Script won't open ao3downloader

valeriyaishere commented

2025-06-26 10:00:43 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

I downloaded the script file, placed it in an empty folder, and tried running it with PowerShell, but after popping up for a second, it automatically closed. I retried it a couple of times, and it still did the same thing. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. If anyone had this happen, please let me know how you resolved the issue.

nianeyna commented

2025-06-26 11:33:25 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

Whoops, it was supposed to stay open if it runs into a problem so that you can see the output. Sounds like I might've made a mistake in how I implemented that - I'll take another look at the script today and see if I can figure it out. Thanks for the report!

Whoops, it was *supposed* to stay open if it runs into a problem so that you can see the output. Sounds like I might've made a mistake in how I implemented that - I'll take another look at the script today and see if I can figure it out. Thanks for the report!

nianeyna commented

2025-06-26 15:09:28 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

@valeriyaishere ok, I've published a new version of the powershell script that should be better about explaining itself. Could you re-download and try running the script again?

valeriyaishere commented

2025-06-26 20:40:30 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

@nianeyna it works now! i took a video of PowerShell error when it briefly popped up, and it said there was unauthorized access, which is why it wasn't opening the script. so the script definitely wasn't opening because of the settings on my computer. if someone else has trouble, what I did was open PowerShell as an administrator, run this command: Get-ExecutionPolicy, which shows up as Restricted. You can then set your policy either as Remote signed (Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned) or Unrestricted (Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted). run one of the commands and it should allow the ao3downloader script to run.

The picture of the error that popped up on PowerShell is below.

Thank you for all the help!! I really appreciate all the work you do, ao3 downloader is amazing.

@nianeyna it works now! i took a video of PowerShell error when it briefly popped up, and it said there was unauthorized access, which is why it wasn't opening the script. so the script definitely wasn't opening because of the settings on my computer. if someone else has trouble, what I did was open PowerShell as an administrator, run this command: Get-ExecutionPolicy, which shows up as Restricted. You can then set your policy either as Remote signed (Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned) or Unrestricted (Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted). run one of the commands and it should allow the ao3downloader script to run. The picture of the error that popped up on PowerShell is below. Thank you for all the help!! I really appreciate all the work you do, ao3 downloader is amazing. ![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f32b6544-d4a0-42c3-9775-4745432f5931)

nianeyna commented

2025-06-26 23:57:40 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

Awesome! Thank you so so much for reporting this and especially for posting how you fixed it - this is the kind of thing that's really hard for me to test since I don't have easy access to Windows (and when I do have it, it's usually on a machine that's already set up for developers - I'm pretty sure that's what went wrong here, is that my test environment just had elevated permissions by default so I completely missed out on handling this case).

I'm going to leave this issue open until I've had a chance to add something about this to the instructions. Thank you again!

Awesome! Thank you so so much for reporting this and especially for posting how you fixed it - this is the kind of thing that's really hard for me to test since I don't have easy access to Windows (and when I do have it, it's usually on a machine that's already set up for developers - I'm pretty sure that's what went wrong here, is that my test environment just had elevated permissions by default so I completely missed out on handling this case). I'm going to leave this issue open until I've had a chance to add something about this to the instructions. Thank you again!

LilNervy commented

2025-07-02 15:49:13 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

I had this same Issue and the information in this thread was very helpful!! Thank you!

❤️ 1

Reborn-Wraith commented

2025-08-27 19:10:54 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

Hi! I recently upgraded my computer and wanted to reinstall this, but I'm getting an identical issue to @valeriyaishere. I'm on Windows 11 now, if that makes a difference.

Jj-is-trying commented

2025-08-30 17:05:19 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

I also have the same issue. I'm not sure if I haven't downloaded something/did it wrong. Even the PyPi kind of works but doesn't display the menu.

Reborn-Wraith commented

2025-08-31 09:10:31 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

@Jj-is-trying, as an update, I managed to get it working.

If you're on windows 11 with the same issue, you can type 'scripts' into the windows searchbar, and that should pull up a settings folder called 'Allow local PowerShell scripts to run without being signed'. Once I enabled that, I was able to run ao3downloader no problem.

@Jj-is-trying, as an update, I managed to get it working. If you're on windows 11 with the same issue, you can type 'scripts' into the windows searchbar, and that should pull up a settings folder called 'Allow local PowerShell scripts to run without being signed'. Once I enabled that, I was able to run ao3downloader no problem.

maywandering commented

2025-09-03 04:03:08 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

@Reborn-Wraith This helped tremendously. I thought for a minute that it didn't work, but after a moment it did. I couldn't locate the 'script' you mention, but typing in "Allow local PowerShell scripts to run without being signed" brought up the option in Settings immediately anyways. Thanks a ton!! 👌

maywandering commented

2025-09-03 04:09:45 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

@nianeyna Just wanting to push through the solution that @Reborn-Wraith gave about searching for the above Settings option got the new download option to finally work. Before, I got the same demonstrated error message blinking up for a second and then nothing. Now, it has:

