Windows Installation

AeroFTP provides three distribution formats for Windows 10 and later: the MSI installer, the NSIS .exe installer, and a no-install portable ZIP.

.msi Installer (Recommended)

The MSI installer is the recommended way to install AeroFTP on Windows:

1. Download AeroFTP_<version>_x64_en-US.msi from GitHub Releases
2. Double-click the .msi file to launch the installer
3. Follow the installation wizard
4. AeroFTP will appear in your Start Menu

The MSI installer:

• Registers file associations (.aerovault encrypted containers)
• Adds a Start Menu shortcut
• Supports standard Add/Remove Programs uninstallation

.exe Installer (NSIS)

For users who prefer not to use the MSI format, AeroFTP also ships an NSIS-based .exe installer:

1. Download AeroFTP_<version>_x64-setup.exe from GitHub Releases
2. Run the executable and follow the wizard

Note: Despite being a single .exe, this is an installer (it extracts and installs AeroFTP, adds a Start Menu entry, and supports Add/Remove Programs). For a no-install, run-from-anywhere build, use the portable ZIP below.

.zip Portable (no install)

The portable ZIP is the true run-from-anywhere build: no installer or administrator rights are needed to extract and run it. Portable mode keeps its own application state and does not enable the installed application's startup registration.

1. Download AeroFTP-<version>-portable-windows-x64.zip from GitHub Releases
2. Extract it to any folder you can write to (Desktop, USB drive, network share)
3. Double-click AeroFTP.exe to launch

All your data (saved servers, AeroAgent chats, AeroVault, cache, logs) stays inside the extracted folder under data\, so you can move the whole folder to another machine and pick up where you left off. To uninstall, delete the folder.

Command-line tools (since v4.0.8): the portable ZIP also ships aeroftp-cli.exe and aeroftp-dispatch.exe next to AeroFTP.exe. They are not added to PATH: run .\aeroftp-cli.exe --help from the extracted folder, or add the folder to your PATH. The CLI shares the same portable data\ folder, so the servers and vault you set up in the GUI are visible from the command line. See the CLI installation guide for the full reference.

Updates and portable data

The in-app updater identifies MSI, NSIS and portable installations and downloads the matching format. After verification, Install & Restart upgrades an installed copy or replaces the portable application in place. The portable helper also updates the adjacent CLI tools when they are not in use; an in-use CLI is retained and a warning is logged.

Keep the extracted folder writable and preserve portable.marker and data\. Portable WebView state lives under data\webview\ and application logs under data\logs\. If an older shared WebView directory is detected, the migration banner distinguishes an active installed copy's data from leftover data. Do not delete a directory still used by an installed MSI or NSIS copy.

Windows SmartScreen

Since AeroFTP is not signed with a paid Windows code signing certificate, you may see a SmartScreen warning on first launch:

1. Click "More info"
2. Click "Run anyway"

Windows can show this warning again for another downloaded build. The application is built in a clean GitHub Actions CI environment and all release checksums are published on the Releases page.

Launch on Startup

Installed MSI and NSIS copies can start automatically with Windows. Enable Settings > General > Launch on Startup. This adds an entry under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. The setting is hidden in portable mode, and saving unrelated settings does not change startup registration.

Uninstalling

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find AeroFTP, and click Uninstall. Alternatively, use the Add/Remove Programs control panel.

Next step: Follow the Quick Start guide to connect to your first server.