Launcher Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions for the Turbo Launcher.

Quick Reference

• Check policy configuration for missing shortcuts
• Validate JSON syntax for policy loading issues
• Review launcher logs for detailed error information

Common Issues

No Applications Appearing

Problem: The launcher shows no applications or fewer applications than expected.

Solutions:

• Verify that at least one "allow" policy matches your shortcuts
• Check that scan locations contain valid shortcut files
• Ensure policy file has correct JSON syntax
• Review launcher logs for policy evaluation errors

Policy Not Loading

Problem: Policy changes are not taking effect.

Solutions:

• Verify JSON syntax using an online validator or jq tool
• Check file permissions and accessibility
• Ensure policy file is in the correct location:
  • System-wide: %PROGRAMDATA%\Turbo\Launcher\policy.json
  • User-specific: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Turbo\Launcher\policy.json
• Review launcher logs for policy loading errors

Applications Not Launching

Problem: Applications appear in the launcher but fail to launch.

Solutions:

• Ensure Turbo Client is installed and accessible
• Verify target executables exist and are accessible
• Check that policy modifications aren't causing launch failures
• Review launcher logs for launch attempt details

Policy Modifications Not Applied

Problem: Policy modifications (turbo flags, arguments) are not being applied.

Solutions:

• Ensure the policy action is "allow" (not just "modify")
• Verify modification syntax in the policy file
• Check policy priority for modification merging conflicts
• Review launcher logs for modification application errors

Log Analysis

Log Locations

Launcher logs provide detailed information about policy loading, shortcut evaluation, and launch attempts.

Turbo client logs are written to the %LOCALAPPDATA%\Turbo\Logs folder and contain both launcher-specific logs and client logs for application launches:

• Launcher logs: TurboLauncher_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_XXXXX.log
• Client logs: turbo_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_XXXXX.log

Known Issues

• Portable applications are not listed and must be launched via Windows shell extension (enable with turbo config --enable=RunInContextMenu)
• The installer does not create the %PROGRAMDATA%\Turbo\Launcher directory. The Launcher must be started after it is created to discover any contained policy files.
• Turbo Server session reports list Launcher-launched applications as "windows/base"
• Application icons may not display correctly when shortcut icon path contains icon index values (e.g., "path.exe,0")
• Advertised shortcuts do not support policy targetPath matching