Technical Support

Troubleshooting VQPro

Every known issue — diagnosed and resolved. Step by step.

Jump to Section
EXE Won't Launch Vault Won't Open Hardware Binding File Integrity Monitor Windows SmartScreen Desktop Shortcut Payment & Download Chambers Deposits & Files Crown Jewel Features Performance Contact Support
🚫 EXE Won't Launch
VQPro.exe does nothing when double-clicked — no window appears CRITICAL ▼
Cause: The EXE file is a cloud placeholder (OneDrive stub) — not a real local file. Or the file is in a restricted directory.
Fix — Step by Step
  1. Right-click VQPro.exe → Properties. Check if you see Size on disk: 0 bytes. If yes, it's a cloud stub.
  2. Right-click the file → Always keep on this device (OneDrive option). Wait for the sync icon to disappear.
  3. Right-click VQPro_Setup.zip and choose Extract All. Open the extracted VQPro folder. Keep this whole folder together.
  4. If Windows shows an Unblock checkbox in Properties, tick Unblock → Apply. If no checkbox appears, continue.
  5. Double-click the EXE again. If it still fails, open PowerShell and run it directly to see error output:
    cd "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\VQPro_Setup\VQPro"
.\VQPro.exe
Windows Defender or antivirus quarantines VQPro.exe immediately CRITICAL ▼
Cause: Freshly compiled Python executables are flagged by heuristic antivirus engines because they use PyInstaller packing — a technique also used by some malware. This is a false positive.
Fix — Step by Step
  1. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Protection history.
  2. Find the VQPro quarantine entry → click Allow or Restore.
  3. Go to Virus & threat protection settings → Exclusions → Add an exclusion.
  4. Add the folder containing VQPro.exe as an excluded folder.
  5. Re-download VQPro_Setup.zip, extract it again, then launch VQPro.exe from inside the extracted VQPro folder.
VQPro contains no malicious code. The false positive is caused by PyInstaller packaging, not by VQPro's code. This is standard and expected for independently compiled Python executables.
Error: "This app can't run on your PC" COMMON ▼
Cause: You are running a 32-bit version of Windows. VQPro requires 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11.
  1. Press Win + Pause to open System Information.
  2. Confirm System type: 64-bit operating system.
  3. If you are on 32-bit Windows, VQPro cannot run on your current system. Contact support for options.
VQPro crashes immediately after the splash screen COMMON ▼
Cause: Missing Visual C++ Redistributables, or corrupted vault_data folder from a previous install.
  1. Download and install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2015–2022 (x64) from microsoft.com.
  2. If the crash continues, rename your existing vault_data folder to vault_data_backup.
  3. Launch VQPro again — it will create a fresh vault_data folder and initialise cleanly.
  4. If successful, your previous vault cannot be recovered unless you had a backup. Contact support before deleting vault_data_backup.
🔒 Vault Won't Open
Correct password entered but vault refuses to unlock CRITICAL ▼
Cause: Hardware fingerprint mismatch. The vault was bound to different hardware (different machine, or hardware changed on this machine).
  1. Confirm you are on the exact same machine the vault was created on.
  2. Check if any hardware was recently changed: RAM, motherboard, CPU, or if you cloned the drive to a new machine.
  3. If hardware was changed, you must rebind the vault. Run Rebind_Vault.ps1 from the VQPro MASTER folder:
    Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
.\Rebind_Vault.ps1
  4. Delete vault_data\config\vault.cfg to force a fresh hardware registration.
  5. Launch VQPro — it will re-register the new hardware fingerprint on first open.
If you are on the correct machine and hardware has not changed, do NOT attempt repeated password entries. After failed attempts, the lockout timer activates. Contact support at admin@viperqpro.com immediately.
Vault shows "24-hour lockout active" — locked out after failed attempts CRITICAL ▼
Cause: Multiple incorrect password attempts triggered the progressive lockout system. This is by design.
