Mechvibes Startup, Settings and Lag Problems, Fixed

Once Mechvibes plays sounds, the next questions are about everyday comfort: starting it with the computer, keeping it out of the way, keeping your settings, and sounds that arrive a moment late. This post collects the fixes for each.

Start Mechvibes with your computer

Turn on Start at login in Settings, and add Start minimized to tray if you only want the tray icon, not the window. How it works depends on your system:

• Windows: it works for your user account, with no administrator rights needed.
• macOS: Mechvibes registers itself as a login item, which needs macOS 13 or later and the app in your Applications folder. If macOS asks, allow it in System Settings > General > Login Items.
• Linux: not available in the app yet. Add Mechvibes to your desktop's startup applications instead. For the AppImage, point the entry at the AppImage file.

Windows: "Start at login" is on, but Mechvibes does not start

This happens when Mechvibes is set to run as administrator, usually to get sounds in programs that themselves run as administrator, such as an elevated Windows Terminal or some games. Windows silently skips start-up entries that need administrator rights, while the switch in Mechvibes still shows on (issue #127).

You have two choices.

If you do not need sounds in elevated programs, remove the administrator setting: right-click mechvibes.exe, open Properties > Compatibility, untick Run this program as an administrator (also under Change settings for all users), and turn Start at login on again.

If you do need them, start Mechvibes with a scheduled task instead, which can run with full rights at sign-in without asking:

1. In Mechvibes, turn Start at login off.
2. Find mechvibes.exe: right-click the Mechvibes shortcut in the Start menu and choose Open file location. It is usually in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\MechvibesDX, or in C:\Program Files\MechvibesDX if it was installed for all users.
3. Open PowerShell as administrator and run, with your path in the first line:

$exe  = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\MechvibesDX\mechvibes.exe"
$user = "$env:USERDOMAIN\$env:USERNAME"
$action    = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute $exe -Argument '--minimized' -WorkingDirectory (Split-Path $exe)
$trigger   = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogOn -User $user
$principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId $user -LogonType Interactive -RunLevel Highest
$settings  = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -AllowStartIfOnBatteries -DontStopIfGoingOnBatteries -ExecutionTimeLimit ([TimeSpan]::Zero)
Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName 'Mechvibes' -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -Principal $principal -Settings $settings

The next time you sign in, Mechvibes starts in the tray with full rights and no prompt. To undo it, run Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName Mechvibes -Confirm:$false.

Settings reset after a restart

Mechvibes saves your settings and packs in one folder:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Mechvibes
• Linux: ~/.local/share/mechvibes
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Mechvibes

If settings do not stick, check that the folder exists and that your account can write to it. Cloud sync tools or security software that lock the folder can cause this. The folder survives updates and reinstalls; uninstalling on Windows keeps it unless you choose to delete it.

Sounds arrive a moment late

Mechvibes 3 prepares every sound when a pack loads, not while you type, and plays it on its own audio thread, so the app itself adds very little delay. When you do hear a lag, the usual causes are outside the app:

• Bluetooth headphones and speakers add a noticeable delay to every sound on the computer. Wired headphones or the built-in speakers will sound immediate.
• A pack whose sounds start with a short silence feels slow even though it plays on time. Try another pack to compare.

If the delay only happens with Mechvibes and wired audio, export logs from Settings > Debug and open an issue.

Updates

On Windows, click Update now when Mechvibes offers it. It downloads the new version, checks it and installs it. On macOS and Linux, Mechvibes tells you when an update is out and links to the download page. Your settings and packs are kept either way.