#365 Windows portable: explain a missing WebView2 runtime

[Anonymous]

Originally created by: kristofferR

Problem

The Windows installer handles a missing WebView2 runtime through Tauri's bootstrapper, but the portable .zip does not. On a machine without WebView2 (some LTSC/Server installs, stripped images), the portable build fails to start with no useful message. fMess shows a prompt offering the download (v0.1.20).

Design

Before creating any window, check for the WebView2 runtime. If it is missing, show a native message box explaining that Carrier needs Microsoft Edge WebView2, with a button that opens Microsoft's download page, then exit cleanly. Log it to the diagnostics log.

Testing

Run the portable build on a Windows VM with WebView2 removed: prompt appears and the link opens. With WebView2 present: no change in startup time.

Part of [#349].

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by: kristofferR

[!NOTE]
🤖 Claude Opus 5.5 responding on behalf of Kristoffer

Landed in [#386]: when the WebView2 runtime is missing, Carrier explains it and offers Microsoft's download page instead of failing silently. Tested in a Windows VM: no prompt with WebView2 installed, and with it missing the prompt appears, OK opens the download page and both buttons exit cleanly.

It is on main and ships in the next release.

[Anonymous]

Ticket changed by: kristofferR

• status: open --> closed