> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://elephas.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Fix "Elephas Can't Be Opened" on Mac and Windows SmartScreen Warnings

> Fix macOS messages that Elephas can't be opened or is not supported, and Windows SmartScreen or installer warnings when you first install and open Elephas.

<Warning>
  Draft. This article depends on an open product question and is not ready to publish.
</Warning>

If Elephas does not open after you install it, the cause is almost always your operating system's install protection, an unsupported computer, or an app opened from the wrong place. Find the message you see below and follow its fix.

## Before you start

* Download Elephas only from [elephas.app](https://elephas.app). Never use the steps below for a copy you got anywhere else.
* Check that your computer is supported: an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, or a 64-bit (x64) PC with Windows 10 version 22H2 or Windows 11. See [system requirements](/docs/getting-started/system-requirements).
* On a work computer, your IT team may control which apps you can install or open.

## Steps

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Mac">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open Elephas from Applications">
        Eject the Elephas disk image if it is still mounted. Open your **Applications** folder and double-click **Elephas** there, not the copy inside the DMG window.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Answer the first-open prompt">
        If macOS asks whether you are sure you want to open an app downloaded from the internet, click **Open**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="If macOS blocks the app, allow it once">
        If macOS says it could not verify Elephas and only offers **Done** or **Move to Trash**, click **Done**. Then open **System Settings › Privacy & Security**, scroll down to **Security**, and click **Open Anyway** next to the line about Elephas. Confirm with your Mac password, then click **Open Anyway** again in the dialog that follows.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Open Elephas again">
        Double-click Elephas in Applications. macOS remembers your choice, so you only do this once.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Windows">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="If you see Windows protected your PC">
        Microsoft Defender SmartScreen shows this for downloads it has not seen often. Only continue if you downloaded the installer from elephas.app. Click **More info**, check the publisher name, then click **Run anyway**. If anything looks wrong, stop and [contact support](/docs/troubleshooting/contact-support).
      </Step>

      <Step title="Finish the installer">
        Follow the installer to the end. Elephas installs for your Windows user account only, so it does not ask for administrator rights.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Open Elephas from the Start menu">
        Open the **Start** menu and choose **Elephas**, or use the shortcut on your desktop.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Messages and fixes

### Mac

| What macOS says | Likely cause | Fix |
| - | - | - |
| Asks if you are sure you want to open an app downloaded from the internet | Normal first-open check | Click **Open**. You see this once. |
| Says it could not verify that Elephas is free of malware, or that Elephas can't be opened | macOS could not verify the app | Use **Open Anyway** in **System Settings › Privacy & Security**, as in the steps above. |
| You can't use this version of Elephas with this version of macOS | Your Mac runs a macOS older than 14 Sonoma | Update macOS from **System Settings › General › Software Update**, then open Elephas again. |
| Elephas is not supported on this type of Mac | Your Mac has an Intel processor | Elephas needs an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later). Intel Macs are not supported. |
| Elephas is damaged and can't be opened | The download was incomplete or changed after it left elephas.app | Move Elephas to the Trash, download it again from elephas.app, and drag the new copy into Applications. |

### Windows

| What Windows says | Likely cause | Fix |
| - | - | - |
| **Windows protected your PC** | SmartScreen has not seen this download often | Click **More info**, check the publisher, then **Run anyway**. Only for installers from elephas.app. |
| Your organization blocks the installer, or it never starts | A policy on a managed PC | Ask your IT team to approve Elephas. |
| The installer refuses to run on your processor, or Elephas does not start | Windows on ARM, or a 32-bit Windows | Elephas needs 64-bit Windows on an Intel or AMD (x64) processor. Windows on ARM is not supported. |

## How it works

**Mac.** macOS Gatekeeper checks every app you download before its first launch. An app that Apple has verified opens after one confirmation. An app macOS cannot verify is blocked until you allow it in Privacy & Security. Since macOS 15 Sequoia, the old Control-click and **Open** shortcut no longer skips this check, so **Open Anyway** is the way to allow it.

**Windows.** SmartScreen warns about downloads that are new or rarely downloaded, even when they are signed. The warning is about how familiar the download is to Microsoft, not about what the app does.

Allowing Elephas to open changes nothing about how it treats your documents. Indexing happens on your computer. Always. See [where your data is stored](/docs/privacy-and-security/where-your-data-is-stored).

## What happens next

The first time Elephas opens, it downloads about 50 MB of on-device components and shows **Getting Elephas ready** at the bottom of the window. If that download stops with an error, see [first-run download failed](/docs/troubleshooting/first-run-download-failed). If Elephas opens but stops on an error message, see [Elephas won't start](/docs/troubleshooting/elephas-wont-start).

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="There is no Open Anyway button in Privacy & Security">
    The button appears only for a short time after macOS blocks an app. Try to open Elephas from Applications once more, click **Done**, then go straight to **System Settings › Privacy & Security**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Elephas opens, then closes or shows an error">
    The install worked. The problem is at startup. See [Elephas won't start](/docs/troubleshooting/elephas-wont-start), then [contact support](/docs/troubleshooting/contact-support) with your log file if it keeps happening.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I already have classic Elephas installed">
    Read [moving from classic Elephas](/docs/getting-started/moving-from-classic-elephas) before you install, so you do not replace the app you rely on today.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Install Elephas on Mac" href="/docs/getting-started/install-elephas-on-mac" />

  <Card title="Install Elephas on Windows" href="/docs/getting-started/install-elephas-on-windows" />

  <Card title="System requirements" href="/docs/getting-started/system-requirements" />

  <Card title="Contact support" href="/docs/troubleshooting/contact-support" />
</CardGroup>


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.