Troubleshooting
Fix common problems: paused sync, ended session, full quota, unsynced files, conflicts, lost password or PIN, failed imports, slow start, Linux display.
On this page
Documentation sections
Find your problem below. Each entry says what you see, why it happens and what to do. If nothing here helps, send us a bug report.
Sync and account
Sync is paused
What you see: the sync icon at the top of the window turns amber, and its tooltip starts with Sync paused. In Settings → Account & Sync, Sync status reads Paused.
Why: sync was turned off with Disable sync, or this device's session has ended.
What to do:
- Click the sync icon to open Sync activity, then click Resume sync. You can also go to Settings → Account & Sync, then Resume sync → Resume.
- If Settings → Account & Sync says that this device's session has ended, follow the next section.
"This device's session has ended"
What you see: Settings → Account & Sync says that the profile belongs to your account, but this device's session has ended, and that sync is paused. Your files are still on this device and in your account.
Why: your password changed on another device, this device was signed out from another one, or the session expired.
What to do: click Sign in again and sign in with your current password, the new one if you changed it. Sync resumes and nothing is lost.
Cloud quota reached
What you see: a message Cloud quota reached, with Upgrade to the Solo plan for more storage space. and a View plans button. The message names Solo even if you already have Solo or a larger plan. New files stay on your computer and are not sent to the cloud.
Why: your synced files fill the space of your plan: 5 GB on the free plan, 25 GB on Solo, 150 GB on Pro.
What to do:
- In the desktop app, open Settings → Account & Sync. Under Cloud storage, click Check for unused space. If Filarr finds space that no file uses anymore, click the Free button to get it back.
- Delete files you no longer need.
- Earn space: each friend who joins through Invite others and starts syncing can give you 5 GB more, up to a limit. See Invite friends and earn space.
- Or click View plans to move to a larger plan. See Plans and limits.
A file is not synced
What you see: a grey, crossed-out cloud on the file. Its tooltip starts with File not synced and ends with kept locally only.
Why: Filarr could not yet encrypt this large file with your account's key, so your other devices could not open it. This usually concerns a file over 500 MB added while the profile was still local, before sync was turned on.
What to do: the file is safe on this computer. Make sure Filarr is unlocked and that sync is running: at each sync, Filarr tries again to convert the file so it can be sent. If the badge stays, send us a bug report.
A conflict copy appeared
What you see: a message says that a conflict was detected and that a copy with _conflict_ in its name was created. For notes, Conflicts to resolve appears in Notes.
Why: the same file or note changed on two devices before sync could bring the changes together. A file conflict can also appear on a single device, for example after you save a file in Filarr's built-in text editor. Filarr never overwrites one version with the other on its own.
What to do:
- For a file, in the desktop app, open Sync activity, then the Failed tab. Under Conflicts, compare the dates, then choose Keep my version or Keep the cloud one. The version you do not keep cannot be brought back from the app.
- For a note, click Conflicts to resolve in Notes and pick, difference by difference, what to keep.
See Sync conflicts.
The verification email does not arrive
What you see: the Verify your email address screen keeps waiting, or sign-in says Please confirm your email address first: open the link we emailed you.
Why: the email is late, landed in your spam folder, or the address has a typo.
What to do:
- Look in your spam and promotions folders.
- On the verification screen, click Resend email.
- If the address is wrong, click Change email address.
A link that says This verification link is invalid or has expired. is too old: ask for a new email with Resend email.
An invitation has expired or no longer works
What you see: This invitation has expired. Ask the person who invited you to send a new one. Other messages say that the invitation was withdrawn or already used, that it was sent to a different address than your account's, or that the shared space is full.
Why: an invitation lasts 7 days by default, works once, and only for the email address it was sent to.
What to do:
- If you were invited: sign in with the address the invitation was sent to. If it expired, ask for a new one.
- If you sent it: open the vault, click Manage, then the Invitations tab. Click Resend or Extend by 7 days on a pending invitation (the number of days follows the vault's invitation validity), or Re-invite under Lapsed (last 30 days). If the email does not arrive, Copy the link and send it yourself.
See Invite people and manage members.
Passwords, PIN and sign-in
I forgot my password
For a cloud account, use the 24-word phrase:
- Open the sign-in screen. In the web app at app.filarr.com, choose to sign in to an existing account. In the desktop app, open the profile picker (Who's using Filarr?) and click Add a cloud account, then Yes, sign me in.
- Click Forgot password?.
- Enter your email address, your 24-word phrase and a new password, then click Reset password.
All your devices are signed out. Sign in again on each one with the new password.
For a local profile, use the 12-word phrase:
- In the profile picker, click the profile to open its PIN screen.
- Click Forgot PIN?, then Forgot encryption password?.
- Enter the 12 words of this profile and a new encryption password, then click Recover access.
