Windows Troubleshooting

Named Pipes Connection Issues

If WarpDL can’t connect to the daemon:

# Force TCP mode
$env:WARPDL_FORCE_TCP = "1"
warpdl list

Windows Firewall Configuration

WarpDL daemon uses TCP port 3849 for CLI-to-daemon communication when named pipes are unavailable. On first run, Windows may prompt to allow network access.

Recommended Firewall Settings

When prompted by Windows Firewall:

• Private networks: ✓ Allow (for home/work networks)
• Public networks: ✗ Deny (optional, localhost-only communication)

Manual Firewall Rule

If you missed the prompt or need to reconfigure, first find your WarpDL executable path:

# Find WarpDL executable location
Get-Command warpdl | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Source

# If warpdl is not in PATH, check common installation locations:
# - C:\Program Files\warpdl\warpdl.exe (Scoop/manual install)
# - C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\scoop\apps\warpdl\current\warpdl.exe (Scoop user install)

Then create the firewall rule:

Using PowerShell (Recommended)

# Replace with your actual path from Get-Command above
# Example: C:\Program Files\warpdl\warpdl.exe
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "WarpDL Daemon" `
  -Direction Inbound `
  -Program "C:\Program Files\warpdl\warpdl.exe" `
  -Action Allow `
  -Profile Private `
  -Description "Allow WarpDL daemon communication on port 3849"

Using netsh (Alternative)

# Replace with your actual path
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="WarpDL Daemon" `
  dir=in action=allow program="C:\Program Files\warpdl\warpdl.exe" profile=private

Using Windows Defender Firewall GUI

1. Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security
2. Click Inbound Rules → New Rule…
3. Select Program → Next
4. Browse to warpdl.exe location → Next
   • Tip: Search “warpdl” in Start menu, right-click → Open file location
5. Select Allow the connection → Next
6. Check Private only → Next
7. Name: “WarpDL Daemon” → Finish

Verifying Firewall Rules

# Check if rule exists
Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "WarpDL*"

# Remove rule if needed
Remove-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "WarpDL Daemon"

Antivirus Configuration

Download managers are commonly flagged as suspicious due to parallel connections and network activity. If WarpDL is blocked or quarantined, add exclusions for:

Recommended Exclusions

• Configuration directory: %LOCALAPPDATA%\warpdl\ (example: C:\Users\JohnDoe\AppData\Local\warpdl\)
• Executable path: Full path to warpdl.exe (use Get-Command warpdl to find it, or check common locations like C:\Program Files\warpdl\warpdl.exe)

Windows Defender Exclusions

Using Windows Security GUI

1. Open Windows Security (Start → Settings → Privacy & Security → Windows Security)
2. Go to Virus & threat protection
3. Under “Virus & threat protection settings”, click Manage settings
4. Scroll to Exclusions → Click Add or remove exclusions
5. Click Add an exclusion → Select type:
   • Folder: Add the full path (example: C:\Users\JohnDoe\AppData\Local\warpdl - replace JohnDoe with your username)
   • File: Add full path to warpdl.exe (find it using Get-Command warpdl in PowerShell)

Using PowerShell

# Add folder exclusion for config directory
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\warpdl"

# Add executable exclusion using full path (more secure than process name)
$warpdlPath = (Get-Command warpdl).Source
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath $warpdlPath

# Verify exclusions
Get-MpPreference | Select-Object -ExpandProperty ExclusionPath

Security Note: Always use full path exclusions rather than process name exclusions. Process name exclusions (e.g., -ExclusionProcess "warpdl.exe") would allow any executable with that name to bypass antivirus scanning.

Other Antivirus Software

For third-party antivirus programs (Norton, McAfee, Avast, Kaspersky, etc.):

1. Open your antivirus control panel
2. Navigate to Exclusions, Exceptions, or Whitelist settings
3. Add the paths and executable mentioned above
4. Restart WarpDL daemon after adding exclusions

Note: Specific steps vary by antivirus vendor. Consult your antivirus documentation for detailed instructions.

Windows SmartScreen

Windows SmartScreen may display “Windows protected your PC” warning when running unsigned or less commonly downloaded executables.

Understanding SmartScreen

• Official releases: Signed builds from the Releases page are less likely to trigger warnings, but may still appear until reputation is established
• Development/snapshot builds: May trigger SmartScreen due to lack of code signing
• Direct downloads: Executables not downloaded through official channels may be flagged

Bypassing SmartScreen Warning

If you see the “Windows protected your PC” dialog:

1. Click “More info” - This reveals additional options
2. Click “Run anyway” - Allows the application to execute
3. Windows will remember your choice for this specific file

Alternative: Using PowerShell

# Unblock downloaded file (removes Mark-of-the-Web)
# Replace path with your actual warpdl.exe location from Get-Command warpdl
Unblock-File -Path "C:\Program Files\warpdl\warpdl.exe"

Preventing SmartScreen Warnings

• Use official releases: Download from GitHub Releases or via package managers (Scoop)
• Build from source: Compile locally to avoid download flags
• Wait for reputation: SmartScreen learns from usage patterns over time

Security Note: Only bypass SmartScreen for executables from trusted sources. Verify file hashes from the official repository if uncertain.

Long Path Support

WarpDL supports paths longer than 260 characters on Windows 10+. Ensure long paths are enabled:

# Check current setting
(Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem' -Name 'LongPathsEnabled').LongPathsEnabled

# Enable (requires admin)
Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem' -Name 'LongPathsEnabled' -Value 1

Windows Service Issues

If the Windows service fails to start:

# Check event log
Get-EventLog -LogName Application -Source "WarpDL" -Newest 10