# Troubleshooting
This guide covers the most common issues with ePanicButton and how to resolve them.
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## Installation Issues
### Installation fails or stops partway through
1. Right-click the installer and choose **Run as Administrator** — do not double-click
2. Approve any UAC (User Account Control) prompts
3. Confirm **.NET Framework 4.7 or higher** is installed on the workstation
4. Verify **PowerShell is enabled** on the machine (required for installation scripts)
5. Temporarily disable antivirus during installation and add exceptions afterward (see Antivirus section below)
### Program was installed but user does not appear in portal
- Allow 1–2 minutes for the portal to sync after a fresh install
- Confirm the correct **Registration ID** was entered during installation
- Refresh the Users tab in the portal
---
## Program Won't Open or Crashes
1. Right-click the ePanicButton shortcut and choose **Run as Administrator**
2. Restart the workstation and try again
3. Check that no other user is already logged in on the same workstation — only one login is allowed per machine at a time
4. Review the Windows **Event Viewer** for error codes and forward them to support
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## Buttons Not Sending Messages
1. Confirm the button has at least one **receiver** configured (Buttons tab → Receivers icon)
2. Determine what type of message was not received. The emails and sms use different services than the desktop alerts and mobile push notifications. Ensure correct addressing for each type of message.
3. Confirm if the alert event is logged on the portal.
4. Provide this information for any support efforts.
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## Desktop Alerts Not Being Received
1. Confirm the receiving workstation has ePanicButton installed and **running**
2. Confirm the receiver is added to the button's receiver list with **Desktop Alert** enabled
3. Check antivirus and Windows Defender to ensure ePanicButton is not being blocked
---
## Email or SMS Alerts Delayed
This is usually caused by spam filtering at the email provider or mobile carrier level.
- Delays of 1–5 minutes are normal for email and SMS
- Ask recipients to whitelist alerts from ePanicButton in their email client
- If delays are consistently more than 10 minutes, contact support
---
## Antivirus or Windows Defender Blocking the Program
Add exceptions for the following in your antivirus software:
- The ePanicButton folder in `C:\Program Files(x86)\
- The ePanicButton folder in `C:\ProgramData\ePanicButton\
- All `.exe` files within both of those folders: ePanicClient.exe, ePanicButtonReceiver.exe and updater.exe
**For Windows Defender specifically:**
1. Open Windows Security → Virus & Threat Protection
2. Go to **Manage Settings** → **Exclusions**
3. Click **Add an Exclusion** → Folder
4. Add both folders listed above
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## File Permission Issues
If the program launches but fails to save settings or sync:
1. Right-click `C:\ProgramData\ePanicButton` → Properties → Security
2. Give the current user (or "Everyone") **Full Control** permissions
3. Repeat for any other ePanicButton folders under `C:\Program Files`
4. Restart the program
---
## Log Files
If you need to report an issue to support, log files are located at:
```
C:\ProgramData\ePanicButton\Logging\
```
Attach the most recent log file when contacting support — it helps diagnose issues faster.
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## Still Need Help?
support@epanicbutton.com |