Which Windows file should you use?

For the checked release, choose artcraft-launcher-0.4.1-windows-x64.msi from the upstream release linked on the launcher page. The version and architecture matter: a filename that merely contains the word ArtCraft is not enough evidence, and a community installer can carry a different trust and update path. The local OpenCraftTools download endpoint is a selector, not a binary host. It checks the known release snapshot and redirects the exact asset to its upstream location. If the current release no longer exposes this filename, follow the new release card and do not force an old URL.

Before you double-click the MSI

• Confirm that Windows is the intended x64 environment and that the release version matches the guide.
• Keep the release URL and checksum file beside your installation notes.
• Use a test Windows profile or non-sensitive project for the first run.
• Read the current upstream account, network and model-provider requirements before importing a client file.
• Do not disable Windows security features broadly to force an installer through a prompt.

Install steps

1. Download the exact MSI

   Use the ArtCraft Launcher page, then follow the release link if you need to inspect the upstream asset and checksums directly.

2. Review the Windows prompt

   Check the publisher and filename shown by Windows. If the identity is unexpected or the asset came from a third party, cancel and return to the release page.

3. Choose a controlled install location

   Accept the normal per-machine or per-user path only after checking who will receive updates and which Windows account can launch the app.

4. Open the launcher without sensitive files

   Inspect the listed Craft Apps, displayed versions and any sign-in or provider requirement before connecting a production workflow.

5. Run one small canary

   Open a disposable image, document or scene, perform the smallest useful operation, export it and reopen the result in the software that will receive it.

Checksum and installer identity

The release checksum file is the cleanest way to check that the MSI on disk matches the upstream asset. On Windows PowerShell, Get-FileHash .\artcraft-launcher-0.4.1-windows-x64.msi -Algorithm SHA256 prints the local digest. Compare it with the exact filename line in SHA256SUMS.txt from the same release. A match is useful evidence of download integrity, but it is not a complete application security review. It does not tell you what permissions the app requests, how an update is delivered, which dependencies are bundled, or where an AI request goes. Keep those questions in the first-run checklist rather than treating one hash as a universal safety label.

The launcher is not the whole ArtCraft workflow

A Windows launcher may bring several Craft Apps together, but each app retains its own maturity, file support and release cadence. PhotoCraft is a layered editor, VectorCraft is a vector workflow, and ArtCraft is an AI creative engine with model-provider steps. A launcher does not mean that a PSD, SVG, scene file or generated clip has identical compatibility across the family. Choose the app from the actual job and record the version that passed your test. If the work moves through a browser entry or an external provider, document that hop separately.

Accounts, network and cost checks

The installer may be local while the workflow is not. A generation action can require a provider account, network access and per-run pricing. A browser editor can have a different session and storage boundary from a desktop editor. Before using a client asset, ask what leaves Windows, which provider receives it, whether a project can be reopened offline, and who is responsible for the account. The portal does not collect your launcher session or files. It also cannot guarantee the behavior of an upstream app or provider, so the safe answer is to read their current notices and test with a redacted asset.

When Windows blocks or the app fails

If SmartScreen or endpoint protection blocks the MSI, confirm the exact release URL, publisher identity, checksum and project notice before making a decision with your administrator. Do not use a random fixed installer from a download site. If installation succeeds but a Craft App fails, record the Windows build, GPU, app version, file type and action. A failure in one app should not be silently described as a launcher failure, and a successful launch should not be described as proof of production readiness. Keep an export and a mature fallback while the workflow is being evaluated.

Updating without losing the audit trail

When a new launcher release appears, keep the old MSI and checksum record until the new version passes the same canary. Compare the release notes, asset name, architecture and any migration note. Reopen an existing disposable project, test one import and one export, then repeat the provider-backed action if that action matters to your work. If an update changes the app list or account path, record it as a workflow change rather than only a version change. This makes it possible to roll back or explain a result when an upstream app is moving quickly.

A sensible Windows adoption gate

Use the launcher for a personal trial when the release source, checksum and data path are clear. For a team, require a pinned version, a known installer source, a documented account owner, a file recovery path, an export that reopens in the receiving software and a fallback application. The new Craft family may be useful precisely because it is open and inspectable, but openness does not remove compatibility work. The best Windows install guide ends at a tested workflow, not at the moment an icon appears in the Start menu.

Shared Windows machines and update ownership

On a shared workstation, installation ownership matters as much as the MSI itself. Decide whether the launcher is installed per user or for the machine, who can approve an update, where the application writes settings, and whether a second Windows account sees the same app list. Keep the release asset, checksum and test notes in a project folder that is not silently removed by an uninstall. If endpoint controls quarantine an update, capture the event and verify the replacement from the same upstream release rather than using a repacked installer. A team should also test a cold start after an update, an import of the previously accepted file, one export and the return path after a failed provider request. These checks expose problems that a first launch cannot: changed permissions, changed cache behavior, a missing dependency or a new sign-in step. The final result should name the Windows build, launcher version, app version and account boundary so the next operator knows exactly what was approved.

Who this is for

• Installing the Windows MSI
• Checking an installer before first run
• Testing Craft Apps on a Windows workstation
• Documenting provider and file-handling boundaries

Limits worth knowing

• This guide follows the checked v0.4.1 release and must be refreshed when upstream assets change.
• Checksum verification is not a complete security or compatibility audit.
• Different Craft Apps and providers have different requirements.
• OpenCraftTools does not repackage, sign or host the Windows installer.

Questions this guide gets asked

01

Where is the ArtCraft Launcher Windows installer?

The checked v0.4.1 release uses the upstream artcraft-launcher-0.4.1-windows-x64.msi asset. Start from the launcher page and inspect the linked release before downloading.

02

How can I verify the Windows MSI?

Compare PowerShell Get-FileHash output using SHA256 with the matching filename in the upstream SHA256SUMS.txt file. A matching hash verifies bytes, not the whole workflow.

03

Is the ArtCraft Launcher a Microsoft app?

No. It is an upstream Craft Apps project distributed through its own release path. OpenCraftTools is an independent portal and makes no Microsoft or Adobe affiliation claim.

04

Does installing the launcher provide every Craft App?

Do not assume that. The launcher and each app can have different releases, platforms, maturity and provider requirements. Check the app you actually need.

05

Can I use the launcher with private client files?

Only after reviewing the current app and provider data path. Start with a redacted asset because local installation does not prove that every later operation stays on the device.