Troubleshooting

Most issues come down to permissions, hotkey conflicts, or an app whose tray icon can't be fully hidden on your Windows build. Here's how to resolve the common ones.

A hotkey isn't working

Another program may already own that key combination — gohide can't register a hotkey a different app has claimed. Pick a different combination (try adding Ctrl + Alt). If all hotkeys stopped after the app was hidden, restore with panic restore-all and re-check the binding.

A tray icon won't hide

On Windows 11, check Smart App Control first. When it's on, it can block part of gohide: affected tray icons stay visible, and Windows shows a "Part of this app has been blocked" notification naming a gohide file. Windows and taskbar buttons still hide — only tray icons are affected — and the Microsoft Store copy is blocked the same way. Turn Smart App Control off in Windows Security → App & browser control → Smart App Control settings and try again; you can switch it back on later. Follow the step-by-step guide. The same setting can also block the updater with "An Application Control policy has blocked this file" — same cause, same fix.

If Smart App Control is off (or your PC doesn't have it), see Tray hiding on Windows 11 for what to expect on your Windows build. On some Windows 11 builds, protected or anti-cheat apps can only be tucked away, not fully removed. If gohide shows a notice that it couldn't hide an icon, that app's tray icon can't be hidden on your system.

A hidden app came back on its own

Some apps re-add their tray icon. gohide re-hides it automatically, but a brief re-appearance can happen right as the app re-adds it. If an icon stays visible, toggle hide/show once more.

Activation says the license is already in use

Each purchase activates one computer, and you can move it yourself. In gohide open the license window and choose Manage devices…, or go to the device portal with your license key, and release the old machine — then activate the new one normally. Reinstalling Windows usually does not cost you the seat: the fingerprint is anchored to firmware and hardware, which survive a reinstall. See Activation & licensing.

"Unrecognized license file format"

gohide imports a license file (gohide.lic), not the license key itself. If you pasted the key from your purchase email into the License window, this is the message you get. Go to the Activate page, paste the key together with this PC's activation code (Settings → License), download the file it generates, and import that.

"The license file was issued for different hardware"

The license file belongs to another PC — for example you copied your gohide folder or settings to a new computer. Activate this PC the normal way on the Activate page. If the key reports it is already in use, unbind the old PC first on Manage devices.

"Go online once" / the license file has expired

Pro refreshes its license file in the background whenever the PC is online, so this only appears on a PC that has been offline for most of a year: from a month before the file expires until the end of its 60-day grace period, with the exact deadline. Connecting once renews it automatically. If the deadline passes, Pro pauses (your settings are kept) and comes back the moment it renews. A PC that is never online keeps Pro for good by importing a fresh file this way about once a year. No connection possible at all? Generate a fresh file on the Activate page from another device and import it.

"Your license has been suspended"

This happens when the purchase was refunded or disputed. If you think it's a mistake, email support with your license key and we'll sort it out.

The license key email never arrived

Check the spam folder first. Then use Can't find your license key? on the Activate page: enter the email you bought with and every key tied to it is sent again. Nothing after 10 minutes? Email support.

gohide didn't start with Windows

Autostart uses a Task Scheduler task so it can start elevated without a UAC prompt. Re-enable it in Settings; if it still doesn't run, check that your account allows scheduled tasks to run at logon.

An app is hidden and gohide won't bring it back

If gohide is running, press your show-all hotkey (Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H by default), or right-click its tray icon and choose Show all. Relaunching gohide also works: if a previous run was force-killed while apps were hidden, the next launch restores them automatically — nothing stays stranded.

If gohide itself is unresponsive, or it crashes on startup before it can recover, run the rescue entry point instead. It brings back every window from gohide's own recovery record without depending on the running copy:

gohide.exe --rescue

Run it from the folder gohide is installed in (or the portable folder). It asks a running gohide to restore first, and if none answers within a few seconds it restores directly from the record. Windows held by an auto-hide rule stay hidden until you delete that rule.

Still stuck?

Email support with your Windows version (e.g. "Windows 11"), your CPU architecture (x64 / ARM64 / x86), and a description of what you tried.