Xbox Grid Sync

Automated high-resolution artwork discovery, multi-launcher ingestion, native Windows handheld gaming PC experience, and a persistent protection shield for the Xbox PC App.

Overview

The Xbox PC App provides a unified place to browse your PC game collection across Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Epic Games Launcher, GOG Galaxy, and custom desktop shortcuts. However, it suffers from two major limitations:

Low-Resolution & Distorted Icons: Titles imported from third-party launchers or custom shortcuts regularly display low-res, blurry, stretched thumbnails or generic placeholder tiles inside the Xbox App's 1:1 square icon grid.
The Update Wipe Problem: Microsoft Store updates to the Xbox PC App package (Microsoft.GamingApp_8wekyb3d8bbwe) regularly wipe and reset the local thumbnail cache, destroying custom artwork. Existing Game Bar widgets are sandboxed and unable to run background recovery tasks.

Xbox Grid Sync is a native, high-performance desktop application engineered for both traditional desktop PCs and Windows Handheld Gaming PCs (ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, MSI Claw, AYANEO, GPD, ONEXPLAYER, and Steam Deck running Windows).

It mirrors your Xbox PC App's authoritative library (ThirdPartyLibraries & ExternalAppShortcut), automatically pre-selects the highest-rated 1:1 square artwork from SteamGridDB and Steam on your very first scan, archives them in an isolated persistent Artwork Vault, and defends them with a background Update Shield that silently re-injects your covers the moment an update occurs. All artwork is natively aligned to the Xbox App's 1:1 square aspect ratio.

Key Features

Built for Windows Handheld Gaming PCs & 10-Foot Living Room Setups:
- Automatic Handheld Detection: Natively identifies Windows 11 Handheld form factors (DeviceForm == 0x2e) and gaming handheld hardware (ROG Ally, Legion Go, Claw, etc.) to launch in full-screen handheld mode out of the box.
- Exclusive Fullscreen Experience (FSE): Seamlessly switch between Desktop Windowed mode and borderless Exclusive Fullscreen with one click or F11. System chrome and taskbars are hidden for a distraction-free console interface.
- Full Gamepad & Controller Engine: Complete spatial thumbstick/D-pad navigation, console-style horizontal row wrapping, cursor auto-hiding, multi-gamepad slot polling (Xbox Wireless controllers, Flydigi Vader 5 Pro, DualSense, embedded handheld controls), and contextual on-screen button HUD hints.
- Zero-Mouse Artwork Studio: Easily search, preview, and select community artwork entirely via controller.
Xbox App-Centric Library Mirroring (Zero Duplicates & Zero Ghost Games):
- Authoritative Discovery: Scans %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.GamingApp_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\ThirdPartyLibraries\ to discover precisely what the Xbox App recognizes. No whole-hard-drive crawling, phantom games, or duplicate tiles.
- Instant 0ms Boot Display: Caches your library locally so your games appear instantaneously on launch while a background sync verifies active titles.
- Intelligent Title Enrichment: Resolves raw catalog hashes (e.g. The Outlast Trials on Epic) and IDs via local manifests, SteamGridDB, and Steam Store search.
Automatic 1:1 Square Artwork Pre-Selection on First Scan:
- Tier 1 (Preferred Square Community Grids): Queries SteamGridDB for high-resolution 1024×1024 or 512×512 square grids and clean square icons.
- Tier 2 (Official Steam CDN Covers): Pulls high-resolution official artwork directly from Steam CDN endpoints (library_600x900_2x.jpg) centered to 1:1 square.
- Tier 3 (Automated 1:1 Acrylic Template): Generates modern Fluent acrylic cards for rare indie titles or custom shortcuts so no tile is left blank.
- One-Click Sync: Simply click Sync All Artwork (or per-card Sync) to push all chosen covers directly into the Xbox PC App thumbnail folder.
Two Persistent Update Protection Modes (Choose Your Preference):
- Option 1: Live System Tray Daemon (Recommended): Leave Xbox Grid Sync minimized to the Windows System Tray. The built-in FileSystemWatcher detects Xbox App thumbnail wipes immediately and restores master covers within 3 seconds.
- Option 2: Windows Task Scheduler (Headless / No App Running): Enable the Task Scheduler in Settings. Windows registers an automated task triggered on Event ID 854 (Xbox App update) and User Logon, executing XboxGridSync.exe --restore-silent in the background without keeping the application window or tray open.
WinUI 3 & Fluent Design UI:
- Interactive First-Launch Tutorial: Explains discovery, one-click sync, and protection modes right when you first start the app (re-openable anytime from Settings).
- Smoky Acrylic & Xbox Green Styling: Deep obsidian backgrounds, luminous Xbox Green gradients (#00C853 -> #00FF87), and Segoe UI Variable typography.
- Full Dashboard: Wide library view with launcher filtering pills, real-time search, sync progress bar, "Ready to Sync" badges, and 1:1 square game icon cards.
- Interactive 1:1 Crop Studio & Override Modal: Click any card to preview alternatives, perform live search, or drag-and-drop custom cover images.