  1. Wait out the lockout period displayed on screen. This is a security feature and cannot be bypassed.
  2. If you are certain of your password, the lockout will expire and you may try again.
  3. If you have forgotten your password: VQPro is zero-knowledge — there is no master reset, no recovery email, and no backdoor. Your password is the only key. If it is lost, the vault cannot be opened.
  4. Contact support if you believe the lockout was triggered in error: admin@viperqpro.com
This is not a bug — this is the lockout system protecting your data from brute-force attacks. It works exactly as designed.
Vault opens but shows as completely empty — all data gone CRITICAL ▼
Cause: The Duress Vault was triggered (wrong password used), or you are opening a different vault instance, or vault_data was moved/deleted.
  1. Check if you entered a duress password instead of your real password. The Duress Vault shows a convincing empty vault — this is by design.
  2. Exit, re-enter your correct master password carefully.
  3. Verify vault_data\ folder is present in the same directory as VQPro.exe.
  4. If vault_data has been moved, relocated, or deleted: data is unrecoverable without a backup. Check any backup drives.
💻 Hardware Binding Issues
Vault worked yesterday — now refuses to open on same machine COMMON ▼
Cause: A Windows Update or driver update changed a hardware identifier that VQPro uses for binding (most commonly after a BIOS update or GPU driver update).
  1. Reboot the machine fully (not fast startup — hold Shift while clicking Restart).
  2. Try opening the vault again after a clean boot.
  3. If still failing, run the rebind procedure:
    cd "$env:USERPROFILE\OneDrive\Desktop\VQPro MASTER"
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
.\Rebind_Vault.ps1
  4. Delete vault_data\config\vault.cfg and relaunch.
I replaced my motherboard / CPU — how do I move my vault to the new hardware? INFO ▼
Hardware binding is a security feature — the vault is physically fused to specific hardware. Changing major hardware requires a deliberate rebind procedure.
  1. Before replacing hardware: Make a full backup of your entire vault_data folder to an encrypted USB drive.
  2. After installing new hardware and booting into Windows, copy VQPro.exe and your backed-up vault_data to the new machine.
  3. Run the rebind script to register the new hardware fingerprint.
  4. Delete vault_data\config\vault.cfg to clear the old binding.
  5. Launch VQPro — it will bind to the new hardware on first open.
  6. Enter your master password — vault opens normally.
Never attempt to open a bound vault on a different machine without running the rebind procedure first. Repeated failed attempts will trigger the lockout.
👁 File Integrity Monitor Alerts
FIM alert fires immediately on first launch after fresh install COMMON ▼
Cause: This was a known issue in early versions, fixed in v3.6.9 and all subsequent versions. If you are on v3.7.1, this should not occur. If it does, the FIM manifest needs rebuilding.
  1. Inside VQPro, go to Settings → File Integrity Monitor.
  2. Click Reset Manifest.
  3. Click Run Manual Scan.
  4. The FIM will rebuild its baseline from the current clean state. No further alerts on clean launches.
v3.7.1 automatically skips the config directory and state files during vault initialisation, so FIM false alarms on fresh setup are eliminated. If you are experiencing this, confirm your EXE version in Settings → About.
FIM alert fires after I added files to a chamber — is this real? INFO ▼
Expected behaviour — FIM detected legitimate changes you made. Not a threat. Manifest needs updating.
  1. Review the FIM alert detail — it will show exactly which files changed.
  2. If the changes listed are the files you deposited or modified, the alert is expected.
  3. Go to Settings → File Integrity Monitor → Update Manifest to accept the new state as the new baseline.
  4. If the FIM shows changes to files you did NOT modify, treat this as a genuine tampering alert and do not dismiss it. Run a full system scan immediately.
🛡 Windows SmartScreen Warning
"Windows protected your PC" — SmartScreen blocks VQPro from running COMMON ▼
Cause: VQPro is independently developed and does not yet carry an Extended Validation (EV) code signing certificate. SmartScreen warns on all unsigned executables — this is standard for independent software.
  1. When the SmartScreen dialog appears, only continue if you downloaded VQPro from the official viperqpro.com purchase/download page.
