Install and first-time setup

GSCaddie runs on the Windows PC that powers your simulator. The installer is around 32 MB and the setup takes under a minute.

Step 1: Download the installer

If your browser warns you about the download. Edge and Chrome flag indie .exe files. Click the three-dot menu next to the file name and choose Keep, then Keep anyway if prompted. If Edge saved the file as Unconfirmed XXXXXX.crdownload, right-click it in Downloads, choose Rename, type any name ending in .exe, and double-click to run it.

Step 2: Run the installer

Double-click GSCaddie-win-Setup.exe. Windows may show a "Windows protected your PC" dialog.

Why SmartScreen warns you. The installer is code-signed by M5 Software Solutions, LLC. New signing certificates build reputation with Microsoft SmartScreen over time, so you may see this prompt on first install. The installer is safe.

To proceed: click More info, then Run anyway.

Step 3: Sign in inside the app

GSCaddie opens automatically when the installer finishes. Sign in with the email and password you used to sign up. That's the only sign-in step; there is no separate connection to configure.

Step 4: Find the tray icon

After signing in, GSCaddie keeps a tray icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen, next to the clock. If you don't see it, click the small up-arrow (^) to reveal hidden icons. Left-click the GSCaddie icon to open the window. Right-click it for options like pausing or quitting. Closing the window leaves GSCaddie capturing shots in the background.

Antivirus and Windows Defender

GSCaddie bundles a background helper called gscaddie-watcher.exe (around 90 MB). Because it is a large standalone executable, Windows Defender and some third-party antivirus tools occasionally flag it on a false-positive heuristic.

How you'll notice. The tray icon won't appear after install, or it shows a "watcher missing, reinstall" message.

The fix:

Open Windows Security and go to Virus and threat protection.
Click Manage settings under "Virus and threat protection settings".
Scroll to Exclusions, click Add or remove exclusions, then Add an exclusion and choose Folder.
Paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\GSCaddieTray into the folder picker's address bar and confirm.
Re-run GSCaddie-win-Setup.exe.

If you use a third-party antivirus, the steps differ but the principle is the same: add an exclusion for that folder, then reinstall.

Start with Windows

GSCaddie enables Start-with-Windows automatically on first install so shot capture starts when your PC boots. You can toggle this off (or back on) at any time by right-clicking the tray icon and choosing Start with Windows.