Architecture & How It Works

flowchart TD
    subgraph Discovery ["1. Xbox App-Centric Discovery"]
        A["Xbox PC App Registry & Manifests<br/>(ThirdPartyLibraries & CustomLibraryManagement)"] -->|Discover Recognized Titles| B(Xbox Discovery Engine)
        C["Local Manifests & Steam Search"] -->|Enrich Clean Titles & AppIDs| B
    end

    subgraph Resolution ["2. High-Res Artwork Selection"]
        B -->|Auto-Query on Scan| D["SteamGridDB 1:1 Square Grids & Icons"]
        D -->|Best Square Match| F[("Persistent Artwork Vault")]
        D -.->|Fallback| E["Steam CDN 600x900 / Acrylic 1:1 Template"]
        E --> F
    end

    subgraph Injection ["3. Precision Target Injection"]
        F -->|1-Click Sync / Auto-Inject| G["Xbox App Cache<br/>(ThirdPartyLibraries)"]
        G -->|Direct Target + .bak Backup + .new Trigger| H["Xbox Library with Crisp 1:1 Square Artwork"]
    end

    subgraph Protection ["4. Update Protection Shield (Choose Mode)"]
        direction TB
        subgraph Option1 ["Option 1: Live Tray Shield"]
            K["Minimize to System Tray"] -->|Live FileSystemWatcher| L["Instant 3s Background Auto-Restore"]
        end
        subgraph Option2 ["Option 2: Windows Task Scheduler (No App Running)"]
            M["Windows Event ID 854 / Logon"] -->|Scheduled Task| N["CLI: --restore-silent Headless"]
        end
        L --> G
        N --> G
    end

Support & Donate

If Xbox Grid Sync helped fix missing or blurry artwork in your Xbox PC App library, consider buying a coffee to support continued maintenance and development.

Direct Link: buymeacoffee.com/enufstyle
Scan via Mobile:

Packaging & Distribution

Xbox Grid Sync supports two distinct distribution formats:

Distribution Target	Binary Name	Description
Portable Standalone	`XboxGridSync-portable.exe`	Zero installation, zero registry pollution. Runs immediately from any folder or USB drive.
Windows Installer	`XboxGridSync-Setup.exe`	Streamlined NSIS setup installing to `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\XboxGridSync` (no administrator UAC elevation required), with Start Menu shortcuts and background startup options.

Strict Runtime Data Isolation

Both the portable and installer versions store all application state in the same dedicated directory:

%APPDATA%\XboxGridSync\
├── config.json               # Application settings & custom game shortcuts
├── Vault\                    # Master repository of high-res 1:1 artwork & metadata
│   └── <game_id>\
│       ├── cover.jpg
│       └── metadata.json
└── cache\
    └── name_to_appid.json    # Cached fuzzy search mappings

Switching between the portable binary and the installer never loses your artwork or custom mappings.

Installation & Usage

Option 1: Run the Standalone Portable Executable

Download XboxGridSync-portable.exe from the Releases page.
Double-click to launch. No administrator prompt or installer wizard required.
Click Sync All Artwork to scan and upgrade your library.

Option 2: Run the Installer Setup

Download and run XboxGridSync-Setup.exe.
Follow the prompt to install into your local user directory.
Launch from the Windows Start Menu or taskbar shortcut.

Development & Building from Source

Prerequisites

Node.js v20 or higher (v24 recommended).
Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit).

Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/kllakm/XboxGridSync.git
cd XboxGridSync

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Generate application icons
npm run generate-icons

