CCyclone Fortress
Support

How-to guides

When support asks you to do something on your Mac, the exact steps are here, each with a short animation. Nothing on these pages changes anything on your Mac; they only show you where to click. Written for people who have never taken a screenshot.

Take a screenshot of the whole screen

  1. 1Press Shift + Command + 3 (hold Shift and Command, then tap 3).
  2. 2You will hear a shutter sound. A small preview appears at the bottom-right for a few seconds.
  3. 3The picture is saved on your Desktop, named "Screenshot" followed by the date and time.
  4. 4To send it, drag that file into your email reply, or use the paper-clip button in your email.

Take a screenshot of one window or dialog box

  1. 1Press Shift + Command + 4, then press the Space bar. The pointer becomes a small camera.
  2. 2Move the camera over the window or dialog box you want. It turns blue.
  3. 3Click once. The picture is saved on your Desktop.
  4. 4If the dialog box disappears when you press keys, use "photo" below instead.

Send us a picture of a password box

  1. 1Leave the box on screen. Do not type anything into it yet.
  2. 2Press Shift + Command + 4, then press the Space bar. The pointer becomes a small camera.
  3. 3Move the camera over the box so it turns blue, and click once. The picture is saved on your Desktop; attach it to your reply.
  4. 4If nothing happens when you press those keys, the box is blocking the keyboard: take a photo of the screen with your phone instead, including the title bar at the top of the box, and send it from your phone or AirDrop it to the Mac.
  5. 5Then continue with the box as normal.

Photograph a dialog box with your phone

Some password boxes block the keyboard, so a screenshot is not possible.

  1. 1Leave the dialog box on screen. Do not type anything into it yet.
  2. 2Take a photo of the screen with your phone. Include the title bar at the top of the box.
  3. 3Send the photo from your phone to your email, or AirDrop it to the Mac and attach it.
  4. 4Then continue with the dialog box as normal.

Run Cyclone's Self-Check and send us the report

Needs Cyclone 3.603 or later. It checks Cyclone's own protections and what on this Mac might be in its way: other copies, your account type, Full Disk Access, disk space, the server, and your licence.

  1. 1Open Cyclone and click the gear (Settings) button on the dock at the bottom of the window.
  2. 2Click "Support", then "Cyclone App Self-Check" just beneath it. It runs by itself in about ten seconds and leaves your files and settings as they were.
  3. 3Click "Copy Report" (next to "Run Again"). The button says "Copied" for a moment; the report is on your clipboard.
  4. 4Open your email reply, click in the message body, and press Command + V to paste it.
  5. 5If clicking "Support" opens a form straight away with no "Cyclone App Self-Check" row, your Cyclone is older than 3.603: use "copies" and "admin" below instead. If your Cyclone has no dock at the bottom (the classic sidebar look), use the gear at the top-right instead, then "Preferences", then "Run Cyclone App Self-Check".
  6. 6Sending a ticket from "Contact Support" also works: your last Self-Check is attached to it.

Find Cyclone's version number

  1. 1Open Cyclone.
  2. 2Click the gear (Settings) button on the dock at the bottom of the Cyclone window.
  3. 3Click "About". Find the row named "Version", for example "3.602" (the "Build" row is below it).
  4. 4Please read it from the app that is open now, not from memory.

Find your licence status in Cyclone

  1. 1Open Cyclone and click the gear (Settings) button on the dock.
  2. 2Click "About".
  3. 3Under "License", look for the row named "Status" and copy its exact words into your reply, for example "Licensed" or "Trial (6d)".

Quit Cyclone completely, including the menu bar

  1. 1Click on the Cyclone window so it is in front.
  2. 2Press Command + Q. If a box asks whether to keep Cyclone open, click "Quit Anyway" (or "Stop It & Quit" if a job is running), not "Keep Cyclone Open".
  3. 3Look at the top-right of your screen, in the menu bar, for a small Cyclone icon. If it is there, click it and choose "Quit Cyclone".
  4. 4Cyclone is fully quit when neither the window nor the menu bar icon is present.

Find every copy of Cyclone on your Mac

On Cyclone 3.603 or later, "Run Cyclone's Self-Check" answers this in one step.

