool asks for an API key or rejects one, open Edit > Preferences… > API Keys and save the requested key. The new key works on the next run without restarting Solar Sailer.

Classification failures appear under the error count in the status bar. Click the count to see which files failed and why.

See Running a Tool for the full run and recovery flow.

Report a problem from the app​

If Send crash reports is already on, open Help and choose Report a Problem…. Describe what you were doing, add an email only if you want a reply, then click Send.

Some error messages also have a Report… button. Use it when available because Solar Sailer attaches your note to that error report.

If Report a Problem… is missing, open Edit > Preferences… > Diagnostics, check Send crash reports, and restart Solar Sailer. Solar Sailer replaces recognized credentials, such as a pasted API key, with [REDACTED]. Everything else in your problem description and optional email is sent as written, so leave out anything you do not want to share.

Send more detail with a crash report​

Only turn on Contributor mode when you are comfortable sharing more diagnostic detail. Under Edit > Preferences… > Diagnostics, check Send crash reports and Contributor mode. The change applies fully the next time Solar Sailer starts. If your team has turned a setting off, it shows Managed by your team and you can't turn it on.

A crash dump is a snapshot of the app's memory, sent after a hard crash. A dump can contain transcripts, file paths, and other data the app was holding at the time. Solar Sailer removes recognized credentials before sending it. Internal builds, such as the team installer, send crash dumps whenever Send crash reports is on. Other builds send them only when Contributor mode is on too. Contributor mode also marks your reports as coming from a contributor. Turn off Send crash reports to stop all crash reports, including dumps.

Still stuck?​

Email operations@proko.com. Include what you were doing, your app version, and the newest log folder from Find your log files.