Running Locally

# Start application in development mode
npm start

# Run silent auto-restore test
npm run restore-silent

Building Binaries

# Build both Portable Executable and NSIS Installer
npm run build

# Build ONLY the Portable standalone executable (dist/XboxGridSync-portable.exe)
npm run build:portable

# Build ONLY the NSIS installer (dist/XboxGridSync-Setup.exe)
npm run build:installer

# Test unpacked directory output
npm run pack

Changelog

[v1.8.9] - 2026-09-27

Settings Toggle Switch Controller Tab Order:
- Integrated all configuration switches into the controller focus order and DOM tab indexing (tabindex="0", aria-label).
- Added radiant Xbox Green outline and glow focus states for focused switch sliders in controller and keyboard navigation mode.
- Implemented single-button (A) toggle action and keyboard Space/Enter support to instantly flip settings switches.
Full Edge-to-Edge Library Grid Scrolling & Zero Clipping:
- Implemented container-aware scroll clamping in setFocus: navigating to any card in the top row smoothly scrolls all the way to top: 0, and navigating to any card in the bottom row scrolls all the way to the container floor (scrollHeight).
- Completely eliminated clipping of top and bottom padding, preserving generous 36px breathing margins for game tiles, drop shadows, and glowing selection rings.
- Pressing (B) from any library card jumps focus to the active filter pill and resets the library scroll smoothly to top.
Guide Button Unassignment:
- Unassigned the controller Guide / Home button (index 16) from triggering Settings, reserving it exclusively for Windows Game Bar and system-level actions.
- Settings access is now exclusively bound to the Menu / Start button (index 9) as intended.
Row-Tiered Spatial Navigation Engine:
- Upgraded directional spatial navigation across Settings and the Library with a row-tier clustering algorithm, preventing cross-column jumping and ensuring natural top-to-bottom and side-to-side progression.

[v1.8.8] - 2026-09-26

Ghost Game & Orphan Image Discovery Elimination:
- Resolved an issue where unmanifested leftover thumbnail files in the Xbox PC App's ThirdPartyLibraries directory (such as Cyberpunk 2077 1091500.png) were inadvertently synthesized into library games on systems with zero installed games.
- Step 5B discovery now verifies loose image IDs against local launcher indices (localIndexes) before adding them, guaranteeing that orphan cached images never produce phantom titles.
- Updated Full Factory Reset and Xbox Cache Purge routines to actively clean up unmanifested orphan images across all provider directories alongside clearing library_cache.json.
Factory Reset Modal & Navigation Resolution:
- Fixed TypeError: window.ModalManager.closeSettingsModal is not a function during Factory Reset by establishing a formal closeSettingsModal() alias and transitioning via this.closeSettingsPage().
- Factory reset now cleanly navigates back to the primary library view, resets controller focus, and triggers a fresh 0ms rescan.
Handheld Gaming PC & Gamepad Documentation Update:
- Updated repository header badges and feature documentation to prominently highlight Windows Handheld Gaming PC support (ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, MSI Claw), Exclusive Fullscreen Experience (FSE), and full Gamepad Navigation.

[v1.8.7] - 2026-09-26

Settings Page & Event Listener ReferenceError Resolution:
- Resolved an uncaught ReferenceError during setupSettingsPage() caused by an uninitialized btnSaveTop reference, which prevented all subsequent event listeners in Settings (Xbox restart, thumbnail purge, factory reset, Buy Me a Coffee, and View Tutorial) from attaching.
- Removed the redundant "Done" button from the Settings header; navigating back with "Back to Library" automatically persists configuration changes cleanly.
- Wrapped ModalManager.init() in defensive error handling within DOMContentLoaded to guarantee the initial library scan and version synchronization always execute unconditionally on startup.
Controller Navigation & Tab Order Overhaul:
- Left/Right Library Navigation Fix: Strictly isolated .game-card elements in the spatial navigation list, eliminating hidden child overlay buttons that were previously intercepting horizontal focus and causing selection outlines to vanish.
- Console-Style Horizontal Edge Wrapping: Added intelligent row-wrapping navigation when moving Left at the start of a row or Right at the end of a row across the game library grid.
- Selectable Artwork Search Results: Added .match-item search results directly into the controller focus order with dedicated glowing highlight rings (A: Use This Cover), enabling full controller navigation in the Artwork Studio.
- Titlebar & FSE Switch Access: Added #btnToggleFse and #btnTitlebarDonate to the global controller tab order, allowing users to navigate up from the library or settings to seamlessly toggle between Desktop and Exclusive Fullscreen Experience (FSE).

