Troubleshooting
These guides cover the full workspace included in the Pro trial. Compare Free, Starter and Pro for ongoing access; Assist and iPad Companion require Pro.
Find the heading that matches what you're seeing. Lexware leaves your source brief files untouched, but your notes, filing and other work also need a current backup.
A Word document won't open properly
Lexware can make a document searchable even when it cannot produce a paginated Word preview. The reader explains the preview failure and offers Open original Word document so you can read it in its associated application.
Ordinary .docx files have a built-in preview on Mac and Windows. Older .doc files also have a built-in conversion path on Mac; Windows needs LibreOffice for those. Installing LibreOffice can help with complex Word formatting on either platform. After adding or fixing the converter, open Activity and choose Retry Word previews when offered. For documents whose indexing failed entirely, use Retry failures.
A scanned PDF isn't searchable
A scanned, image-only PDF has no text behind the page. Lexware can read it on the device using Apple Vision on macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later, and Windows OCR on Windows where an OCR language pack is installed. On earlier macOS versions, or without the required Windows language pack, it remains image-only unless it already contains a text layer. Search results say how many documents could not be read and why.
A matter won't open
If a matter needs attention — most often because it was last opened with a newer version of Lexware than this one — the matter picker marks it with a warning rather than failing silently. Clicking it safely retries. If it still can't open, a recovery screen explains the specific reason, with two reassurances worth repeating: your documents are untouched on disk, and trying again resumes safely from where things stopped.
From that screen, Show diagnostics… displays the upgrade history and any available safety copies. Its Save a copy action saves the matter database even while the matter won't open. This emergency copy is unencrypted and does not include the document files; it is not a full matter backup. If the reason is "needs a newer Lexware", update under Settings → About and reopen. If Lexware offers a repair, read its preview and safety-copy details before applying it.
A zip won't import
A password-protected zip asks for its password — type it and Unlock and import; a wrong guess simply asks again, and Skip this zip abandons that one archive without stopping the rest. The password is used once and never stored. A zip that genuinely can't be opened (corrupt, or an encryption scheme Lexware doesn't support) says so plainly — unzip it yourself and import the folder instead. And a folder scan always reports what it couldn't read, so nothing is passed over silently.
“Already in this matter”
When you add a loose file through the Intray, Lexware checks whether identical content is already in the matter. Its notice can show the existing document's location and an Open button. This is not a rule that each document can appear only once in a delivered brief: separate filing positions and cross-references can still exist. A same-named file with changed content can arrive as a possible version; review it before choosing whether it supersedes another document.
A change in my source folder hasn't appeared
New folder imports copy documents into Lexware. They do not keep a live mirror of your source folder. Use the Brief's Check for new documents action to look for later arrivals in remembered folders, then review and file the new documents from the Intray. Changing or deleting a source file does not silently replace or remove the copy already in Brief.
A view has crashed
If a section hits an error, it shows “Something went wrong” with a Reload this view button. A section-level error can leave the rest of the workspace usable, but check any edits that had not finished saving. The panel's Report a problem action copies technical crash details when possible and opens an email draft. Review those details before pasting them into an email. For the redacted diagnostic report, use the Feedback or Settings route below.
Something else — telling us about it
Click Feedback → Report a problem… in the sidebar footer, or open Settings → Help & support. Lexware prepares a diagnostic report on your computer: app and system versions, available optional tools and recent technical logs. It redacts matter names, party names, document names and file paths. Review the report before sharing, then choose Save… or Copy. Clicking the support email link in the dialog opens a draft and copies the report for you to paste. If the report cannot be prepared, email support@lexware.ai with your app version and the steps that led to the problem.
Nothing is reported behind your back. The diagnostic report never leaves your machine except in an email you write yourself, and Lexware sends no analytics about your matters — ever. See how Lexware looks after your information.
Making and checking a backup
Open Settings → Backups, choose a destination and scope, and click Back up now. Backups are manual: choosing a folder or seeing a reminder does not schedule them. Encryption is on by default; enter and confirm a passphrase and keep it safe, because an encrypted backup cannot be restored without it.
Wait for completion and check the backup history's verification result. Use Verify again to recheck an archive, or Restore from backup… to restore it. Backups include the database and files managed by Lexware. Older matters can still have documents indexed in their original folders; those files need a separate backup unless you have brought them into Lexware. A destination synced by OneDrive, Dropbox or iCloud copies the archive off this computer.
Keep Lexware current through Settings → About, and make a fresh backup after substantial work. Updates install when you choose to apply them.