Getting Started with RuleDock

This guide will help you install RuleDock and set up your first fences in under 5 minutes.

System Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 10 (version 1903 or later) or Windows 11
  • Architecture: x64 or ARM64
  • RAM: 4GB minimum
  • Disk Space: ~20MB

Installation

MSI Installer (Recommended)

  1. Go to the Download page
  2. Download the installer for your architecture (x64 or ARM64)
  3. Run the installer and follow the prompts
  4. RuleDock will start automatically after installation

Creating Your First Fence

  1. Right-click on an empty area of your desktop
  2. Select RuleDock → Create Fence
  3. Draw a rectangle by clicking and dragging
  4. Name your fence (e.g., "Work", "Games", "Design")
  5. Click Create

Congratulations! You've created your first fence. Now let's add some icons.

Adding Icons to Fences

There are two ways to add icons:

Manual Drag & Drop

Simply drag any icon from your desktop into a fence. The icon will be stored in that fence and removed from the main desktop area.

Auto-Sort Rules

Set up rules to automatically sort new files:

  1. Open RuleDock settings (right-click system tray icon)
  2. Go to Rules
  3. Click Add Rule
  4. Configure the rule:
    • Type: Extension, Name Contains, Path Contains, Regex, or Expression
    • Pattern: What to match (e.g., .png for images)
    • Target Fence: Where matching icons go
    • Priority: Higher = checked first
  5. Click Save

Fence Operations

Collapse/Expand

Double-click the fence title bar to collapse it into a compact strip. Double-click again to expand.

Pin a Fence

Click the 📌 pin icon in the fence title bar to lock its position. Pinned fences cannot be moved or resized.

Adjust Transparency

Right-click the fence and select Transparency. Choose from 30% to 100% opacity.

Resize

Drag any edge or corner of the fence to resize. Icons will reflow automatically.

Configuration Location

RuleDock stores its configuration in:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\RuleDock\

This folder contains:

  • ruledock.db - SQLite database with fences, rules, and layout
  • settings.json - Application preferences
  • logs/ - Log files for troubleshooting

Backup & Restore

To backup your configuration:

  1. Open Settings → Backup & Restore
  2. Click Export Configuration
  3. Save the .ruledock file

To restore:

  1. Open Settings → Backup & Restore
  2. Click Import Configuration
  3. Select your backup file

Startup Options

By default, RuleDock starts with Windows. To change this:

  1. Open Settings → General
  2. Toggle Start with Windows

You can also:

  • Start minimized - Launch to system tray
  • Check for updates - Get notified of new versions

Troubleshooting

Fences not appearing

  • Make sure RuleDock is running (check system tray)
  • Try restarting RuleDock
  • Check if another desktop manager is conflicting

Icons not sorting automatically

  • Verify your rules are enabled
  • Check rule patterns for typos
  • Test the pattern using the Preview feature in rule settings

Layout not persisting

  • Ensure %LOCALAPPDATA%\RuleDock is writable
  • Check if antivirus is blocking SQLite access
  • Review logs in logs/ folder for errors

Next Steps