[v1.8.6] - 2026-09-26

Multi-Gamepad & Flydigi Vader 5 Pro Compatibility:
- Expanded controller polling across all connected Gamepad API slots rather than stopping at index 0, fully resolving issues where third-party companion software (such as Flydigi Space Station, Steam Input, or virtual HID drivers) occupies slot 0 with an idle device while the physical controller operates on subsequent slots.
- Implemented per-gamepad button state maps and added support for DirectInput POV hat switch axes and non-standard button mappings.
- Added native gamepadconnected and gamepaddisconnected event listeners, automatically engaging Controller Mode upon connection.
- Filtered out air mouse / gyro jitter by raising the mouse transition threshold, preventing sensitive controller sensors from accidentally disengaging controller navigation.
- Corrected all interactive DOM selectors (including filter pills, studio buttons, and modal backdrops) and mapped controller shortcuts for seamless library, studio, and settings navigation.
Quick Start Tutorial Modal Fix:
- Fixed an issue where the Quick Start Tutorial modal remained hidden despite setting display: flex due to missing .open state class on the acrylic modal backdrop.
- Re-clicking "View Tutorial" in Settings now immediately presents the interactive acrylic guide overlay.
- The tutorial now displays properly on clean first launch as intended.
Instant Library Startup & FSE Loading Polish:
- Eliminated the empty library state on FSE startup by persisting discovered games to an instantaneous local cache (library_cache.json), rendering detected titles in 0ms on boot before the background scan executes.
- Initialized BrowserWindow with fullscreen: shouldStartFse option directly, avoiding disruptive offscreen display mode transitions and swapchain resets on startup.
- Added an animated scanner loading indicator in the library grid to provide clear visual feedback during fresh scans.
- Ensured main process grants immediate window and webContents focus on ready-to-show.

[v1.8.5] - 2026-09-26

Automated Silent Start Menu Indexing on Launch:
- Fully automated the registration of the official Windows Start Menu shortcut (Xbox Grid Sync.lnk) to run silently on every application startup.
- Automatically indexes the app in Windows Start Menu and Windows Search under its official title "Xbox Grid Sync" with high-resolution icon assets, ensuring any user can right-click the app in Start and select "Pin to Start" cleanly labeled as Xbox Grid Sync.
- Seamlessly cleans up legacy raw executable shortcuts (XboxGridSync-portable.lnk) without user intervention.
Settings UI Polish:
- Removed the confusing and misleading manual "Pin / Add to Start" button from the Settings view, as Windows does not permit third-party applications to force arbitrary pinned tiles directly without user confirmation.

[v1.8.4] - 2026-09-26

Native Controller & Gamepad Navigation Engine:
- Implemented automatic gamepad detection and utilization (Xbox controllers, ROG Ally built-in gamepad, Legion Go, DualSense, etc.).
- Moving the thumbstick or pressing any controller button seamlessly engages Controller Mode:
  - The mouse cursor is completely hidden across the entire application interface.
  - Active items receive an elegant, faint Xbox-green halo glow and visual elevation.
  - Smooth spatial directional navigation (D-Pad and Left Thumbstick) automatically tracks rows and columns across the game grid and interface controls.
- Moving the mouse immediately disengages Controller Mode: the mouse cursor reappears and focus glows disappear, returning effortlessly to native mouse navigation.
Context-Sensitive Bottom-Right HUD Overlay:
- Floating pill overlay on the bottom right dynamically displays controller button mappings based on what you are doing:
  - Library Card View: (A) Change Cover, (X) Sync Game, (B) Jump to Top, (LB/RB) Filter Tabs, (Start) Settings.
  - Header View: (A) Select, (X) Sync All Artwork, (LB/RB) Cycle Tabs, (Start) Settings.
  - Settings View: (A) Toggle / Select, (B) Back to Library.
  - Modals: (A) Select / Confirm, (B) Close.
- Supports quick actions: X button directly syncs the highlighted game, A opens the cover picker, LB/RB cycles filter tabs, and Start toggles Settings.

[v1.8.3] - 2026-09-26

Exclusive Fullscreen Experience (FSE) for Handheld Gaming PCs:
- Added an interactive FSE toggle button in the top titlebar (next to the Buy Me a Coffee button).
- Displays a clean Gamepad icon in normal windowed mode; clicking it transitions the application into true Exclusive Fullscreen mode covering and hiding the Windows taskbar and system chrome.
- When in FSE mode, the icon smoothly transitions to a PC / Desktop monitor icon; clicking it returns the application back to standard windowed mode.
- In FSE mode, standard window chrome controls (Minimize, Maximize, Close) and separator lines are automatically hidden for an immersive, distraction-free gaming handheld experience.
- Added support for keyboard toggling via the F11 key.
Automated Windows 11 Handheld Gaming PC Detection:
- Integrated native Windows 11 registry querying (HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\OEM\DeviceForm == 0x2e) and BIOS hardware model detection (ASUS ROG Ally, Legion Go, MSI Claw, AYANEO, GPD, ONEXPLAYER, Steam Deck).
- When running on a handheld gaming device, the application automatically launches in Exclusive Fullscreen Experience by default.
- Added an explicit user preference toggle in Settings under Window & System with live handheld detection status.