  1. 1Click the Finder icon (the blue face) at the left end of the Dock.
  2. 2Press Command + F. A search bar appears at the top of the window.
  3. 3Type: Cyclone
  4. 4Above the results, click "This Mac" so the whole Mac is searched, not just one folder.
  5. 5Look for items named "Cyclone" whose Kind is "Application". Note where each one is (the path is shown at the bottom of the window when you click an item).
  6. 6The correct copy is in the "Applications" folder. Tell us about any others before deleting.

See which copy your Dock icon opens

  1. 1Hold the Command key and click the Cyclone icon in the Dock.
  2. 2A Finder window opens with that copy of Cyclone selected. The folder name tells you where it lives. It should be "Applications".

Check whether your account is an administrator

On Cyclone 3.603 or later, "Run Cyclone's Self-Check" answers this too.

  1. 1Click the Apple menu at the top-left, then "System Settings".
  2. 2Click "Users & Groups" in the left list.
  3. 3Find your name. Under it, it says "Admin" or "Standard".

Find your macOS version

  1. 1Click the Apple menu at the top-left, then "About This Mac".
  2. 2The version is listed as "macOS" followed by a number, for example "macOS 26.7".

Install a Cyclone update we send you

  1. 1Click the link in our email. A file whose name starts with "Cyclone" and ends in "Installer.pkg" downloads.
  2. 2Open it from your Downloads folder and follow the installer. It asks for your Mac password once. That is the installer asking, not Cyclone.
  3. 3When it finishes, open Cyclone from the Applications folder and check "about" above to confirm the new version.

Enter your licence key

Your key is in the email we sent when you bought on the website. Bought in the iPhone or iPad app? Open Cyclone there, go to Licence, and choose "Email yourself a copy".

  1. 1Open Cyclone and click the trial or licence badge at the top-right of the window (or any "Upgrade" button). The licence screen opens.
  2. 2Under "Already have a license or beta key?", click the box "Paste your license or beta key".
  3. 3Copy the key from your email (triple-click it to select all of it) and press Command + V to paste it. It does not matter if the key was split over several lines.
  4. 4Click "Activate". Settings, then About, should now show Status "Licensed".

Find your licence key on this Mac

The key is only shown on a Mac where Cyclone has already been activated.

  1. 1Open Cyclone and click the gear (Settings) button on the dock at the bottom of the window.
  2. 2Click "About". Under "License", find "Your license key".
  3. 3Click "Copy" next to it. The key is now on your clipboard; paste it wherever you need it.
  4. 4If there is no key there, Cyclone has not been activated on this Mac. Use "Enter your licence key" above.

Give Cyclone Full Disk Access

Full Disk Access lets Cyclone scan, clean and shred everywhere, including the Mail, Messages and Safari data macOS hides from apps. Cyclone cannot grant it to itself; only you can, in System Settings.

  1. 1Click the Apple menu at the top-left, then "System Settings".
  2. 2Click "Privacy & Security" in the left list, then "Full Disk Access".
  3. 3Find "Cyclone" in the list and turn its switch on. If Cyclone is not listed, click the "+" button under the list, choose Cyclone from the Applications folder, and click Open.
  4. 4If macOS asks to quit and reopen Cyclone, click "Quit & Reopen". Cyclone now has the access.

Check for a Cyclone update yourself

  1. 1Open Cyclone and click the gear (Settings) button on the dock at the bottom of the window.
  2. 2Click "Check for Updates". Cyclone asks our server and shows either "Cyclone is up to date" or the update it found.
  3. 3If an update is offered, click "Install Update". The installer asks for your Mac password once; that is the installer asking, not Cyclone.
  4. 4Cyclone reopens by itself. Settings, then About, shows the new version.

Send a support ticket from inside Cyclone

A ticket sent this way carries your Cyclone version, your macOS version and your last Self-Check automatically, so it is the fastest way to get help. The server connection switch must be on.

  1. 1Open Cyclone and click the gear (Settings) button on the dock at the bottom of the window.
  2. 2Click "Support", then "Contact Support" just beneath it.
  3. 3Choose a "Category", type your email address under "Your Email", and describe what happened in the box.
  4. 4Click "Submit Ticket". We reply by email.

