Troubleshooting

Installation

Windows says "Windows protected your PC" — is the installer safe?

ClippyAI installers are code-signed via Azure Trusted Signing. The publisher on the certificate is Amro Dabbas (Cloudana). Microsoft SmartScreen still shows a precautionary warning while it accumulates download reputation for new publishers — this is normal for any new Windows app and clears automatically over time.

Verify the signature before running:

1. Right-click the downloaded ClippyAI-Setup-X.Y.Z.exe → Properties → Digital Signatures.
2. Confirm the signer is Amro Dabbas and the certificate chain is valid.
3. If verified, the installer is genuine. SmartScreen's "Unknown publisher" wording refers to download reputation, not signature validity.

If the signature is missing or invalid, do not run the file — email hello@clippyai.app immediately so we can investigate.

Browser shows a "file isn't commonly downloaded" notice

This is your browser's download-reputation protection, not a virus warning. The same accumulating-reputation issue described above applies — once enough users have downloaded ClippyAI, this notice disappears. Always verify the digital signature (Properties → Digital Signatures, signer should be Amro Dabbas) before keeping any installer, regardless of which browser you used.

Chrome, Edge, and Firefox all work for downloading. Use whichever you trust most.

Antivirus quarantined the installer or executable

Some antivirus products (especially heuristic-heavy ones like Avast, Norton, and Bitdefender) flag any new code-signed app with low download reputation as suspicious. ClippyAI is signed via Azure Trusted Signing and contains no malware — but resolving these false positives requires the antivirus vendor to update their definitions.

If your antivirus is blocking ClippyAI, please email hello@clippyai.app with your AV product name and version. We'll submit ClippyAI directly to that vendor for whitelisting and email you back when it clears (usually 1–3 business days).

For your security, we don't recommend disabling antivirus protection or adding broad install-folder exclusions on the public web — those are last-resort steps that should only be considered with us guiding you over email and with full understanding of the trade-offs.

Clippy installs but won't launch / crashes immediately

If ClippyAI shows up in Task Manager briefly then disappears, or Windows Event Viewer shows an Application Error with code 0xc0000005, it's most often a runtime conflict with antivirus or a Windows subsystem issue. Don't disable your antivirus. Instead:

1. Email hello@clippyai.app with your Windows version and AV product so we can submit ClippyAI to the vendor for whitelisting.
2. Attach %APPDATA%\ClippyAI\boot.log if you can — it tells us exactly which startup stage failed.
3. We'll also send you a signed diagnostics build that logs additional process-spawn detail.

License Key

I didn't receive my license key email

1. Check your spam/junk folder. Because ClippyAI is a new sender, the first email often lands in spam. Mark it "Not spam" so future emails reach your inbox.
2. Check your Promotions tab if you use Gmail.
3. Wait 5 minutes — email delivery can take a moment.
4. Still nothing? Email hello@clippyai.app with the email you used at checkout. We'll resend within an hour.

Where do I enter my license key?

When you launch ClippyAI for the first time, an onboarding wizard appears with a "License Key" field. Paste your key there (format: CLIPPY-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX) and click Next.

If you need to enter a different key later: right-click Clippy → Settings → Change License Key.

"Invalid license key" error

• Make sure you're pasting the full key including dashes: CLIPPY-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
• Check for extra spaces before or after the key.
• If your subscription expired or was cancelled, the key will no longer validate. Visit clippyai.app/pricing to resubscribe.

Clippy Not Working

Clippy appears but says "Can't reach my brain"

This means the app can't connect to our API server. Check:

• Your internet connection is working.
• A firewall or VPN isn't blocking api.clippyai.app.
• If using a corporate network, ask your IT team to allow HTTPS traffic to api.clippyai.app.

Clippy can't control my desktop (click, type, etc.)

• Free plan users: Desktop automation is a Power feature. Upgrade at clippyai.app/pricing to unlock cursor, keyboard, browser, and app control.
• Power / Max users: ClippyAI uses a helper service called ClawdCursor. Right-click Clippy → View Logs to check for errors. If you see "ClawdCursor not running", try quitting and relaunching ClippyAI. On macOS, also confirm ClippyAI has Accessibility permission under System Settings → Privacy & Security.

Clippy tried to search the web but failed

Clippy can answer factual questions (weather, definitions, news) directly — no browser needed. If he's trying to open a browser instead of answering, make sure you're on the latest version (v0.3.0+). Right-click Clippy → Settings → check the version in the About tab.

Clippy is frozen / not responding

1. Right-click the Clippy icon in your system tray (Windows, bottom-right near the clock) or menu bar (Mac, top-right).
2. Click Quit ClippyAI.
3. Relaunch from the Start menu / desktop shortcut (Windows) or Applications / Spotlight (Mac).
4. If the icon is missing: on Windows open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find "ClippyAI", end the task; on Mac open Activity Monitor (or press ⌥⌘Esc), quit "ClippyAI", then relaunch.

Billing & Subscription

How do I cancel my subscription?

Open ClippyAI → right-click Clippy → Settings → click Manage Subscription. This opens the Stripe customer portal where you can cancel, change plans, or update your payment method. No questions asked.

You can also email hello@clippyai.app and we'll cancel for you.

I was charged but didn't use it

The Power plan comes with a 7-day free trial (Max charges immediately — no trial). If you forgot to cancel before the Power trial ended and haven't used the app, email hello@clippyai.app for a refund. See our refund policy.

How do I upgrade my plan?

Right-click Clippy → Settings → Manage Subscription → Change Plan in the Stripe portal. The price difference is prorated automatically.

Updates

How do I update ClippyAI?

Starting with v0.3.0, ClippyAI checks for updates automatically when you launch it. If an update is available, Clippy will let you know — click him to download and install. Updates are optional and never forced.

If you're on an older version, download the latest installer from clippyai.app and run it. Your license key and settings are preserved.

Will I lose my license key when updating?

No. Your license key, settings, and buddy name are stored separately from the app and are preserved across updates and reinstalls.

Reporting an issue from inside the app

The fastest way to get help is from inside ClippyAI itself — your logs come along automatically:

1. Right-click Clippy → View Logs
2. Click the orange Report Issue button at the top
3. In the dialog that appears, describe what you were doing when it broke and what you expected instead. Be specific — "Asked Clippy to open Paint and draw a square but Paint just opened blank" is gold.
4. Click Send Report. We review reports within 24 hours and ship fixes in the next update.

No PII beyond your license key and the logs themselves is transmitted. Reports expire after 30 days.

Still stuck?

Email us at hello@clippyai.app with:

• What you were trying to do
• What happened instead
• Your OS version — Windows (Settings → System → About) or macOS ( → About This Mac)
• Your ClippyAI version (right-click Clippy → Settings → About)

We'll get back to you within 24 hours.