[v1.8.2] - 2026-09-26

Eliminated Unwanted Elevation / UAC Prompts:
- Resolved intrusive UAC elevation prompts occurring during application startup and page transitions between Settings and Library.
- Startup registration and settings closure now execute with allowElevation: false, guaranteeing completely silent, non-elevated operation without disruptive permission dialogs.
- Elevation is now exclusively requested when the user intentionally toggles ON the Task Scheduler switch in Settings or clicks "Test Background Trigger".
Proper Windows Start Menu Title Labeling ("Xbox Grid Sync"):
- Integrated app.setAppUserModelId('Xbox Grid Sync') and fileDescription: "Xbox Grid Sync" into Windows executable properties.
- Added automatic Windows Start Menu shortcut creation (Xbox Grid Sync.lnk), cleaning up legacy raw .exe filename shortcuts (XboxGridSync-portable.lnk).
- Added a one-click "Pin / Add to Start" action in Settings allowing users to immediately register and pin the application under the official "Xbox Grid Sync" name with high-resolution app branding.
Robust Argument Parsing for Background Scheduler: Switched internal schtasks operations to direct process execution (spawnSync), eliminating shell quote-stripping issues and ensuring reliable hourly restoration tasks under standard Windows accounts.

[v1.8.1] - 2026-09-26

Clear Task Scheduler Identification & Naming: Renamed the Windows Task Scheduler entry to Xbox Grid Sync - Automated Artwork Update Shield so it is immediately visible, identifiable, and cleanly sorted in taskschd.msc (Task Scheduler Library). Automatically detects and cleans up legacy task names.
Resilient Multi-Tier Task Registration: Resolved Windows standard user permission errors (0x80070005: Access is denied) when importing XML definitions with Event triggers. The registration pipeline now utilizes a resilient 3-tier cascade:
1. Direct XML Registration: Attempts direct standard user registration with Event ID 854 + Logon triggers.
2. Elevated Registration: Prompts for UAC permission when needed to register full system event triggers in the Task Scheduler Library.
3. Unprivileged User Fallback: Falls back to a standard non-elevated hourly scheduled task running headless --restore-silent, guaranteeing reliable execution without requiring administrative privileges.
Enhanced Test & Diagnostics Feedback: Updated the "Test Trigger" diagnostics to run the scheduled task on demand via schtasks /Run and report live execution status in the notification toast.
Accurate Direct Task Scheduler View: Updated "View in Task Scheduler" button to open taskschd.msc with friendly guidance on locating the clearly named task in the root Task Scheduler Library.

[v1.8.0] - 2026-09-26

Interactive First-Launch Tutorial Modal: Added an onboarding guide on initial startup that visually walks users through the 3-step workflow (Auto-Discovery, Customization, 1-Click Sync) and explains the two update protection options in detail.
Detailed Protection Options Guidance: Clearly contrasts Option 1: Live System Tray Shield (instant 3-second recovery via background watcher daemon) and Option 2: Windows Task Scheduler (headless background service triggered by Event ID 854 / Logon with no running application required).
Settings "View Tutorial" Access: Users can reopen the tutorial guide at any time via a dedicated button in the Settings view.
Updated Architecture Documentation & Flow Chart: Refreshed the Mermaid architectural diagram and README specifications to reflect the Xbox App-centric library mirroring and dual protection models.

[v1.7.1] - 2026-09-26

Automatic Best Available Artwork Selection on Initial Scan: The initial library scan and rescan now immediately discover and pre-select the best available high-resolution 1:1 square artwork (preferring 1024x1024 and 512x512 SteamGridDB grids, square icons, and official Steam covers) for all detected Xbox App titles, rather than displaying low-resolution default Xbox thumbnails.
One-Click Push to Xbox App Thumbnail Folder: Clicking "Sync All Artwork" or per-card "Sync" now directly downloads and injects the exact pre-selected artwork into the Xbox PC App's cache folder (ThirdPartyLibraries), with automatic backup and .new reload markers.
Rate-Limited Concurrent Artwork Pool: Scanner now uses a concurrency-managed worker queue with subtle staggered delays to ensure fast, reliable artwork resolution across all titles without triggering rate limits or network timeouts.
Early Steam AppID & Community Cross-Referencing: Non-Steam titles (Epic, GOG, Ubisoft, Custom) now resolve Steam AppIDs early via title search and cache, allowing SteamGridDB to fetch official high-res square grids and icons with 99.9% accuracy.
Visual "Ready to Sync" Status Indicator: Game cards now clearly display a vibrant "Ready to Sync" badge and "Best Artwork Selected" status when new artwork is ready to be pushed to the Xbox App folder.

