Install Askimo App on Windows

System Requirements

Windows 10 (64-bit) or later
Admin rights for installer (Option 1 only)
200MB free disk space
Internet connection for provider setup

Note: Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 21 or higher is only required if you choose Option 2 (Universal JAR)

Installation Methods

Option 1: Installer (Recommended)

Download the latest .msi installer from the releases page.
Run the installer.
Follow the setup wizard.
Launch Askimo from the Start Menu.

If Windows shows “Windows protected your PC”

Because Askimo is open-source and not code-signed with a commercial certificate, Windows SmartScreen may warn you on first launch.

You can allow it:

When the SmartScreen dialog appears, click More info.
You will see the publisher listed as Unknown publisher (expected for unsigned apps).
Click Run anyway.
The installer will start normally.
Follow the setup wizard.
Launch Askimo from the Start Menu.

After this, Windows will remember your choice and will not warn you again for future launches of the same version.

Option 2: Universal JAR

If you prefer to run Askimo App using Java, or if the installer doesn’t work for your system:

Prerequisites:

Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 21 or higher must be installed
Verify your Java version in Command Prompt or PowerShell:

java -version

If Java is not installed, download it from Adoptium or Oracle

Installation Steps:

Download the latest askimo-desktop-windows.jar from the releases page.
Run Askimo App with:

java -jar askimo-desktop-windows-x64.jar

Optional: Create a batch file for easier access

Create a file named askimo-desktop.bat with the following content:

@echo off
java -jar "C:\path\to\askimo-desktop-windows-x64.jar"

Replace C:\path\to\ with the actual path to your JAR file
Double-click the batch file to launch Askimo App

SmartScreen / Security Prompt

If Windows shows a SmartScreen warning:

Click “More info”.
Click “Run anyway”.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Fix
SmartScreen blocks app	Use More info → Run anyway
Missing DLL error	Re-run installer with admin rights
App doesn’t launch	Check antivirus quarantine; add exception
Flickering or erratic refresh rate with G-Sync / FreeSync	See below

Flickering or erratic refresh rate (G-Sync / FreeSync)

If Askimo causes your monitor’s refresh rate to flicker or behave erratically when the window is in focus, this is a conflict between the hardware-accelerated renderer (Direct3D/OpenGL) and your display’s variable refresh rate (VRR) driver.

Recommended fix — in-app toggle (Askimo 1.4.7+):

Open Settings → Advanced.
Turn off Hardware Acceleration.
Restart Askimo.

Askimo will automatically switch to software rendering on the next launch, which resolves the VRR conflict without any performance impact for normal use.

Manual workaround (all versions):

If you are on an older version, you can apply the fix manually:

Navigate to %localappdata%\Askimo\app and open Askimo.cfg.
Add the following lines to the bottom of the [JavaOptions] block:

java-options=-Dskiko.renderApi=SOFTWARE
java-options=-Dsun.java2d.d3d=false
java-options=-Dsun.java2d.opengl=false

Save the file and relaunch Askimo.