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Installation & Setup

The Desktop version of Necron Vault Manager is currently available for Windows 10/11 (64-bit). This guide walks you through downloading, installing, and launching the application for the first time.

Download

Visit necronsolutions.com to download the latest .msi installer for Windows. The download page always offers the most recent stable release.

Tip

Bookmark the download page so you can easily check for updates. Major version upgrades are announced on the website and in-app.

System Requirements

Before installing, make sure your system meets the minimum requirements:

Component Minimum Recommended
Operating System Windows 10 (64-bit) Windows 11 (64-bit)
RAM 4 GB 8 GB
Disk Space 200 MB 500 MB (with vaults)
USB Port USB 2.0 USB 3.0+ (for dongle users)

For full details, see the System Requirements page.

Installation Steps

  1. Download the .msi installer from necronsolutions.com
  2. Locate the downloaded file (usually in your Downloads folder) and double-click it
  3. Follow the on-screen wizard:
    • Accept the license agreement
    • Choose your installation directory (the default is recommended)
    • Click Install
  4. Wait for the installation to complete — this typically takes under a minute
  5. Launch Necron Vault Manager from the Start Menu or the desktop shortcut

Note

The installer may request administrator privileges for installation. However, the app itself runs with standard user permissions — no admin elevation is required for daily use.

Verifying the Installation

After installation, you can verify everything is set up correctly:

  1. Open the Start Menu and search for "Necron" or "Vault Manager"
  2. Click Necron Vault Manager to launch the application
  3. The main window should appear with the title "Necron Vault Manager 1.0"

If the application does not launch, check the Troubleshooting & FAQ page.

First Launch

When you first open Necron Vault Manager, you'll be greeted by the Gatekeeper screen. The app first scans for connected USB dongles. If none are found, you'll see the "NO KEY DONGLE DETECTED" prompt with two options:

  • Insert a USB dongle — if you have a Necron-provisioned hardware key, plug it in. The app detects it automatically, verifies it with the server, and proceeds to the main interface.
  • Enter Free Tier — log in with your email and password to activate the built-in software key. This provisions a local dongle with 20 MiB of random key material stored on your computer. The Free tier includes a 30-day trial period.

If you don't have an account, click the Sign up link below the login form to create one on the website.

Tip

You can always upgrade from Free to Pro later by purchasing a subscription and provisioning a USB dongle. Your existing encrypted files remain fully compatible.

Where Files Are Stored

Necron Vault Manager stores its configuration and software key data in your user profile:

Data Location
Software key (Free tier) %LOCALAPPDATA%\keymanager\demo\
Application settings %LOCALAPPDATA%\keymanager\
Vault data User-chosen directories

Warning

Do not manually move or edit files in the %LOCALAPPDATA%\keymanager\ directory. The software key is encrypted at rest and bound to your Windows user account — moving it to another machine will make it unusable.

Uninstalling

To uninstall Necron Vault Manager:

  1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps in Windows
  2. Search for "Necron" or "Vault Manager"
  3. Click Uninstall and follow the prompts

Danger

Uninstalling the application does not delete your encrypted files or vault data. However, if you are using a software key (Free tier), the key data in %LOCALAPPDATA% may be removed. Make sure you have a backup or have exported your key before uninstalling.

Next Steps