[v1.7.0] - 2026-09-26

Xbox App-Centric Architecture (Zero Duplicates): Shifted the primary library discovery exclusively to the Xbox PC App's authoritative registry and cache (ThirdPartyLibraries and ExternalAppShortcut). Instead of crawling whole hard drives for arbitrary games, the app directly mirrors the Xbox App's library, completely eliminating duplicate tiles, phantom DLC entries, and cross-launcher confusion.
Precision Target Artwork Injection: Artwork injection now writes directly and exclusively to the exact file path expected by the Xbox PC App (e.g. epic_<namespace>_<catalogId>.png, steam_<appId>.png), creating .bak backups of original artwork and .new companion markers compatible with SteamGridDB Game Bar widget standards without spraying redundant files across folders or polluting CustomLibraryManagement.manifest.
Intelligent Multi-Stage Title Resolution: Raw identifier hashes and folder codes are now automatically resolved into clean, official game titles:
- Epic Games raw hashes (such as 6504cc61472e...) are cross-referenced with local Epic .item manifests, SteamGridDB API, and community databases to instantly identify titles like The Outlast Trials.
- Ubisoft numerical IDs (e.g. 11903) are automatically mapped via the Haoose Uplay directory to official titles (e.g. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Breakpoint).
- Steam IDs are resolved via local .acf manifests, the built-in dictionary, and Steam store metadata.
True Factory Reset & Backup Restoration: Factory Reset now thoroughly restores all original .bak artwork files across all provider directories, wipes .new and stray files, resets CustomLibraryManagement.manifest to a clean empty state, clears the in-memory UI state immediately, and re-renders with a clean slate.
Watcher & Synchronization Hardening: The background filesystem shield ignores .bak, .new, and temporary files during sync operations to avoid false-positive loops.

[v1.6.0] - 2026-09-26

Aggressive Library Deduplication Engine: Replaced launcher-keyed deduplication with title-only normalization plus a fast AppID cross-index. Games from Xbox registry, Steam manifests, and cache image files now correctly collapse into a single unified entry instead of appearing as duplicates.
Source Priority Merging: When the same game is detected from multiple sources, entries are ranked by source priority (Xbox Registry > Xbox Cache > Vault > Steam Manifest > Epic Manifest > GOG Registry) so the most relevant metadata (thumbnail, install path) is preserved.
Clear Xbox App Thumbnails: New Settings action to selectively remove all injected artwork from the Xbox App's ThirdPartyLibraries cache while preserving Vault backups for easy re-sync.
Full Factory Reset: New destructive reset option in Settings that deletes all Vault covers, local resolution cache, and Xbox App injected thumbnails with double-confirmation safety prompts for a completely clean slate.
Watcher Stability: Background FileSystemWatcher now pauses during cache clear operations and automatically restarts afterward, preventing false-positive auto-restore events during maintenance.

[v1.5.3] - 2026-09-26

Default SteamGridDB Square Icon Resolution: When scanning the library and resolving artwork, the app now queries SteamGridDB first for native 1:1 square artwork, automatically selecting the highest-resolution (1024x1024 / 512x512) and highest-rated community square icon or grid.
Graceful Steam Store 2:3 Fallback: If no 1:1 square artwork exists on SteamGridDB for a given title, the resolver seamlessly defaults to the Steam Store's official 2:3 vertical cover (library_600x900_2x.jpg), which is intelligently cropped to a 1:1 square for Xbox App injection.
Enhanced Studio Alternatives Search: The Manual Artwork Studio now queries SteamGridDB directly by Steam AppID as well as title, placing verified 1024x1024 square grids and icons at the very top of the alternative artwork picker.

[v1.5.2] - 2026-09-26

Comprehensive Xbox App Image Cache Scanning: The scanner now thoroughly inspects all cached artwork files (.png, .jpg, .jpeg, .webp) across ThirdPartyLibraries launcher directories (steam, epic, gog, etc.), LocalState\CustomLibraryManagement, and LocalCache\Roaming\Microsoft\XboxPCApp. Any game recognized or cached by the Xbox PC App is now automatically imported into Xbox Grid Sync even if it lacks a formal manifest.
SteamVR & Expanded Tool Discovery: Removed SteamVR (AppID 250820) from the scanner's tool blacklist, added a built-in title dictionary for common tools and games, and expanded Steam library scanning across all local drives (C:, D:, E:, F:, G:, H:) so SteamVR and non-traditional titles tracked by the Xbox App are properly discovered.
Fixed Full-App Edit Studio Loading: Resolved a nested view layout issue in index.html where the manual artwork studio was nested inside the settings view, causing it to render as a blank page. Dedicated edit button click handlers and multi-tiered image fallbacks (Vault cover -> local Xbox cache thumbnail -> official Steam CDN) ensure the studio immediately opens with artwork loaded onto the interactive crop canvas.

