Installation Guide

Install Fortiva Personal

Download, install, and create your encrypted vault on Windows. No account, no cloud — everything stays on your PC.

Overview

What you are installing and where your data lives.

What is Fortiva Personal?

Fortiva Personal is a free, zero-knowledge password manager for Windows. Passwords are encrypted in a vault.fva file on your machine using AES-256-GCM and Argon2id. The installer is a single EXE — it bundles .NET 8, the Windows App SDK, WebView2, and the Visual C++ runtime when needed.

Who is this guide for?

Anyone installing Fortiva Personal on their own Windows PC. No admin rights are required for a standard per-user install.

  • Download the latest installer
  • Run setup
  • Create your master password
  • Enable Windows Hello (optional)
Fortiva unlock screen after installation
After setup, Fortiva opens to the unlock screen — or the onboarding wizard on first run.

System requirements

Minimum hardware and software for Fortiva Personal.

Requirement Minimum
Operating systemWindows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or later
Architecture64-bit (x64)
RAM256 MB free
Disk space250 MB for the app; vault grows with your entries
.NET / App SDKNot required — bundled in the installer
WebView2 & VC++Installed automatically by setup if missing
InternetNot required for daily use (needed once for download)

Download

Get the latest Fortiva Personal installer from GitHub Releases.

Download for Windows

Use the download button on the Fortiva website or go directly to GitHub Releases and download FortivaPersonal-{version}-Setup.exe.

Verify the SHA-256 checksum shown on the release page before installing if you want extra assurance.

Tip: The website download button always points at the latest release. You do not need to hunt for a specific version number.

Install steps

Standard installation — about 30 seconds after prerequisites are satisfied.

  1. Double-click FortivaPersonal-*-Setup.exe. Personal installs per-user — no administrator prompt.
  2. Click Next through the setup wizard.
  3. Choose an install folder (default: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\icmclab studio\Fortiva Personal\).
  4. Choose a Start Menu folder (default: Fortiva (icmclab studio)).
  5. Optionally tick Create a desktop icon, then click Install.
  6. Wait for the progress bar. WebView2 or VC++ install silently first if your PC needs them.
  7. Tick Launch Fortiva Personal and click Finish.

What gets installed

ItemLocation
Application files%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\icmclab studio\Fortiva Personal\
Start Menu shortcutsFortiva (icmclab studio)
Vault data (after first run)%AppData%\Fortiva\vault.fva

Vault data lives in your user profile, not in the install folder. Always back up your vault before uninstalling.

First launch

The four-step onboarding wizard appears when no vault exists yet.

Step 1 — Welcome

Introduction to Fortiva's local, zero-knowledge model. Click Get started.

Step 2 — Master password

Choose a strong master password. Fortiva cannot reset or recover it — write it down offline. The strength meter must reach at least Moderate before you can continue. Confirm the password and click Continue.

Step 3 — Windows Hello (optional)

Click Enable Windows Hello for fingerprint, face, or PIN unlock — or Skip for now and enable later in Settings.

Step 4 — Create vault

Enable Paranoia Mode (recommended), check I have recorded my master password offline, then click Create vault. Argon2id key derivation runs for a few seconds; your vault unlocks and opens to My Vault.

Fortiva My Vault after onboarding
My Vault — add entries, search with Ctrl+K, and organise with tags and favorites.
Next: Read the quick start in the user guide to add your first login and connect the browser extension.

SmartScreen warning

What to do if Windows shows "Windows protected your PC" on first run.

Unsigned installer

Fortiva Personal is not Authenticode-signed yet. SmartScreen may warn on the first run even though the file is safe. Verify the SHA-256 on GitHub Releases, then click More info → Run anyway.

Uninstall

Removing Fortiva Personal permanently deletes your vault and all local data.

How to uninstall

  • Start Menu → Fortiva (icmclab studio) → Uninstall Fortiva Personal
  • Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Fortiva → Uninstall

What is deleted

Uninstall removes application files and all user data:

  • %AppData%\Fortiva\ — vault, snapshots, Hello, settings
  • %LocalAppData%\FortivaPersonal\ — logs, extension staging

Export an encrypted .fva backup first via Import / Export if you need to keep your passwords.