  2. Click More info, then click Run anyway.
  3. VQPro will launch normally.
  4. To permanently bypass for this file: right-click VQPro.exe → Properties → tick Unblock → Apply.
This warning does not indicate VQPro is dangerous. It indicates Windows has not seen this specific binary before. This is separate from a bad shortcut or moved-file problem. Future versions should carry a code signing certificate to reduce this warning.
🖥 Desktop Shortcut Not Working
Desktop shortcut does nothing, opens the wrong app, or shows a corruption-style warning COMMON ▼
Cause: The shortcut points to the wrong location, an old folder, a temporary ZIP path, or VQPro.exe was moved out of its extracted VQPro folder.
  1. Delete the bad desktop shortcut only.
  2. Open the extracted VQPro folder.
  3. Double-click VQPro.exe directly - the application with the VQPro logo/icon.
  4. If VQPro opens, the app is working and the shortcut is the problem.
  5. Create a fresh shortcut: right-click VQPro.exe -> Show more options -> Send to -> Desktop (create shortcut).
  6. Test the new shortcut Windows creates.
Do not drag VQPro.exe to the Desktop. Dragging can move the real app out of the folder. The Desktop should contain a shortcut only; the real EXE stays inside the extracted VQPro folder.
Desktop shortcut icon shows a blank white page instead of the VQPro vault logo INFO ▼
Cause: Windows icon cache has not updated. This is a display issue only - VQPro still works.
  1. First confirm the shortcut opens VQPro.
  2. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
    ie4uinit.exe -show
  3. If the icon does not update, restart Windows Explorer:
    Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force
Start-Process explorer
  4. If still not showing, a full machine reboot will clear the Windows icon cache.
💳 Payment & Download Issues
Paid but download button is not unlocking on the thank-you page CRITICAL ▼
Cause: Stripe session verification delay, or the session_id parameter was not passed correctly in the redirect URL.
  1. Wait 30 seconds and refresh the thank-you page.
  2. Check your browser address bar — the URL should contain ?session_id=cs_live_.... If this is missing, the redirect did not complete correctly.
  3. Check your email for the purchase confirmation. Email admin@viperqpro.com from the purchase email address and we will help verify access manually.
  4. Do not attempt to pay again before contacting support.
Licence check says "no active licence found" but I have paid COMMON ▼
Cause: The email entered in the licence checker does not exactly match the email used at checkout.
  1. Use the exact email address used during purchase.
  2. Try entering your email in lowercase with no spaces.
  3. If still failing, email admin@viperqpro.com from the purchase email address and we will verify manually.
🏛 Chambers
Cannot create a new chamber — button greyed out or does nothing COMMON ▼
Cause: Maximum chamber limit reached, or vault is in a locked state.
  1. Confirm the vault is fully unlocked — the header should show your vault name, not a lock icon.
  2. Check how many chambers you currently have. VQPro supports multiple chambers but has a configured maximum.
  3. If at the maximum, delete or archive an existing chamber before creating a new one.
  4. If the button is still unresponsive, lock and unlock the vault to refresh the UI state.
Chamber shows red/amber health indicator — what does this mean? INFO ▼
Chamber health indicators show the security and integrity status of each chamber's contents.
  1. Green — Chamber is healthy, encrypted, integrity verified. No action required.
  2. Amber — Chamber has a minor issue: possibly a key rotation is overdue, or backup has not been run recently. Go to Settings and address the flagged item.
  3. Red — Chamber integrity check failed, or encryption verification failed. Do not add data. Run a Health scan immediately from the Health tab.
  4. After fixing the flagged items, run Health → Full Scan to confirm green status.
📥 Deposits & File Operations
File deposit fails or shows an error mid-transfer COMMON ▼
Cause: File is in use by another program, file path contains special characters, or insufficient disk space.
  1. Close any program that has the file open (Word, Acrobat, media player, etc.).
  2. Check available disk space on the drive containing vault_data. You need at least 2× the file size as free space.
  3. Avoid file names with special characters (\ / : * ? " < > |). Rename the file first.
  4. Try depositing the file again. If the error persists, note the exact error message and contact support.
Extracted file is corrupted or won't open after extraction COMMON ▼
Cause: File was corrupted before deposit, extraction destination has restricted permissions, or disk write error during extraction.