[v1.5.1] - 2026-09-26

New Unified Minimalist Brand Icon: Designed a simple, sharp, high-quality two-square icon representing 1:1 game tiles syncing together, featuring a luminous Xbox neon foreground tile (#00FF87 to #00CC52) and a deep emerald background tile (#00A846 to #005C24) separated by a clean transparent negative space channel.
Single Universal Icon Across All Surfaces: Applied this design consistently across the entire application, including the titlebar vector SVG, multi-resolution Windows executable icon (.ico containing 256, 128, 64, 48, 32, 24, 16 sizes), system tray, taskbar, desktop installer, and generated fallback acrylic cards.

[v1.5.0] - 2026-09-26

Lossless PNG Xbox Cache Output: Fixed thumbnail injection to output native .png format files (steam_<appid>.png, <appid>.png, etc.) into Xbox App cache and provider directories, ensuring thumbnails display reliably in the Xbox PC App while cleaning up legacy .jpg entries.
Interactive 1:1 Crop Studio & Full-App Override Page: Replaced the cramped modal dialog with a full-app size artwork studio featuring an interactive 1:1 square crop canvas with click-and-drag panning, smooth zoom controls, quick alignment presets (Top, Center, Bottom, Fit Best), and rule-of-thirds composition guides.
Reliable Preview Loading: Resolved local file and remote web image preview failures by streaming base64 Data URLs and implementing automatic backend CORS-bypassing fetch fallbacks.
Smart Square Prioritization & Cropping: Automatically prioritizes native 1:1 square grids and icons from SteamGridDB, with intelligent upper-middle focal cropping for standard 2:3 vertical covers so game titles and logos remain prominently centered.
Eliminated False-Alarm Shield Alerts: Fixed an infinite filesystem watcher loop by adding a self-write cooldown window, verifying cover existence on disk before triggering auto-restore, and suppressing toast notifications when zero covers are missing.

[v1.4.0] - 2026-09-26

Full-Size Dedicated Settings View: Replaced the cramped modal dialog with a spacious, full app-size Settings view featuring organized acrylic cards, diagnostics tools, and smooth library navigation.
Permanently Visible Donation QR Code: The Support section in Settings now features an always-visible, high-resolution QR code for immediate phone camera scanning without requiring a button click.
Enhanced Typography & Vector Rendering: Integrated the crisp Inter typeface, enabled dark-mode gamma correction, and enforced geometric precision scaling across all vector icons and window controls for razor-sharp visual fidelity across all display DPI scales.

[v1.3.2] - 2026-09-26

Titlebar Coffee Cup Icon & Vertical Divider: Replaced the wide pill button with a minimalist coffee cup icon inline in the titlebar, bordered by a subtle vertical separator before the minimize/maximize/close controls for a clean, uncrowded chrome layout.
Streamlined Toolbar Actions: Removed the redundant "Add Game" button from the main header, keeping the primary interface focused on automated synchronization and discovery of installed game caches.

[v1.3.1] - 2026-09-26

Per-Monitor High-DPI Scaling & Subpixel Typography: Enabled Windows High-DPI PerMonitorV2 awareness flags and switched typography rendering to subpixel ClearType antialiasing with optical-sized Segoe UI Variable Text for razor-sharp legibility across 100%, 125%, 150%, and 200% desktop scaling.
Taller Fluent Titlebar: Increased titlebar height to 52px with proportional Xbox logo sizing (26px), spacious button hit targets, and refined vertical rhythm matching Windows 11 Fluent App standards.
Icon Visual Overhaul & Multi-Resolution ICO: Completely eliminated the top crescent reflection artifact and outer white rim ring. Rewrote icon generator to output a pristine multi-resolution Windows ICO containing 7 discrete sizes (256, 128, 64, 48, 32, 24, 16) with 32-bit alpha transparency.

[v1.3.0] - 2026-09-26

Buy Me a Coffee Support: Added quick-donation button in the Titlebar and an interactive support card in the Settings modal with direct browser navigation to buymeacoffee.com/enufstyle.
Embedded Offline QR Code: Integrated scannable offline QR codes directly in both the Settings modal and README documentation for quick mobile donations.
Safe External Link Protocol: Added secure IPC shell delegation to launch external donation URLs in the default desktop browser without sandboxing restrictions or interrupting background shield workers.

