Troubleshooting Petti

Petti 1.4 · User documentation

Keep the original database and its companion files intact while investigating a problem.

The file will not open

Confirm it is SQLite, not just a file named .db. Check file permissions and whether the creating application encrypts it. Petti 1.4 does not support SQLCipher. An invalid header and a damaged database are different problems; use the file diagnosis guide. Renaming the file does not repair or convert it.

The database is locked

Another connection may hold a transaction or a conflicting lock. Let the owning application finish its work, close an idle transaction through that application if appropriate, and retry. Read-only browsing does not guarantee every operation can proceed immediately. Do not delete WAL or journal files. See the locked-database guide.

I cannot edit a cell

Check your license under Petti → License, then unlock the correct database tab. Use an editable table cell rather than a view or query result. Generated columns and rows Petti cannot identify safely may remain noneditable. Snapshot windows intentionally stay read-only. If a save reports a constraint error, correct the value instead of retrying the same invalid change.

Search or sorting is slow

Lazy loading controls memory; it cannot make an unindexed full scan free. Cancel expensive work, narrow the filter, or work from a snapshot. Do not add indexes to someone else’s application database merely to speed up browsing. Release tests covered generated fixtures up to 100 million rows and 10.05 GB on an M1 Mac with 8 GiB RAM, not every possible query or schema. See large-database guidance.

A snapshot or comparison did not finish

Check free disk space and whether another app is writing continuously. Each snapshot is a full copy. A comparison may report Not compared because the table is unsupported or its time budget was reached; that is not a claim of zero changes. Review snapshot limits and delete unwanted saved copies through Snapshots to recover space.

A plugin is missing or fails

Open the Command Palette and inspect Installed plugins for an error or an Enable action. Check the selected cell/database and requested permissions. A changed package needs renewed approval. If Petti reports a missing or invalid isolated helper, reinstall the official signed app; do not disable macOS protections or substitute a helper executable.

License activation needs attention

Use the key associated with your purchase in Petti → License…. Activation requires access to the licensing service. If the key is rejected or activation remains unavailable, contact [email protected] with your purchase reference and the error text. Read-only browsing remains available without activation.

Report a problem

Email [email protected] with your Petti version, macOS version, Mac chip, steps to reproduce and the exact error. Include a small synthetic example if possible. Do not send license keys, passwords or a private database in an initial report.