Troubleshooting

Messages you may see, what they mean and what to do. Use Ctrl + F to search for the words of your message.

Installing and starting#

“Windows protected your PC”

Click More info → Run anyway. See Antivirus and SmartScreen.

The installer or app disappeared, or the antivirus reports a threat

Restore it from quarantine and add an exclusion for %LOCALAPPDATA%\Frametide. Step by step: here.

“Install Partially Succeeded” or the app reports missing files

Usually an antivirus interfered. Add the exclusion, then run the installer again; it repairs the program and keeps your data.

Windows asks for permission every time

That's expected: Frametide needs administrator rights to change system settings. See Administrator rights.

“Not running as administrator: most tweaks and benchmarking won't work.”

You clicked No at the Windows prompt. Close Frametide and start it again, then click Yes.

Subscription#

Paid, but the app didn't unlock

Wait a minute and restart the app; it picks up the purchase. Or enter the key from your purchase e-mail and click Activate.

“This key is already active on the maximum number of PCs…”

Deactivate it on another PC (Settings → Deactivate this PC). Can't reach the other PC? Write to support.

A tweak says “Unlock with Premium”

The free version changes the basic settings (about 30%); the others need Premium. Undo works on every setting. See Free and Premium.

Other messages on the Premium screen

See the table on Subscription and license.

Testing#

My game isn't in the list

Start the game first, wait until it shows its menu, then reopen Test in game. Pick the game's own program, not its launcher.

“PresentMon did not record any frames”

The game wasn't rendering while measuring: it was minimised, still loading, or another window was in front. Make sure the game is in the foreground and you're in the game, not in a launcher, then measure again.

F9 does nothing

F9 works only while a step is ready to measure (the app shows the instructions). If another program already uses F9, the instructions say so; click Start measuring and switch back to the game instead.

“The game closed early, so this run is shorter than planned”

The run counts with the time measured. Leave it out in Results → All runs if it's too short.

The PC restarted and the test didn't continue

Frametide continues after you sign in again. If it didn't start, open it yourself: Test in game picks up the saved test.

Results#

“No preset clearly beat your original settings.”

The differences were smaller than the variation between your runs. Your setup is already fine for this game, or the runs varied too much. See When runs vary a lot.

The presets were worse than my original settings

That happens and is exactly why Frametide measures. Keep your original settings, or create new presets with Improve on my test results so Claude learns what didn't work.

No graph

Runs measured with versions before the graph was added have none. New runs do.

Settings and Windows#

“Couldn't read: …” on a setting

Windows didn't return the value; the text says why. Often the feature isn't installed or doesn't apply. See Tweaks.

“Microsoft Defender is not active on this PC (another antivirus replaces it)”

Expected with a third-party antivirus. See here.

Something feels off after applying a preset

AI Presets → Back to my original settings, then restart Windows if the app says so. Still off? Use a restore point and tell us which preset it was.

The screen went black after “Fix it”

Wait 15 seconds: without a click on Keep it, the previous refresh rate comes back by itself.

A restore point couldn't be created

System Protection is off for drive C:, or one was already made in the last 24 hours. Start menu → Create a restore point → select C: → Configure → Turn on system protection.

Updates#

No update is offered

Settings → Check for updates shows your version and whether a newer one exists. Updates aren't installed while a test runs.

An update failed

Download the installer again from frametide.de/download and run it. It installs over the old version and keeps your data.

Contact support#

Write to support@frametide.de. Helpful to include: your Frametide version (Settings), Windows version, what you clicked, the exact message or a screenshot, and the file errors.log from Settings → Open data folder → logs. The log contains error messages and app versions, no personal files.

Still stuck? Write to support@frametide.de with what you clicked, the exact message and, if the app showed an error, the file errors.log (Settings → Open data folder → logs).