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Keyman Desktop does not start with Windows and instead an Explorer window opens

NOTE: This archived documentation has not been updated recently and may contain information that is no longer relevant

On some computers, Keyman Desktop can fail to start with Windows, when the option has been specified in Keyman Configuration. This error occurs when Keyman 6.x has previously been installed on the computer.

At the time that Keyman Desktop fails to start, an Explorer window also opens to C:\Program Files\Tavultesoft\Keyman. The image below shows what the Explorer window may look like (it may differ slightly on your computer):

Background

This issue occurs because the startup path for Keyman Desktop 7.0 is "C:\Program Files\Tavultesoft\Keyman Desktop Professional 7.0\kmshell.exe", and Keyman Configuration fails to enclose this path in quotation marks - meaning that the Keyman 6.x folder is matched first.

Resolution

Recommended: If you have uninstalled Keyman 6.2, there can occasionally be some remnants left over, namely kmshell.exe and lpng.dll. Deleting these files, and the C:\Program Files\Tavultesoft\Keyman folder, will resolve the problem.

If you have not uninstalled Keyman 6.x, and wish to keep it installed, you should uninstall and reinstall Keyman 6.2 to an alternate location (such as C:\Program Files\Tavultesoft\Keyman6.2) in order to resolve the problem.

This issue was addressed in Keyman Desktop 7.0.239.0

Applies to:

• Keyman Desktop Light 7.0
• Keyman Desktop Professional 7.0