fix: add single-instance protection and startup crash logging (v1.0.8)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,17 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [1.0.8] - 2026-05-04
+
+### Fixed
+- Single-instance protection: launching PassKey when it is already running in the system tray
+  now brings the existing window to the foreground instead of silently starting (and immediately
+  hiding) a second invisible process. This was the primary cause of the "app installs but
+  doesn't start" symptom reported on v1.0.7.
+- Startup crash log: if the application fails to initialise before the main window is created,
+  a diagnostic file is written to `%LOCALAPPDATA%\PassKey\startup-crash.log`. This makes
+  silent startup failures diagnosable without attaching a debugger.
+
 ## [1.0.7] - 2026-05-02
 
 ### Fixed
@@ -117,7 +128,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - **Giuseppe Imperato** — concept, design, product decisions
 - **[Claude](https://www.anthropic.com/claude) by Anthropic** — architecture, implementation, documentation
 
-[Unreleased]: https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/compare/v1.0.7...HEAD
+[Unreleased]: https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/compare/v1.0.8...HEAD
+[1.0.8]: https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/compare/v1.0.7...v1.0.8
 [1.0.7]: https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/compare/v1.0.6...v1.0.7
 [1.0.6]: https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/compare/v1.0.5...v1.0.6
 [1.0.5]: https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/compare/v1.0.0...v1.0.5

Installer/PassKey.iss

@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 [Setup]
 AppId={{A7F3C2D1-8E4B-4F9A-B6D5-3C1E7A2F0D84}
 AppName=PassKey
-AppVersion=1.0.7
-AppVerName=PassKey 1.0.7
+AppVersion=1.0.8
+AppVerName=PassKey 1.0.8
 AppPublisher=Giuseppe Imperato
 AppPublisherURL=https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey
 AppSupportURL=https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/issues

README.md

@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ PassKey stores your passwords, credit cards, identities, and secure notes in a l
 
 | Version | Platform | Type |
 |---------|----------|------|
-| [v1.0.7](https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/releases/tag/v1.0.7) | Windows x64 | Installer EXE |
-| [v1.0.7](https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/releases/tag/v1.0.7) | Windows x64 | Portable ZIP |
+| [v1.0.8](https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/releases/tag/v1.0.8) | Windows x64 | Installer EXE |
+| [v1.0.8](https://github.com/pexatar/PassKey/releases/tag/v1.0.8) | Windows x64 | Portable ZIP |
 
 > **Requirements:** Windows 10 version 1809 (build 17763) or later, x64 processor.
 > No .NET runtime required — PassKey is fully self-contained.

src/PassKey.Desktop/PassKey.Desktop.csproj

@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
     <WindowsAppSDKSelfContained>true</WindowsAppSDKSelfContained>
     <PublishAot>false</PublishAot>
     <RootNamespace>PassKey.Desktop</RootNamespace>
-    <Version>1.0.7</Version>
-    <AssemblyVersion>1.0.7.0</AssemblyVersion>
-    <FileVersion>1.0.7.0</FileVersion>
+    <Version>1.0.8</Version>
+    <AssemblyVersion>1.0.8.0</AssemblyVersion>
+    <FileVersion>1.0.8.0</FileVersion>
     <ApplicationManifest>app.manifest</ApplicationManifest>
     <ApplicationIcon>Assets\PassKey.ico</ApplicationIcon>
     <DefineConstants>DISABLE_XAML_GENERATED_MAIN</DefineConstants>

src/PassKey.Desktop/Program.cs

@@ -1,22 +1,121 @@
+using System.Reflection;
 using Microsoft.UI.Dispatching;
 using Microsoft.UI.Xaml;
 
 namespace PassKey.Desktop;
 
 public static class Program
 {
+    // Named event used for single-instance detection and window-restore signalling.
+    // AutoReset: each Set() wakes exactly one WaitOne() call.
+    private const string ShowEventName = "PassKey.Desktop.ShowWindow";
+
+    // Path to the startup crash log — written only when Application.Start() throws.
+    private static readonly string CrashLogPath = Path.Combine(
+        Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData),
+        "PassKey", "startup-crash.log");
+
     [STAThread]
     public static void Main(string[] args)
     {
-        WinRT.ComWrappersSupport.InitializeComWrappers();
+        // ── Single-instance ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+        // If another instance is already running, signal it to restore its window
+        // and exit immediately. This prevents the "app doesn't appear to start"
+        // symptom when PassKey is already running minimised in the system tray.
+
+        EventWaitHandle? showEvent = null;
+        bool isFirstInstance = true;
+
+        try
+        {
+            showEvent = new EventWaitHandle(
+                initialState: false,
+                mode: EventResetMode.AutoReset,
+                name: ShowEventName,
+                createdNew: out isFirstInstance);
+        }
+        catch
+        {
+            // Named-event creation failed (unusual system configuration) —
+            // treat as first instance so the app always starts.
+        }
 
+        if (!isFirstInstance)
+        {
+            try { showEvent?.Set(); } catch { }
+            showEvent?.Dispose();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Start a daemon thread that listens for subsequent launch attempts and
+        // restores the main window via the UI dispatcher whenever signalled.
+        if (showEvent != null)
+        {
+            new Thread(() => MonitorShowEvent(showEvent))
+            {
+                IsBackground = true,
+                Name = "PassKey.SingleInstance.Monitor"
+            }.Start();
+        }
+
+        // ── App startup ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
         // Note: ApplySavedLanguage() is called inside App() constructor before
         // InitializeComponent(), following the official Microsoft docs pattern.
-        Application.Start(p =>
+        try
+        {
+            WinRT.ComWrappersSupport.InitializeComWrappers();
+
+            Application.Start(p =>
+            {
+                var context = new DispatcherQueueSynchronizationContext(DispatcherQueue.GetForCurrentThread());
+                SynchronizationContext.SetSynchronizationContext(context);
+                _ = new App();
+            });
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            // Write a crash log so users can share it for support.
+            // The log is only created on an actual startup failure.
+            WriteCrashLog(ex);
+            throw;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Background loop: waits for the named event to be signalled (a subsequent
+    /// launch attempt), then marshals a <see cref="MainWindow.RestoreWindow"/> call
+    /// onto the UI thread so the window becomes visible again.
+    /// </summary>
+    private static void MonitorShowEvent(EventWaitHandle showEvent)
+    {
+        while (true)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                showEvent.WaitOne();
+                App.MainWindow?.DispatcherQueue.TryEnqueue(() => App.MainWindow?.RestoreWindow());
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                // Silently ignore — this is a non-critical background thread.
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void WriteCrashLog(Exception ex)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            var logDir = Path.GetDirectoryName(CrashLogPath)!;
+            Directory.CreateDirectory(logDir);
+            var version = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Version?.ToString() ?? "unknown";
+            File.AppendAllText(
+                CrashLogPath,
+                $"[{DateTime.Now:s}] PassKey v{version} startup crash:{Environment.NewLine}{ex}{Environment.NewLine}{Environment.NewLine}");
+        }
+        catch
         {
-            var context = new DispatcherQueueSynchronizationContext(DispatcherQueue.GetForCurrentThread());
-            SynchronizationContext.SetSynchronizationContext(context);
-            _ = new App();
-        });
+            // If we can't write the log, there is nothing more we can do.
+        }
     }
 }