Move your licence to a new Mac

A licence covers one Mac at a time. Freeing the old Mac first lets the same key work on the new one.

  1. 1On the old Mac, open Cyclone and click the gear (Settings) button on the dock, then "About".
  2. 2Under "License", click "Copy" next to "Your license key" and keep the key somewhere safe.
  3. 3Click "Deactivate License". Cyclone tells our server this Mac is free.
  4. 4On the new Mac, install Cyclone from cyclonefortress.com, open it, and follow "Enter your licence key" above with the key you copied.

Turn Cyclone's server connection off or on

With Server Connection off, Cyclone makes no internet connections of its own. Local-network tools, and a VPN or encrypted DNS you set up, keep working. Cyclone Help then answers from its built-in answers; the Cyclone AI Agent, File Explainer's online explanations, malware-signature updates, update checks and support tickets are unavailable. The AI Scan still runs; its analysis is then written by built-in rules on your Mac (no AI model).

  1. 1Open Cyclone and click the gear (Settings) button on the dock at the bottom of the window.
  2. 2Click "Preferences".
  3. 3Find the switch named "Cyclone Fortress Server Connection" and click it. Green is on.

Uninstall Cyclone

Uninstalling removes the app and its settings. Encrypted vault files you created are not deleted, and your licence stays on record, so a later reinstall activates again with the same key.

  1. 1Open Cyclone and click the gear (Settings) button on the dock at the bottom of the window.
  2. 2Click "Uninstall Cyclone", then "Open Uninstaller". The Cyclone Uninstaller opens and asks for your Mac password once, then removes Cyclone.
  3. 3Cyclone is gone when neither "Cyclone" nor "Cyclone Uninstaller" is left in the Applications folder.

Uninstall Cyclone manually

For when Cyclone will not open, or you prefer to do it by hand. It removes the app and its settings. Encrypted vault files you created are not deleted, and your licence stays on record, so a later reinstall activates again with the same key.

  1. 1Quit Cyclone completely (see "Quit Cyclone completely" above).
  2. 2Click the Finder icon at the left end of the Dock, then "Applications" in the left list.
  3. 3Open "Cyclone Uninstaller". It asks for your Mac password once, then removes Cyclone.
  4. 4Cyclone is gone when neither "Cyclone" nor "Cyclone Uninstaller" is left in Applications.

Attach a file to your email reply

  1. 1In your reply, click the paper-clip button (in Gmail it is at the bottom of the message).
  2. 2Choose the file. Screenshots are on your Desktop; photos are wherever your phone sent them.
  3. 3Wait until the file name appears in the message before pressing Send.
Beta testers

If you are testing a beta build

Beta builds of Cyclone Fortress show a yellow “Beta” button near the top-right of the window, under the version label. If you can see it, these guides are for you; everything above applies to you as well.

Copy the Beta Diagnostics report

On Cyclone 3.603 or later the yellow "Beta" button is always there. On an older Cyclone, press Option + Command + D first (or Control + Shift + Command + D) and it appears.

  1. 1Click the yellow "Beta" button (ladybug icon) near the top-right of the window, under the "Beta" version label.
  2. 2Click "Copy Diagnostics". Nothing visible happens; the report is now on your clipboard.
  3. 3Open your email reply, click in the message body, and press Command + V to paste it.
  4. 4Do this in the same Cyclone session where the problem happened. Quitting Cyclone empties the report.

Send the Beta Diagnostics report to support

Cyclone sends it for you. No Mail app needed. It needs an internet connection and Cyclone's server connection switched on (Settings ▸ Preferences ▸ "Cyclone Fortress Server Connection").

  1. 1Click the yellow "Beta" button (ladybug icon) near the top-right of the window, under the "Beta" version label.
  2. 2Click "Email Diagnostics to Support".
  3. 3Type your email address (Cyclone remembers it) and, if you can, a line about what you were doing.
  4. 4Click Send. After a short wait (usually 15–30 seconds) you will see "Sent to Cyclone Support" and a ticket number, and a confirmation arrives in your inbox.

25 guides. Something missing, or a step that does not match what you see?

Email support@cyclonefortress.com and tell us which guide and which step.