> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.1archive.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Troubleshooting common issues

> Step-by-step fixes for the most frequently reported problems in 1Archive, from drive detection and scan failures to face clustering and share link errors.

This page walks through the most common problems users encounter in 1Archive and the steps most likely to resolve each one. Work through the steps in order, later steps are less common but cover edge cases the earlier ones might miss.

***

## Drive not detected

If you plug in a drive and it does not appear in the 1Archive source list, work through the following checks:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Confirm the drive is physically connected">
    Check that the cable is fully seated at both ends. Try unplugging and
    replugging the drive.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Try a different USB port or cable">
    Faulty ports and cables are a common cause of intermittent detection. Swap
    the cable or port and wait a few seconds for the operating system to remount
    the drive.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the drive is readable by your operating system">
    Open Finder (macOS) or File Explorer (Windows) and confirm the drive appears
    there. If it does not, the issue is at the OS level, the drive may need
    reformatting or have a hardware fault.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check whether the drive has been scanned before">
    A connected but previously unscanned drive appears in the source list with a
    **Scan** button rather than as a full source. If you see this, click
    **Scan** to index it. Once scanning completes, the drive will appear as a
    full source.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  A drive that was scanned previously will continue to appear in your catalog
  even when disconnected. If you are looking for an already-indexed drive, it
  should already be visible, check for a "disconnected" label on the source
  card.
</Note>

***

## Scan stopped or is taking a long time

Scans on large drives can take anywhere from several minutes to a few hours depending on the number of files and drive speed.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Wait and monitor progress">
    1Archive shows scan progress on the source card. Let the scan run to
    completion before concluding something is wrong.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check drive health">
    Slow scans on older drives sometimes indicate sectors being re-read due to
    errors. On macOS, you can check drive health in **Disk Utility**. On
    Windows, use the drive manufacturer's diagnostic tool or `chkdsk`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Try restarting the scan">
    If the scan appears to have stopped entirely (no progress for an extended
    period), quit 1Archive, relaunch it, and start the scan again from the
    source card.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Search returning no results

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check which search mode is active">
    1Archive has multiple search modes: filename search, AI Image Search, and
    transcript search. Make sure the mode you are using matches what you are
    looking for.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify your internet connection for AI Image Search">
    AI Image Search requires an internet connection. If you are offline, switch
    to filename search or browse sources directly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make sure the source has been scanned">
    Files only appear in search results after their source has been fully
    scanned. If a drive was recently connected and not yet scanned, its files
    will not be searchable.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Try broader or different search terms">
    Search results are limited to 100 files per query. If your terms are very
    specific and the file exists, try simplifying them. For transcript search,
    the video must have been transcribed, not all videos are transcribed
    automatically.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Face clustering not working

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check your internet connection">
    Face clustering requires an active internet connection. If you are offline,
    the clustering operation will fail immediately. Reconnect to the internet
    and try again.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run Detect People on each source first">
    Clustering groups together faces that have already been detected. If you
    have not run face detection on a source, there are no faces for clustering
    to work with. Right-click a source in the sidebar and choose **Detect
    People**, then wait for detection to complete before running **Cluster
    Faces**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm you have enough faces per person">
    Clusters with fewer than 4 detected instances of the same face will not
    appear. If your library has only a few photos of a given person, they will
    not form a cluster. Add more photos featuring that person to your sources
    and re-run clustering.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Re-run clustering after adding new sources">
    After detecting people on a new source, click **Cluster Faces** again.
    Clustering is incremental, new faces are grouped with existing clusters
    where possible.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  The **Re-cluster All Faces** option deletes all existing face clusters and
  rebuilds them from scratch. Any manual person names and groupings you have set
  will be lost. Use this only when you want to start fresh.
</Warning>

***

## Can't delete a source folder

If the **Delete** option for a source folder is unavailable or returns an error, the folder is not empty.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the folder and review its contents">
    Navigate into the folder to see which sources it contains.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Move or remove each source">
    Drag each source out of the folder to the root level, or remove sources from
    your catalog if they are no longer needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Delete the now-empty folder">
    Once all sources have been removed, right-click the folder and select
    **Delete**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Can't add a member to a restricted source folder

Adding members to a restricted source folder requires the **Admin** role in your organization. Editor and Viewer roles cannot modify folder membership.

If you need to add a member and do not have admin access, ask an organization admin to make the change or to update your role.

***

## Share link not working

If a recipient reports that a share link is showing an error or is no longer accessible:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Confirm the link has not been revoked">
    Open the collection in 1Archive and check whether the share link is still
    active. A revoked or deleted link will stop working immediately for all
    recipients.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate a new share link">
    If the original link was revoked or you are unsure of its status, generate a
    new share link from the collection detail view and send the updated URL to
    the recipient.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## App crashes on startup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Relaunch the app">
    If 1Archive displays an error dialog with a **Restart** button, close the
    dialog and relaunch the app manually from your Applications folder or
    taskbar. The restart button closes the app entirely.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check system requirements">
    Confirm your system meets the minimum requirements for 1Archive. The app
    requires a supported version of macOS or Windows and sufficient available
    RAM for preview generation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Reinstall 1Archive">
    Download the latest version from the 1Archive website and reinstall it.
    Reinstalling preserves your local catalog and settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Contact support">
    If the app continues to crash after reinstalling, reach out to support with
    a description of when the crash occurs. Including any error messages you saw
    before the crash will help us diagnose the issue faster.
  </Step>
</Steps>