Getting started

By the end of this section DataTray will be installed, running, and holding one of your own files.

How a file gets into DataTray — read this first

Drag it onto the window, or click to browse. That is the whole list.

DataTray deliberately claims no file associations and adds nothing to the Windows right-click menu. Double-clicking a .csv file will open whatever program already owns that extension on your PC — usually Excel — and DataTray will not appear. There is no "Open with DataTray" verb, and there is no setting that adds one.

So there are exactly two ways in:

1. Drag and drop. Drop a file onto the Home screen, or onto the drop zone inside whichever tile you are using.
2. The file picker. Click the drop zone, or the tile's Choose a file button, and browse.

This is a deliberate choice, not an omission: a data file usually already belongs to Excel or to a text editor, and a tray utility that quietly took .csv away from them would be a worse neighbour than a useful one.

System requirements

• Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit).
• No administrator rights. DataTray installs for your user account only and never prompts for elevation.
• An internet connection — for updates, and for the bandwidth exchange that keeps the app free.
• Enough free disk space for whatever you write out, plus room for temporary working files while a large run is in progress.

Installing

Run the DataTray installer and work through its pages:

1. Massive Terms of Service. This is the very first page, ahead of everything else, because it is the most consequential choice in the installer. It explains the funding arrangement in Massive's own words:

   To remove ads and get free content, please let Massive use a small amount of your device's free resources and IP address to download public web data. Your participation is optional, and you may opt out anytime. Pressing Accept indicates that you agree to Massive's license and privacy policy. You can opt out at any time after opting in.

   There are links to Massive's FAQ, license and privacy policy on the page. You must tick the box to continue — the installer will not advance without it. See The bandwidth exchange for the full explanation.

2. License agreement. Review and accept DataTray's own end-user licence.

3. Install location. Change it if you want to, or accept the default.

The installer creates a desktop shortcut and a Start Menu entry, both named DataTray.

First launch

There is no in-app welcome screen — everything you needed to agree to was agreed to during installation. DataTray opens straight to its Home screen, which is a large drop zone repeating the rule above, and adds an icon to your system tray (the row of small icons near the clock).

DataTray remembers your window size and position, and whether you left it windowed or hidden to the tray.

If something goes wrong here

• The installer will not let you press Next on the first page. The Massive opt-in checkbox is not ticked. It is required — DataTray cannot be installed without it, because sharing is what pays for the app.
• No tray icon after install. Windows sometimes hides new tray icons behind the ^ chevron near the clock. Click the chevron, then drag the DataTray icon out onto the tray if you want it permanently visible.
• I double-clicked a CSV and Excel opened. Expected — see the top of this section. Drag the file onto the DataTray window instead.
• The "Try it on a sample" button on the Home screen does nothing. Known limitation in this release: the button is present but is not yet wired to the bundled sample file. Drop one of your own files instead; every tile works normally.