Install RafterBooks on Windows

1. Download the zip

After you buy, open your Lemon Squeezy receipt email or your purchase library. Download the Windows zip (the portable build). Your purchase also includes the browser file (RafterBooks.html) if you prefer that instead.

2. Unzip it

Right-click the zip → Extract All… and choose a folder you control (for example Documents). When it finishes you should see a folder named RafterBooks with RafterBooks.exe inside. Leave the other files in that folder — the program needs them next to the exe.

3. Run the app

Open the RafterBooks folder and double-click RafterBooks.exe.

4. If Windows says “Windows protected your PC”

That is Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. It often appears for new software that is not code-signed yet. RafterBooks for Windows is currently unsigned — common for small independent software — so Windows treats the publisher as unknown. It is not a claim that the file failed a virus scan.

If you would rather skip SmartScreen entirely, open RafterBooks.html in Chrome or Edge instead. Same purchase includes both.

Where your data is saved

The Windows program saves automatically. By default the data folder is:

Documents\RafterBooks

Inside that folder you will find rafterbooks-data.json (your books), plus a backups subfolder with daily automatic backups (kept for 30 days). The app does not host your books online.

You can put the data folder in OneDrive, Dropbox, or another path you control: in the app use File → Change Data Location…. Use File → Open Data Folder to show the current folder. Only open RafterBooks on one computer at a time if that folder is synced, to avoid sync conflicts.

Make an extra backup copy

Daily backups run for you, but an extra copy is still wise:

• In the app: File → Export Backup… and save the JSON somewhere safe (USB drive, cloud folder, another PC).
• Or copy the whole Documents\RafterBooks folder (including the backups subfolder).

To restore later: File → Restore / Import Backup… and choose a JSON backup file.

How to uninstall

This Windows build is a portable zip — it does not add an entry under Settings → Apps. To remove the program:

1. Quit RafterBooks if it is open.
2. Delete the RafterBooks program folder you unzipped (the one that contains RafterBooks.exe).

Your company data stays in Documents\RafterBooks until you delete that folder too. Export a backup first if you might need the records later.

Mac users

A native Mac desktop app is not included with this purchase. Use the browser edition: download RafterBooks.html from your Lemon Squeezy receipt or library and open it in Chrome on your Mac (Safari support being tested).