Qwizdom OKTOPUS

Issue: Some users may find that OKTOPUS fails to open or "hangs" on open. This is due to a global expiration of security certificates within the Adobe AIR runtime environment that occurred in late February/early March 2026. This prevents the application from validating its startup files.

Solution: The quickest way to resolve this is to clear the local Adobe "Asset Cache," which forces the software to download a fresh, valid security token.

1. Close OKTOPUS completely. You may need to use Task Manager or restart your computer.

2. Copy and paste the following path into your File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac):

   • Windows: %AppData%\Adobe\Flash Player\AssetCache

   • Mac: ~/Library/Caches/Adobe/Flash Player/AssetCache/

3. Delete all folders inside this AssetCache directory.

4. Relaunch OKTOPUS. (Note: The first launch may take an extra 30 seconds as it rebuilds the cache).

For IT Administrators (Root Cause & Logs)

If the above fix does not resolve the issue for specific workstations, please verify the following:

1. Log Locations for Verification:
   To confirm a certificate validation failure, check the following logs:
    
   • Windows Launch Logs:
     C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Temp\amt3.log (Look for "Signature Validation Failed" or "Error 16")
      
   • Install Logs:
     C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Adobe\AIR\logs\install.log
      
2. Permanent Patching: If you are deploying via MSI/Silent Install, ensure your fleet is running the latest HARMAN AIR Runtime (v51.x or higher). Legacy Adobe-branded runtimes (v32 and below) do not have the updated root certificates required for 2026 validation.
    
3. Firewall/Proxy: Ensure workstations can reach https://airsdk.harman.com and http://fpdownload.pub.adobe.com to fetch the updated RSLs (Runtime Shared Libraries) after the cache is cleared.

You may also use this automation script (.bat)

@echo off

:: End running processes
taskkill /F /IM "OKTOPUS.exe" /T >nul 2>&1
taskkill /F /IM "Adobe AIR.exe" /T >nul 2>&1

:: Add time to release file locks
timeout /t 2 /nobreak >nul

:: Define cache path
set "CACHE_PATH=%AppData%\Adobe\Flash Player\AssetCache"

:: Clear cache contents
if exist "%CACHE_PATH%" (
del /s /q "%CACHE_PATH%\*.*" >nul 2>&1
for /d %%x in ("%CACHE_PATH%\*") do rd /s /q "%%x" >nul 2>&1
)

exit /b 0

If your key is valid and has activations remaining: Automatic activation may not work if you are behind a proxy server or if your firewall or security system is blocked communication with our activation server. In this case, you have two options:

A. Follow the steps to activate via another method (via website is fastest and recommended)
or
B. Enter your proxy credentials as follows:
 

1. Click the “Qwizdom Tools” tray icon in your notification/tray area
2. Click Preferences > Preferences
3. Click the Proxy tab and enter your credentials.
4. Try activating.
5. If activation still fails, we are still unable to communicate with the internet, so please follow the steps to activate via another method (via website is fasted and recommended).

If you receive an error message during activation: Your key may not be valid or you have no activations remaining – please contact us for assistance.

Cause: In most cases, the .NET framework fails to install on domain-connected computers, as the server running Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is unable to provide the appropriate files.

Solution: This can be solved by temporarily changing a registry value to bypass WSUS and directly obtaining the files from Windows Update online. Two methods are posted below, however many network administrators may wish to implement their own solution.

Registry Disclaimer: Modifying Registry settings incorrectly can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Modifications of these settings are at your own risk and should only be performed by a network administrator.

Method 1: Manual Registry Change

1. Right-click Start, and click Run
2. Type regedit.exe and click OK
3. Go to the registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
4. If "UseWUServer" exists in the right hand pane, make a record of the value. Edit it and set its data to 0.
5. Restart the computer.
6. Run the OKTOPUS installer again. This time it should succeed.
7. To set the computer back to the original setting, follow steps 1-5 again, but change the registry value back to the original value as per your records in step 4.

Method 2: Command Prompt
 

1. Click Start, type "cmd". In the list that is returned, right-click "cmd.exe" and choose "Run as Administrator". Choose "Yes" at the security prompt. This will open an elevated Command Prompt.
2. Copy and paste the below into the CMD window. It will set the registry key to bypass WSUS, then stop and restart the Windows Update service.
   
   REG ADD “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU” /v UseWUServer /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
   net stop “Windows Update”
   net start “Windows Update”
    
3. Run the OKTOPUS installer again. This time it should succeed.
4. To set the computer back to obtaining updates from WSUS, paste the following into the CMD prompt:
   
   REG ADD “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU” /v UseWUServer /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
   net stop “Windows Update”
   net start “Windows Update”

Please note that supported Languages are OS languages. The handwriting recognition tool will use the language of your operating system, not the language OKTOPUS is currently running.

To turn on handwriting recognition:

1. Start > Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > “Turn Windows Features on or off”
2. Tick “Tablet PC Components”, press OK.
3. You will need Administrator access to enable the Tablet PC Components, and may require your Windows installation media.

Click/press and hold a tool icon from the sidebar, then drag it to the centre of the QTP. A plus sign will appear. Release the click/press and the quick launch tool pallet will refresh, adding the new tool.

Please note: Some touch screens do not support this functionality. In this case, use a mouse or touchpad.

Import files using one of the methods below:

Import through the Media Gallery – From Standard Tools, open the Media Gallery, and use the import button at the bottom left to browse for the file.

Drag and drop using Windows Explorer or Mac Finder – In Glass Mode, navigate to the file you wish to import using Explorer or Finder. Drag and drop the file onto the OKTOPUS sidebar.

Drag and drop using a web browser – Similar to using Explorer or Finder, drag and drop the image from the web page onto the OKTOPUS sidebar.

Please note: Adding images with hyperlinks from a web browser is not currently possible. You must navigate directly to the image URL – for example click “View Image” in your search engine results first. Then you will be able to drag in the image.

With OKTOPUS open, press F12 on your keyboard to get OKTOPUS onto the other screen.

The next time you close and re-open OKTOPUS, it should remember which screen to open on.

On opening the software, the standard toolset will be shown by default, which includes drawing and other annotation tools, as well as capture tools. Click or press the toolset name at the bottom left of the screen to show the list of other available toolsets, then select which one you wish to access.

The sidebar can be maximised into “Aerial Mode” by selecting the right arrow. Aerial Mode shows all toolsets at the same time for a complete overview.

If videos appear distorted, garbled, or blocky when played back in OKTOPUS, this can be resolved by turning off hardware acceleration in Flash Player.

Please note that the following steps must be carried out in Internet Explorer.

 

1. Open Internet Explorer (type "Internet Explorer" into the Start search/Cortana box)
2. Navigate to https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html
3. Scroll down to the tree animation
4. Right-click on the animation and select "Settings"
5. The Settings dialog will appear. On the first tab, uncheck the "Enable hardware acceleration" checkbox.
6. Click close.
7. Restart OKTOPUS and try the video again.