Installing & Updating
Effective date: 9 October 2026 · Version 1.0
This page explains what happens when Apeiron puts files on your computer — and how to stay in control of it. It supplements the Apeiron Terms of Use.
We write these documents in good faith and keep them accurate to how the software actually works. They have not yet been reviewed by qualified Estonian legal counsel.
1. Where things go
Apeiron needs no administrator rights. It installs into your user profile:
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Apeiron itself | %LOCALAPPDATA%\APERTURESyndicate\Apeiron\, or the folder you chose in setup |
| Products from the store | The library folder in Settings → Downloads, default %LOCALAPPDATA%\APERTURESyndicate\; you can pick a folder per install |
An install adds, only if you leave the boxes ticked, a Start menu shortcut and a desktop shortcut, and an entry in Windows → Settings → Apps so you can remove it the usual way. Apeiron can start with Windows (on by default; Settings → General) and can stay in the tray when you close the window.
2. Signed releases — what protects you
Everything Apeiron installs comes from a signed release:
- every release has a list of files, and every file is cut into pieces, each with its own cryptographic fingerprint (BLAKE3);
- the release, its list and the channel that points to it are signed with our key (Ed25519); the matching public key is built into Apeiron;
- Apeiron checks the signature and each piece before it writes anything to its place. A piece that does not match — damaged in transit, or changed by someone — is thrown away, not installed;
- the Apeiron program file itself is also signed with our code-signing certificate, so Windows can show who published it.
This protects against corruption and tampering on the way. It does not mean we have audited software we did not publish: Apeiron installs only releases we sign, and we only sign what we publish ourselves.
3. Installing, updating, verifying, removing
One operation does all four: bring the folder to the signed release.
- Install downloads the pieces you do not have.
- Update downloads only the pieces that changed — often a small part of the game.
- Verify files (the product page, or right-click) re-checks every file and re-downloads only what is damaged or missing. If you already have a copy from elsewhere, Apeiron can adopt it and download nothing for the files that match.
- Remove deletes the product's files and shortcuts. Your own saves outside the product folder stay where they are.
You can pause, resume and cancel a download, and cap the speed in Settings → Downloads.
Steam, Epic and GOG games in your library are not installed or updated by Apeiron — those stores do that.
4. Automatic updates — and how to stop them
Updates are automatic by default, at three independent levels:
| What | How often it checks | How to turn it off |
|---|---|---|
| Apeiron itself | About every 4 hours | Settings → Downloads → "Update Apeiron automatically" |
| All products you installed | About every 2 hours | Settings → Downloads → "Update automatically" |
| One product | with the setting above | The product's page → "Update automatically" (On/Off) |
When automatic updates are on:
- a product is updated only while it is not running — a game is never changed under your hands;
- a new Apeiron version is prepared next to the running program and takes effect at the next start; Apeiron tells you when it is ready and you can restart when it suits you;
- background updates of products need you to be signed in if the product requires an account.
When you turn them off, nothing is installed on its own. With product updates off Apeiron still checks, by reading small version files, so it can show you that an update exists — you press Update when you want it. With "Update Apeiron automatically" off it makes no check at all; to move to a new version, download the installer again from the website.
Updates can include fixes, new features, changes and removals. We do not guarantee that an old version keeps working with our online services.
5. If something goes wrong
- A failed or interrupted download resumes; nothing half-written replaces a working version.
- Verify files repairs a product.
- Uninstalling Apeiron from Windows asks whether to remove your products and its data too; your clips are never removed.
- Contact [email protected] — include the product and the text of the error.
Version history
- v1.0 — 2026-10-09 — Initial publication.