PetalWorks

Help

The questions people ask before and after they download, answered plainly.

Getting SakuDesk Free

Is SakuDesk Free really free?

Yes. It costs nothing, has no adverts, no trial period and doesn't need an account. SakuDesk Premium, a monthly subscription, unlocks more, but the free one keeps working on its own.

Which Windows do I need?

Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit. It's built and tested on Windows 10. There's no version for macOS, Linux, phones or tablets.

Do I need to install Python or anything else?

No. SakuDesk Free is a single file with everything inside it. Download it, double-click it, and it runs. There's no installer and nothing else to set up.

Where should I put the file?

Anywhere you like. A folder such as Documents\Apps is better than Downloads, so it doesn't get cleaned away by accident. If you turn on start with Windows, leave the file where it is afterwards, or turn the setting off and on again after moving it.

Safety and the Windows warning

Why does Windows say it protected my PC?

Windows shows that blue box for programs that aren't code-signed, which means it can't check who made them. SakuDesk Free isn't signed yet, so you'll see it. To carry on:

  1. Click More info.
  2. Check the file is named SakuDesk-Free.exe.
  3. Click Run anyway.

Signing is a paid certificate renewed every year. Without it, the checksum is how you can be sure the file is ours.

How do I check the file is the real one?

Compare its SHA-256 checksum with the one on the download page. In the folder with the file, open PowerShell and run:

Get-FileHash .\SakuDesk-Free.exe

If the long code it prints matches ours exactly, the file is the one we published, byte for byte.

My antivirus doesn't like it. What should I do?

New programs that aren't signed and that few people have run yet are sometimes treated with suspicion, especially ones packed into a single file. Check the checksum first. If it matches and you got the file from this site, it's ours. If it doesn't match, delete the file and download it again from here.

Does it send anything about me anywhere?

Not to PetalWorks. It only contacts a service when you use a feature that needs one, such as searching for wallpapers or showing lyrics. The privacy page lists each one and what it receives.

Using SakuDesk

What happens the first time I open it?

A short three-second opening plays over your desktop, then the main window appears on Home. Your wallpapers live in Pictures\SakuDesk wallpapers. Put pictures there, or find new ones from the Wallpapers page, and turn on the cycle to have them change on a timer.

Will it slow down my games?

It's built to stay out of the way. Choose Low, Medium or High under Settings to set how much your PC can spend on its animations, and Home shows how much it's using right now. Its opening stays away from full-screen games, and its hotkeys work while you play.

Which keys does it use?

Print Screen changes the wallpaper, F9 starts or stops the wallpaper cycle, and F7 and F8 move between your sound outputs. They work from the tray and inside games. Choosing your own keys is part of the full version.

Where are my settings kept?

In %USERPROFILE%\.sakudesk_free, a folder in your Windows user folder. Paste that into File Explorer's address bar to open it. Settings → Open settings folder takes you there too.

How do I remove it completely?
  1. If you turned on start with Windows, turn it off in Settings.
  2. Close SakuDesk Free from its tray icon.
  3. Delete SakuDesk-Free.exe, then the .sakudesk_free folder in your user folder.

Your wallpapers in Pictures\SakuDesk wallpapers stay unless you delete them too.

SakuDesk Premium and accounts

What does SakuDesk Premium add?

Live wallpapers that move to your music, desktop widgets, a Discord voice hub, two speakers playing as one, setup profiles, a wallpaper for each screen, your own hotkeys, every theme, and your settings following you to every PC you sign in on. Inside SakuDesk Free you'll see these with a small lock. The Premium page shows them unlocked.

How much does it cost?

SakuDesk Premium is a monthly subscription you can cancel any time. The Premium page shows its price in your currency, with tax, read straight from Paddle, who sell it for us. Until it opens, that page says it isn't on sale yet.

How do I cancel?

On your account page, press Manage your subscription. Premium stays until the end of the month you've paid for, and nothing more is charged. SakuDesk then goes back to Free the next time it starts, and keeps your settings in case you come back.

Do I need an account?

Not for SakuDesk Free. SakuDesk Premium goes with a PetalWorks account: you subscribe with it here, and sign in with it in SakuDesk. You can sign in with Google, Facebook, Discord or Microsoft, and connect more than one of them.

How do I delete my account?

Sign in on your account page, choose Delete my account and confirm. It's removed straight away. More on the privacy page.

Hanii

When can I get Hanii?

There's no date yet. Hanii is built and running on our test PC, and it will be offered here once a free edition is ready, the same way SakuDesk is.

Which handhelds does it work on?

It's made for the ROG Ally and Ally X. It runs on Windows with any Xbox-style controller, DualSense or DualShock 4, so other Windows handhelds should work too, but we haven't tried them. Its ASUS performance modes haven't been tried on a real Ally yet either.

Does it replace Steam or Armoury Crate?

No. It sits in front of them. Your games still come from Steam, Epic and Xbox, and Hanii gathers them in one place and starts them for you.

This website

Can I stop the moving footage?

Yes. Press Footage on at the top of any page (it's in Contents on small screens) and every clip stops, with its controls showing so you can play one by hand. Your choice is remembered on this device. If your system asks for reduced motion, the site starts with the footage stopped.

Is the footage real?

Yes. Every clip is the app itself, filmed running. The games, songs and pictures in it are made up for the filming, so nothing personal or borrowed shows on screen. Footage of SakuDesk Premium is labelled wherever it appears.

How do I get in touch?

A contact address for questions, bug reports and privacy requests will be listed here before the site opens to everyone.

Still deciding?

Watch SakuDesk running, then try it. It takes a minute, and it's just as easy to remove.