Windows warns about an "unknown publisher", is it safe?
It's safe, it's just not code-signed. A signing certificate
costs money every year and this is a free side project, so
Windows SmartScreen flags it the same way it flags any small
unsigned app. Choose "More info → Run anyway" to start it. If
you want to be sure first, check your download against the
SHA-256 on this page. Since the app is portable and offline, you
can run it from a throwaway folder or a VM and watch what it
does.
Will it change my game, mods or saves?
It does not touch your mods or saves. The one thing it adds to
your Koikatsu folder is a small bridge plugin (in
BepInEx/plugins), installed when you connect your game so "Open
in CharaStudio" can work: it sits alongside your other plugins
and changes nothing else. If you never connect the game, it does
not write there at all.
Do I need Koikatsu installed?
No. It can scan and manage scene files on a PC that does not
have the game at all. You only need Koikatsu installed for the
optional "Open in CharaStudio" button.
Can it lose or damage my files?
Scanning only reads, it never changes your originals. The only
changes are ones you trigger yourself: deleting moves scenes to
a Trash you can restore, and reorganizing shows you the whole
plan first and can be undone. If something looks wrong, it is
recoverable.
Does it go online or send anything about my collection?
No account, no telemetry, and nothing about your files leaves
your PC. The one exception is an optional update check: on
launch it can fetch a tiny file to compare version numbers
(nothing about you or your library is sent) and you can turn it
off in Settings.
How do I get updates?
When a newer version is out, the app shows a small note with a
download link. You grab the new ZIP and replace your old folder
(Your settings and data stay where they are). Nothing installs
or updates itself in the background.
How do I remove it, or move to another PC?
It is portable, so there is nothing to uninstall: delete the
folder and it is gone, with no leftovers. To carry your work
across, export your tags, ratings and authors to a file and
import it on the other machine (or after a re-pack).