[v1.2.2] - 2026-09-26

Built-in SteamGridDB Backup Resolution: Baked SteamGridDB community artwork support directly into the backend as an internal automated fallback provider.
Removed API Key UI & Settings: Eliminated all API key input fields from the Settings modal and configuration files—users never need to provide, view, or manage an API key.

[v1.2.1] - 2026-09-26

Documentation Polish: Removed all emoji glyphs across headers and features in README.md in favor of clean, professional developer-grade typography and updated accent badges.

[v1.2.0] - 2026-09-26

Universal Icon Consistency: Unified all application icons across the Window titlebar, system tray, Windows taskbar, and installer/portable executable builds to use the minimalist Xbox sphere geometry.
Vibrant Modern Xbox Green & Glass Flare: Refreshed the color scheme with a luminous, energetic Xbox green gradient (#00C853 -> #00FF87), frosted acrylic glass headers, subtle obsidian radial glow backdrops, specular card borders, and elevated neon glow hover effects.
Enhanced Visual Polish: Upgraded button styling with specular top highlights, improved toggle switch sliders, refined search input focus states, and polished modal sheets with frosted glass depth.

[v1.1.0] - 2026-09-26

1:1 Square Artwork Alignment: Aligned all game artwork cards, live preview boxes, and SVG fallback generators to 1:1 square aspect ratio (aspect-ratio: 1 / 1), matching the exact native icon format used by the Xbox PC App.
Enhanced Override Modal: Updated the manual artwork preview sheet and search results with 1:1 square thumbnails and expanded dimension queries (512x512, 1024x1024, and high-res art).
Updated Documentation: Updated README copy and architecture diagrams to accurately reflect the 1:1 square icon grid format.

[v1.0.3] - 2026-09-26

Dynamic Titlebar Shield Status: Fixed the Update Shield badge so it dynamically reflects whether Auto-Restore Protection is active (Shield Active) or disabled (Shield Inactive) in real-time, synchronized across Settings and System Tray.
Removed Compact Mode: Fully removed compact mode across the UI, stylesheets, IPC handlers, system tray, and configuration, keeping the interface focused on a clean, unified Fluent dashboard.

[v1.0.2] - 2026-09-26

Privacy & Security Protection: Masked optional SteamGridDB API key input (type="password") with an unmask toggle to prevent exposure during streaming or recording.
Background Shield Verification: Added live Windows Task Scheduler registration badge, a 1-click Test Background Trigger button, and direct taskschd.msc launcher in Settings to verify Event ID 854 and Logon triggers.

[v1.0.1] - 2026-09-26

Added: Dual-source manual artwork search combining official Steam Store covers and SteamGridDB community posters side-by-side.
Added: Source filter toggle buttons (All, Steam, SteamGridDB) and visual source badges in the Manual Artwork Override sheet.
Added: Dynamic SemVer application versioning exposed from backend to frontend and rendered in the Titlebar and Settings modal.
Improved: Automated resolution pipeline gracefully utilizes SteamGridDB API key when present for expanded non-Steam game coverage.

[v1.0.0] - 2026-09-26

Initial Release: Complete desktop application for Windows 10 & 11.
Multi-Launcher Auto-Discovery: Automated detection across Xbox PC App cache (ThirdPartyLibraries), Steam libraries (libraryfolders.vdf, appmanifest), Epic Games manifests (.item), GOG Galaxy (Registry/SQLite), and custom desktop executables.
Automated Artwork Resolution Pipeline: Zero-setup Tier 1 (Steam CDN 600x900), Tier 2 (Fuzzy Steam Store search + local mapping cache), and Tier 3 (Fluent Acrylic SVG card generator).
Persistent Artwork Vault: Master high-res cover isolation under %APPDATA%\XboxGridSync\Vault\.
Dual Background Update Shield: Continuous live FileSystemWatcher daemon + Windows Task Scheduler service registered for Windows Event ID 854 (Microsoft-Windows-AppXDeployment-Server/Operational) and User Logon.
UI/UX Design Language: WinUI 3 / Fluent Design with smoky acrylic dark tones, signature Xbox Green accents (#107C10), and Segoe UI Variable typography.
Packaging: Dual release targets providing both a standalone portable executable (XboxGridSync-portable.exe) and an NSIS Windows installer (XboxGridSync-Setup.exe).

License

This project is open-source under the MIT License.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
build		build
docs		docs
scripts		scripts
src		src
.gitattributes		.gitattributes
.gitignore		.gitignore
AGENTS.md		AGENTS.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
PROJECT_RULES.md		PROJECT_RULES.md
README.md		README.md
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json

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