Quick Start Guide
This is version 3.2.3, a maintenance release dated 25th September 2025.
First, download the Windows installer (.msi) from here.
Using the Edge browser
If you are using the Edge browser it will warn you that the software is from an unknown publisher, i.e. the application has not been 'signed'.
Mouse over the warning, open the menu (3 dots icon) and click 'keep'. Now click 'open file'; Windows will warn you again:
Click 'More info':
aand then click 'Keep anyway'.
Now proceed as below.
Using Chrome browser.
After download, either double click the 'downloaded file' entry at the bottom of the browser window or go to the download folder and double click the GardenNotebook-3.2.3.msi file.
Windows will warn that the publisher is unknown:
Click 'More info':
and then click 'Run anyway'.
The Garden Notebook application will now install in the usual way with the usual options. Read the Licence (GPLv3) and accept it.
Note that the installer can pause for several minutes on the first page and again on the last page when it actually installs the application. Just be patient.
After installation
Assuming you left the 'Create desktop icon' selected during the install, there will be a new icon on your desktop:
Double click the icon and the application will open:
You can change the folder where the database will be kept (when the application is not running this is just a couple of text files).
Check the 'Create initialised' button and the 'Use this' button, then click 'Apply'. You are now up and running!
For further information, see the Getting Started pages.
About the Garden Notebook application
This application is Free Software, issued under the GNU General Public Licence. Before downloading, please read the licence, in particular sections 15 and 16. Application source code is available here.
The Garden Notebook is a desktop application written in Java 25. Currently, only a Windows version is available.
The application never makes any connection to the internet; your data are entirely in your control.