Troubleshooting: The StartSync Agent

T1

Agent stopped — the application was closed or crashed

The StartSync Agent must remain running on the room laptop throughout the event. If the agent is closed or crashes, the laptop disconnects — presentations stop downloading and the room status goes offline in the dashboard.

Why it happens

The Agent is a desktop app that runs in the background with a system tray icon. It can stop if someone accidentally quits it, if the laptop goes to sleep, if the OS restarts, or if the app crashes.

How to fix

1. Open the StartSync Agent app — find it in Applications (Mac) or Start Menu (Windows).
2. The agent will automatically reconnect to the room it was previously configured for.
3. Check the dashboard — the room status dot should turn green within a few seconds.

Prevention

Enable "Launch at startup" in the agent settings so it starts automatically when the laptop boots. It sits in the system tray and uses minimal resources. Before the event, always verify the tray icon is visible and the dashboard shows the room as connected.

T2

How to install and set up the StartSync Agent

The Agent is a desktop application that runs on the room presentation laptop. It connects that laptop to your event so presentations download and open automatically.

Step 1 — Download and install

1. Log in to startsync.app and open your event dashboard.
2. Find the "Download Agent" button and download the installer for your OS.
3. Windows: Run the .exe installer and follow the prompts.
4. Mac: Open the .dmg file and drag StartSync Agent into Applications. If macOS blocks it, see T21 below.

Step 2 — First-time setup (guided wizard)

1. Sign in — click "Sign in with StartSync account". A browser window opens for authentication.
2. Select event — choose the event this laptop is being prepared for.
3. Select room — pick which room this laptop belongs to.
4. Choose download folder — select the local folder where presentations will be saved.

After setup, the agent connects automatically and starts downloading presentations. The room status dot in the dashboard should turn green.

Important: Each room needs its own laptop with the agent configured for that specific room. The agent remembers your configuration — after the first setup, it reconnects automatically every time you launch it.

T3

Presentation not downloading automatically on the room laptop

Symptom: You uploaded a presentation to the platform but nothing appears on the room laptop.

Common causes and fixes

• Agent is not running — check the status dot in the dashboard. If it's red or grey, open the StartSync Agent app (see T1).
• Wrong room selected — verify the presentation is assigned to the correct room and session in the dashboard.
• No internet on the laptop — the agent requires an active internet connection. Test by opening a website in the browser.
• Agent connected but download is queued — presentations download sequentially. If a large file is already downloading, wait for it to finish.
• Antivirus or firewall blocking the agent — some corporate antivirus blocks new applications. Add an exception for the StartSync Agent or temporarily disable real-time protection.

Quick fix: Close and reopen the agent → wait a few seconds → check if download starts. If not, re-assign the presentation to the room from the dashboard.

T10

Presentation file opened in the wrong application

Symptom: A .pptx file opens in LibreOffice instead of PowerPoint, or a .pdf opens in the browser instead of Adobe Reader.

The agent opens files using the operating system's default application for each file type. If the default was changed or never set correctly, files open in an unexpected app.

Fix on Windows

1. Right-click the file → Open with → Choose another app.
2. Select the correct app (e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint for .pptx).
3. Check "Always use this app to open .pptx files" → OK.
4. Next file downloaded by the agent will open in the correct app.

Fix on Mac

1. Right-click the file → Get Info → expand "Open with".
2. Select the correct app → click "Change All".

T18

Presentation laptop has no PowerPoint installed

Symptom: The .pptx file downloads but opens in LibreOffice or a file manager because Microsoft PowerPoint is not installed.

Options (best to worst)

1. Install PowerPoint — if there's time and a license, install it before the event. This is the permanent fix.
2. Use WPS Office (free) — renders .pptx nearly identically to PowerPoint. Install from wps.com. Takes 5 minutes.
3. Convert to PDF in the platform — use StartSync's built-in converter. Note: slide animations and videos won't play in PDF mode.
4. Use Google Slides — upload the .pptx to Google Drive and open with Google Slides (runs in browser, no install needed).

Prevention: Add "PowerPoint (or WPS Office) installed" to your venue setup checklist. Verify this the day before the event, not the morning of.

T21

macOS: "App not opened" / cannot verify for malware

Symptom: After downloading the .dmg on macOS, double-clicking shows: "StartSync Agent not opened. Apple could not verify StartSync Agent is free of malware..."

This can happen on older versions of the agent that were not yet notarized with Apple. Newer versions are signed and notarized, but macOS may still show this warning if the app was downloaded before notarization was completed, or if quarantine flags were applied during download. The app is safe — this is a security warning, not a virus.

Method 1 — Right-click

1. Open Finder → navigate to Applications.
2. Right-click (or Control+click) on StartSync Agent.
3. Select Open from the context menu.
4. A dialog will say it's from an unidentified developer — click Open.
5. This bypass is remembered — you only need to do it once.

Method 2 — System Settings

1. Try to open the app normally. The warning appears — click Done.
2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security.
3. Scroll down to find: "StartSync Agent was blocked..."
4. Click Open Anyway and enter your Mac password.

Method 3 — Terminal

If the above methods don't work, open Terminal and run:

xattr -cr /Applications/StartSync\ Agent.app

This removes the quarantine flag. Then double-click the app normally.