  1. Extract to a simple path like C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\ — avoid network drives or paths with spaces.
  2. Compare file sizes: the extracted file should match the original. A mismatch indicates a write error.
  3. Run the Health tab → Vault Integrity check to confirm the vault's internal data is intact.
  4. If the file was deposited from a source that was itself corrupt, the vault cannot fix it — the corruption predates the deposit.
♛ Crown Jewel Feature Issues
Dead Man's Switch triggered unexpectedly — vault locked or wiped CRITICAL ▼
Cause: The configured check-in interval elapsed without a check-in. This is the feature working exactly as designed.
  1. If the vault was locked (not wiped): enter your master password and complete the check-in immediately.
  2. If inheritance protocols were triggered: the designated recipients will have received their notification. Contact them if required.
  3. To adjust check-in intervals: Settings → Dead Man's Switch → configure interval to a longer period.
  4. To disable temporarily (travel, hospital): Settings → Dead Man's Switch → Pause. Re-enable on return.
If the Staged Self-Destruct was triggered by the Dead Man's Switch, data cannot be recovered. Ensure check-in intervals are realistic for your usage pattern.
Geofencing blocks vault access at my usual location COMMON ▼
Cause: Location services are off, VPN is changing your apparent location, or the geofence boundary was set too tightly.
  1. Ensure Windows Location Services is enabled: Settings → Privacy → Location → On.
  2. Disable any active VPN temporarily to confirm your real location is being detected.
  3. Open VQPro Settings → Geofencing → expand your permitted zone radius.
  4. If you need to access from a new location: Settings → Geofencing → Add Location → add the new zone.
Travel Mode activated — how do I get my vaults back? INFO ▼
Travel Mode hides selected vaults from the interface entirely. They are not deleted — they are concealed.
  1. Open VQPro normally and authenticate.
  2. Go to Settings → Travel Mode.
  3. Click Deactivate Travel Mode and enter your master password to confirm.
  4. Hidden vaults will immediately reappear in the chambers list.
Travel Mode vaults are safe. Nothing was deleted. They were concealed exactly as designed — deactivating Travel Mode restores them instantly.
M-of-N Threshold Auth — one keyholder is unavailable, vault is inaccessible CRITICAL ▼
This is the security model working correctly. M-of-N requires M keyholders — if fewer than M are available, the vault cannot open. This prevents coercion of a single person.
  1. Gather the minimum required number (M) of keyholders.
  2. Each keyholder authenticates in sequence as prompted by VQPro.
  3. Once M keyholders have authenticated, the vault unlocks.
  4. If a keyholder is permanently unavailable (death, incapacity): this requires administrative recovery. Contact support with your licence details.
  5. To prevent this situation: always configure M to be less than your total N, and set N with enough redundancy for realistic availability.
⚡ Performance Issues
VQPro is slow to open / takes a long time to unlock INFO ▼
Cause: Argon2id key derivation is intentionally memory-intensive and CPU-intensive. This is a security feature — it makes brute-force attacks computationally expensive. Older hardware will be slower.
  1. Unlock time of 2–8 seconds is normal on mid-range hardware. This is expected and correct.
  2. If unlock takes over 30 seconds: Settings → Security → Key Derivation → reduce the memory cost parameter slightly. This marginally reduces brute-force resistance but improves speed.
  3. Ensure the drive containing vault_data is an SSD, not a mechanical HDD. The difference is significant.
  4. Close other memory-heavy applications during unlock on systems with less than 8GB RAM.
📧 Contact Support
If your issue is not covered above, contact support directly:

admin@viperqpro.com

Include: your purchase/support email address, your Windows version, your VQPro version (Settings → About), and a clear description of the issue. Do not send master passwords, seed phrases, private keys, wallet contents, vault contents, or sensitive private files. We respond within 24–48 hours.