Set up

Install on a Windows PC

The Windows installer sets up everything on one PC: the Vikunja task server, the Docket app, the docket command, Docket web and the AI connector. It takes about five minutes and needs no admin rights. Everything is installed for your Windows account only.

You need Windows 10 or 11 (x64 or Arm64) and an internet connection for the download.

#Step by step

Download. Get docket-<version>-windows-x64.zip (or -arm64.zip for Arm PCs such as Surface Pro X or Snapdragon laptops) from the latest release.
Unzip it into any folder, for example your Downloads folder. (Don't run it from inside the zip.)
Run the installer. Right-click install.ps1 and choose Run with PowerShell. If PowerShell asks about the execution policy, or the window closes straight away, open PowerShell in that folder (in File Explorer: File > Open Windows PowerShell, or type powershell in the address bar) and run:
PowerShell
```
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File install.ps1
```
Answer the questions (explained below). Your browser opens Vikunja: create your account there.
Open Docket from the Start menu.

#What each question means

The installer prints what it's doing in sections (== Vikunja, == Scheduled tasks, == Your account…). It asks only a few things:

The installer asks	What it means	What to answer
`Your time zone, e.g. Europe/London, America/New_York, Asia/Kolkata`	Used for "today", due dates and reminders	Your time zone name, like `Europe/London`
`Press Enter when your account exists`	Your browser has opened Vikunja's sign-up page at `http://localhost:3456/register`	Create an account (username, email, password), then press `Enter`
`Vikunja username` and `Vikunja password`	One sign-in, so the installer can make keys (API tokens) for the app and for AI	The account you just created. The password isn't saved
`Two-factor code (press Enter if you have not turned it on)`	Only if you've turned on two-factor sign-in in Vikunja	Press `Enter` on a fresh install
`Close sign-ups so nobody else can make an account on this server? [Y/n]`	Stops new accounts being created on your server	Y (you can still add people from the Docket app)
`Docket is already connected to an account. Connect again (new tokens)? [y/N]`	Only when you run the installer again	N to keep things as they are; Y to make fresh tokens

After signing in, the installer:

makes a token for the Docket app and CLI, and a separate no-delete token for the AI connector;
adds Docket to Claude Desktop and Claude Code if you have them (quit and reopen Claude Desktop to load it);
prints where everything is, and how to uninstall.

Note

Windows may show "Windows protected your PC" for the downloaded script or app. Choose More info > Run anyway. The release builds aren't code-signed yet.

#What gets installed where

What	Where
Docket app, `docket` CLI, `docket-mcp`, Docket web	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Docket` (the CLI is added to your PATH; Start menu shortcut Docket)
Vikunja and your data	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Docket\server` (kept outside OneDrive: a live database and file sync don't mix)
Backups	`Documents\Docket\backups`, every night at 11 pm, newest 14 kept
Settings and tokens	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Docket\settings.json` (tokens encrypted with Windows DPAPI for your account)
Server log	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Docket\server\logs`

Scheduled tasks (Task Scheduler > Task Scheduler Library > Docket):

Task	What it does
Vikunja server	Starts the task server when you sign in, then checks every 5 minutes and restarts it if it stopped
Docket web	Runs Docket web at `http://localhost:3457`, with the same 5-minute check
Vikunja backup	Nightly backup at 11 pm
Docket reminders	Only with `-Reminders`: shows reminder notifications from sign-in

The server listens on 127.0.0.1 only, so other devices on your network can't reach it. To use your phone, see phone access.

#Options

Add these after install.ps1 when you run it from PowerShell:

Option	What it does
`-Reminders`	Shows reminder notifications from sign-in (adds the "Docket reminders" task). Recommended
`-TimeZone Europe/London`	Skips the time-zone question
`-Port 3500`	Runs Vikunja on another port (default 3456)
`-NoScheduledTasks -NoPath -NoStartMenu`	A portable setup: no scheduled tasks, PATH entry or shortcut
`-SkipAccountSetup`	Installs the programs but doesn't ask you to sign in

For example:

PowerShell

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File install.ps1 -Reminders -TimeZone Asia/Kolkata

Run the installer again at any time to upgrade or repair; your tasks stay. See updating.

#If the server stops

The task server keeps itself running, with three layers of protection:

The apps restart it. When the Docket app, the docket CLI or the AI connector finds the server on this PC stopped, it starts it again (through its scheduled task, or the server program directly), waits for it, and then carries on with what you asked. You see "Starting your task server…" for a few seconds instead of an error.
The scheduled tasks check every 5 minutes. "Vikunja server", "Docket web" and "Docket reminders" run at sign-in and again every 5 minutes. A running copy is left alone; a stopped one starts again.
The reminders watcher heals it too. docket notify --watch runs all day; if the server stops, it restarts it and keeps watching.

If the server still can't start, the app says so and offers Start server and retry. If that fails too, restart the PC, or run install.ps1 again (it keeps your data). The server's log is in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Docket\server\logs.

A server on another machine (Docker, a VPS) can't be started from your PC: there the app tells you it can't reach it.

#Connect it to your account again

If tokens stop working (they last a year), or the app says a token can't do something, make new ones:

PowerShell

& "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Docket\setup-tokens.ps1"

It asks for your Vikunja username and password once, replaces the app's and the AI connector's tokens, and reconnects Claude Desktop and Claude Code. For a server elsewhere, add -ServerUrl https://your-server.

#From source

To build from the repository instead of a release: install the .NET 10 SDK, clone the repo, and run deploy\windows\install.ps1. It builds the app first (a few minutes).