For additional info ig, I had an old version of ao3-downloader from before it was changed from a script to its new form that I was able to get working, but I guess it stopped working as I was unable to download anything; It would say all the options, be able to fill it out, do some thinking, and then just pause and not continue. With this now, I originally pasted it in with the old script, and do the same. I cleared it out, and then it downloaded itself to show this:

@nianeyna Just wanting to push through the solution that @Reborn-Wraith gave about searching for the above Settings option got the new download option to finally work. Before, I got the same demonstrated error message blinking up for a second and then nothing. Now, it has: <img width="977" height="606" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6fcf0864-cd55-44d3-8be5-ada4c417b12b" /> For additional info ig, I had an old version of ao3-downloader from before it was changed from a script to its new form that I was able to get working, but I guess it stopped working as I was unable to download anything; It would say all the options, be able to fill it out, do some thinking, and then just pause and not continue. With this now, I originally pasted it in with the old script, and do the same. I cleared it out, and then it downloaded itself to show this: <img width="851" height="209" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/365f15b7-8547-436c-b583-b8fd19421309" />

bookworm0690 commented

2025-09-25 21:11:10 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

@valeriyaishere I am trying to do what you recommended on your post from June 26th and failing... ack! I just got a new windows computer and haven't experienced this before. (the last time I worked with this awesome Ao3 downloader was in... 2021 so a lot has changed!)
This is what I am getting in response (I got this error when I tried to change it to Unrestricted and when I tried it with RemoteSigned as well)-

Set-ExecutionPolicy : Windows PowerShell updated your execution policy successfully, but the setting is overridden by a policy defined at a more specific scope. Due to the override, your shell will retain its current effective execution policy of Restricted. Type "Get-ExecutionPolicy -List" to view your execution policy settings. For more information please see "Get-Help Set-ExecutionPolicy".
At line:1 char:1

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

  + CategoryInfo          : PermissionDenied: (:) [Set-ExecutionPolicy], SecurityException
  + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExecutionPolicyOverride,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetExecutionPolicy
 Command

I don't know/do programming at all. So this is all new to me.

Any help you (or anyone) could recommend would be AMAZING.

Thanks!
Note: The PowerShell never opened for me before I changed it to Unrestricted. The black box would flash on screen and then immediately disappear.

EDIT: I got it to work!!!
Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope CurrentUser -Force

Once I did that, it worked.

@valeriyaishere I am trying to do what you recommended on your post from June 26th and failing... ack! I just got a new windows computer and haven't experienced this before. (the last time I worked with this awesome Ao3 downloader was in... 2021 so a lot has changed!) This is what I am getting in response (I got this error when I tried to change it to Unrestricted and when I tried it with RemoteSigned as well)- Set-ExecutionPolicy : Windows PowerShell updated your execution policy successfully, but the setting is overridden by a policy defined at a more specific scope. Due to the override, your shell will retain its current effective execution policy of Restricted. Type "Get-ExecutionPolicy -List" to view your execution policy settings. For more information please see "Get-Help Set-ExecutionPolicy". At line:1 char:1 + Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : PermissionDenied: (:) [Set-ExecutionPolicy], SecurityException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExecutionPolicyOverride,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetExecutionPolicy Command I don't know/do programming at all. So this is all new to me. Any help you (or anyone) could recommend would be AMAZING. Thanks! Note: The PowerShell never opened for me before I changed it to Unrestricted. The black box would flash on screen and then immediately disappear. EDIT: I got it to work!!! Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope CurrentUser -Force Once I did that, it worked.

nianeyna commented

2025-10-13 00:04:23 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

@bookworm0690 first of all, thank you so much for posting your workaround! Windows is constantly trying to thwart me 😩 and everyone seems to have slightly different challenges so I appreciate people posting how they solved it. however, I think you have a typo in your edit - Set-ExecutionPolicy Restricted -Scope CurrentUser -Force should be Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser -Force I believe?

@bookworm0690 first of all, thank you so much for posting your workaround! Windows is constantly trying to thwart me 😩 and everyone seems to have slightly different challenges so I appreciate people posting how they solved it. however, I think you have a typo in your edit - `Set-ExecutionPolicy Restricted -Scope CurrentUser -Force` should be `Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser -Force` I believe?

bookworm0690 commented

2025-10-19 14:31:43 -04:00

(Migrated from github.com)

@nianeyna Welcome. It worked for me so hopefully it will work for someone else too. Windows is RUDE!

I edited it; whoops! Thanks for catching that! I have to put CurrentUser to Unrestricted as it won't run if it is RemoteSigned for whatever reason.
I then go back and use the same format to force it to Restricted once the program is done pulling bookmarks.

@nianeyna Welcome. It worked for me so hopefully it will work for someone else too. Windows is RUDE! I edited it; whoops! Thanks for catching that! I have to put CurrentUser to Unrestricted as it won't run if it is RemoteSigned for whatever reason. I then go back and use the same format to force it to Restricted once the program is done pulling bookmarks.

Rows
Columns

Script won't open ao3downloader #243