Cannot open database

If Confidant launches into a "Cannot open database" screen instead of the patient list, the encryption key in your OS keychain doesn't match the encrypted database file.

What this means

Your data is on disk and encrypted. The key that unlocks it is supposed to be in your operating system's keychain. For some reason, that key has gone missing or no longer matches the file. Without the key, Confidant can't read the database.

Most common causes

1. You restored from a backup on a different OS user account. The keychain entry is tied to your OS user, not portable across accounts.
2. You manually edited or deleted the keychain entry.
3. You restored Confidant's data folder from a backup but the keychain wasn't restored at the same time.
4. A clean reinstall of macOS or Windows without a full keychain restore.
5. Migrated to a new computer using Migration Assistant but the keychain didn't carry the Confidant entry over.

Your options

Option A: Restore the keychain entry

If you have a backup of your keychain (Time Machine, iCloud Keychain, Windows Backup), restoring it usually fixes this. The entry is named com.confidant.notes in Apple Keychain.

Option B: Reset the database and start fresh

The error screen has a Reset database and start fresh button. This is destructive — all patients, sessions, transcripts, and notes are lost (well, the encrypted file is left behind on disk, but it can no longer be opened). Use this only if:

• You don't have any data to recover, or
• You have an external backup of your data that you'll restore separately, or
• You've decided the data is gone and you're ready to start over

After clicking Reset, Confidant generates a fresh encryption key and starts you in onboarding again.

Option C: Recover the data manually

If your data is irreplaceable and Options A and B don't work, contact support. We can sometimes help recover data if you have:

• The original encryption key (if you noted it down somewhere — most users haven't)
• The Confidant data folder intact
• Reasonable timing — the longer the keychain has been gone, the less recoverable

We deliberately can't recover data without the original key. The encryption is the encryption.

Preventing this in the future

• Use Time Machine (Mac) or Windows Backup with full keychain inclusion. Don't rely on Dropbox / iCloud Drive alone — they back up files but not keychain entries.
• If you migrate to a new computer, use Migration Assistant rather than copying files manually.
• Don't manually delete or edit the com.confidant.notes keychain entry unless you know exactly why.