This path only exists on a profile protected by a PIN, with Allow PIN reset turned on. If Filarr still opens without asking your password, you can also set a new one with the recovery key file of this profile, in the desktop app: Settings → Security → Recovery key (file) → Restore.
I forgot my PIN
What to do:
- On the PIN screen, click Forgot PIN?.
- Enter the profile's encryption password (for a cloud account, your account password), then click Reset PIN.
Filarr removes the PIN and offers to set a new one.
The Forgot PIN? link only appears if Allow PIN reset was turned on for the profile. Otherwise, Filarr cannot reset the PIN. Remember that the PIN encrypts nothing: it is a lock in front of the profile.
Too many attempts
What you see, depending on where you are:
- On the PIN screen: Too many attempts. Try again in a number of seconds.
- At sign-in: Too many sign-in attempts. Try again in 15 minutes. (or in an hour).
- On a password-protected file: Too many attempts. Please wait 30 seconds.
Why: Filarr slows down repeated guesses to protect you.
What to do: wait for the time shown, then try again calmly. Check that Caps Lock is off and that your keyboard is in the right language. If you no longer know the password, see I forgot my password.
The web app asks for my password at each visit
What you see: the lock screen says In the browser, this vault's key isn't kept from one visit to the next: your password reopens it.
Why: the web app keeps nothing on your computer between visits, by design. It is safer on a computer you do not own.
What to do: on your own computer, tick Stay unlocked on this device (14 days) before you click Unlock. Never tick it on a shared or public computer. See Use Filarr in your browser.
Files and import
An import fails
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Cannot upload more than 25 files at once | Drop your files in several batches, or use the Upload Files button of the folder |
| A dropped folder is not imported | Folders cannot be dropped from your computer. Open the folder on your computer, select its files and drop them |
| A message says the file exceeds 500 MB and its location cannot be found | The file comes from another program, not from a folder. Save it to a folder of your computer first, then add it |
| Notes import: files skipped because they are larger than 10 MB | Filarr skips notes and attachments over 10 MB. Add those files to a folder instead |
| Notes import: No content files found in the Notion export. Make sure you exported as HTML or Markdown. | Export again from Notion in HTML or in Markdown and CSV, then import the ZIP file |
| Notes import: only part of a very large vault arrived | Split the vault into several folders and import them one by one |
| You look for Evernote in the import wizard | Evernote files cannot be imported yet, even though the menu mentions Evernote |
The Import from Obsidian, Notion, Evernote... wizard and Import a backup only exist in the desktop app. See Add files to Filarr and Import from Obsidian, Notion or Markdown.
A file shows no preview
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Preview not available | Filarr does not read this format. Download the file, or in the desktop app use Open with… → System application. See Supported file formats |
| File too large to preview | Download the file to open it on your computer |
| Protected file | The file is protected by a password: click Unlock |
| The content is not on this device yet, it arrives with sync | Wait until sync has downloaded the file, then try again |
| A video or a sound does not play | The built-in player cannot decode this file. Download it and open it in another player |
| A 7z or RAR archive protected by a password | Filarr cannot list it. Download it and open it with an archive tool |
| Unable to load the PDF after a quick preview | Close the preview, then open the PDF with a double-click |
| Unreadable characters in the preview of an .html or .xlsx file | The file itself is intact. Download it, or in the desktop app use Open with… → System application |
Desktop app
Filarr is slow to start
What you see: the window takes a while to fill, especially the first time after you install or update Filarr. Windows may even say that Filarr is not responding.
Why: at the first launch, Windows and your antivirus check each new file of the app once. The following launches are faster.
What to do:
- Wait for the first launch to finish. Do not close the window while Filarr loads.
- Keep Filarr up to date: Settings → About → Check for updates.
- To find Filarr ready when you need it, turn on Launch Filarr at login in Settings → System. Filarr then starts in the background, in the notification area.
If every launch stays slow, tell us: note how long it takes and how many files and notes you have.
Linux: the window flickers, tears or stays black
Why: on Linux, the display depends on your graphics driver and on your desktop (X11 or Wayland). Some combinations show flickering or a black window.
What to do:
- Open Settings → System. On Linux, this page shows Display on Linux.
- Under Display backend, choose X11 (recommended) if it is not already selected. It is the default.
- If the window still flickers or shows artifacts, turn off Hardware acceleration.
- Quit and restart Filarr: these settings apply at the next start.
If the window stays black and you cannot reach the settings, start Filarr from a terminal with one of these options, then change the settings above:
./Filarr.AppImage --ozone-platform=x11
./Filarr.AppImage --disable-gpu
Replace ./Filarr.AppImage with the path of your Filarr file. You can also set the FILARR_DISPLAY_BACKEND environment variable to x11, wayland or auto. These options take precedence over the settings. When the graphics process keeps crashing, Filarr turns off hardware acceleration by itself and says so on the same page.