Muxer Lite on Windows

Before changing the app

Save your work and close every Muxer Lite window. Closing local or SSH shell panes can end running work; a saved workspace remembers layout and connection choices, not running processes.

Keep a backup of your saved .mux files and Lite profile before changing versions. With Lite closed, copy %APPDATA%\MuxerLite and your saved workspace files to a private backup location. Keep the originals. Workspace files can be wherever you chose to save them.

This is a same-user recovery precaution. Saved Windows credentials can depend on the original Windows user account; a copied profile is not a verified way to move credentials to another account or computer.

Know which copy you are using

Installed copy: the app executable is normally %LOCALAPPDATA%\MuxerLite\MuxerLite.exe. The Desktop and Start Menu shortcuts are named Muxer Lite. In a shortcut’s Properties, check its Target before changing files. Desktop locations can be redirected by Windows.

Extracted copy: this is the folder you chose when extracting the ZIP. Keep the whole package together, including its manifest and notices. Running with --portable skips installation; it does not make your settings and credentials travel inside that folder. Installed and extracted copies normally use the same Lite profile for your Windows account.

For a deliberate extracted launch, open PowerShell in that folder and run .\MuxerLite.exe --portable. Do not combine it with --install. A plain launch of current private development builds stays extracted; a release build may offer installation.

Saved data: Lite’s profile is normally %APPDATA%\MuxerLite. Saved .mux files may be in Documents or another location you selected. Paid Muxer has separate app and profile locations.

Install or replace the installed app

1. Save, close Lite and back up as described above. Confirm the new package is Muxer Lite for Windows x64 and matches the checksum supplied with it.
2. Extract the complete new ZIP into a fresh folder. Do not overwrite an old extracted package or copy just its executable.
3. Open PowerShell in the new extracted folder and run:

   .\MuxerLite.exe --install

   The app installs to its Lite location and relaunches. Keep its documentation folder and package manifest available during installation.
4. Close the relaunched app, then open the Desktop Muxer Lite shortcut. Check the Target points to the installed Lite executable. Check the displayed version, reopen your saved workspace and verify a connection you normally use before discarding any backup.

Lite automatic updates are currently disabled. Use a supplied, verified successor package for manual replacement. The paid Muxer update feed is not a Lite update source.

If installation fails, the extracted app may continue running without completing installation. Check the shortcut Target and installed version before treating replacement as successful. Keep the prior package and any installer recovery files; do not delete .bak, .new, journal or other recovery files to force a retry. Return the failure details through the private channel that supplied your package.

Remove the app and keep saved work

There is no dedicated uninstaller in these private packages. The following manual removal keeps data available for reinstall.

Installed copy

1. Save your work, close all Lite windows and keep your backup.
2. Verify the Lite shortcut’s Target. Delete only the installed MuxerLite.exe from the normal %LOCALAPPDATA%\MuxerLite folder. If the path differs, establish which copy it points to before deleting anything.
3. Delete the Muxer Lite shortcut from your Desktop and its shortcut in the current user’s Start Menu programs folder. You can open that folder by entering shell:programs in File Explorer. Leave shortcuts for paid Muxer alone.

Keep the installed documentation folder, %APPDATA%\MuxerLite, your saved .mux files and your backup. Do not delete an entire AppData folder. The onboarding reset utility is not an uninstaller.

Extracted copy

After closing it, you can remove an extracted program folder you no longer need. First move any workspace files you deliberately saved inside it to a safe location. Removing this folder does not remove a separately installed copy or its shortcuts. Keep the original ZIP if you may need to reinstall.

Reinstall and check your work

Use the same Windows user account. Extract the verified package to a fresh folder and follow the installation steps above. Open the regenerated Lite Desktop shortcut and check the version, saved workspace and SSH connection. Reinstalling the executable does not require deleting the profile or running the onboarding reset utility.

If a workspace is not already open, open its saved .mux file. Keep your preserved profile and backup while investigating any missing data; do not reset the app to troubleshoot this.

Getting help before launch

If you received a private package, reply through the channel that supplied it. General customer support is not open yet; a verified support route and final support terms will be published before sales begin.

Include the edition, version, Windows version, the step that failed and what happened. Review screenshots and logs before sharing. Leave out passwords, SSH keys, private host addresses, terminal commands containing secrets and personal workspace files. Never send a credential vault or an unredacted profile backup.