diff --git a/AppScaffolding/AppScaffolding.csproj b/AppScaffolding/AppScaffolding.csproj
index 5c9edfa3..4a8a083d 100644
--- a/AppScaffolding/AppScaffolding.csproj
+++ b/AppScaffolding/AppScaffolding.csproj
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
   <PropertyGroup>
     <TargetFramework>net5.0</TargetFramework>
-    <Version>6.0.3.1</Version>
+    <Version>6.0.4.1</Version>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/AppScaffolding/UNSAFE_MigrationHelper.cs b/AppScaffolding/UNSAFE_MigrationHelper.cs
index a0f937c8..cd5e332b 100644
--- a/AppScaffolding/UNSAFE_MigrationHelper.cs
+++ b/AppScaffolding/UNSAFE_MigrationHelper.cs
@@ -61,7 +61,16 @@ namespace AppScaffolding
 				return;
 
 			var startingContents = File.ReadAllText(APPSETTINGS_JSON);
-			var jObj = JObject.Parse(startingContents);
+
+			JObject jObj;
+			try
+			{
+				jObj = JObject.Parse(startingContents);
+			}
+			catch
+			{
+				return;
+			}
 
 			action(jObj);
 
@@ -130,7 +139,16 @@ namespace AppScaffolding
 				return;
 
 			var startingContents = File.ReadAllText(SettingsJsonPath);
-			var jObj = JObject.Parse(startingContents);
+
+			JObject jObj;
+			try
+			{
+				jObj = JObject.Parse(startingContents);
+			}
+			catch
+			{
+				return;
+			}
 
 			action(jObj);
 
diff --git a/LibationWinForms/Dialogs/MessageBoxAlertAdminDialog.cs b/LibationWinForms/Dialogs/MessageBoxAlertAdminDialog.cs
index c4b44d92..6bb97d7c 100644
--- a/LibationWinForms/Dialogs/MessageBoxAlertAdminDialog.cs
+++ b/LibationWinForms/Dialogs/MessageBoxAlertAdminDialog.cs
@@ -33,10 +33,37 @@ namespace LibationWinForms.Dialogs
 		}
 
 		private void githubLink_LinkClicked(object sender, LinkLabelLinkClickedEventArgs e)
-			=> Go.To.Url("https://github.com/rmcrackan/Libation/issues");
+		{
+			var url = "https://github.com/rmcrackan/Libation/issues";
+			try
+			{
+				Go.To.Url(url);
+			}
+			catch
+			{
+				MessageBox.Show($"Error opening url\r\n{url}", "Error opening url", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
+			}
+		}
 
 		private void logsLink_LinkClicked(object sender, LinkLabelLinkClickedEventArgs e)
-			=> Go.To.Folder(FileManager.Configuration.Instance.LibationFiles);
+		{
+			string dir = "";
+			try
+			{
+				dir = FileManager.Configuration.Instance.LibationFiles;
+			}
+			catch { }
+
+			try
+			{
+				Go.To.Folder(dir);
+			}
+			catch
+			{
+				MessageBox.Show($"Error opening folder\r\n{dir}", "Error opening folder", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
+			}
+		}
+
 
 		private void okBtn_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
 		{
diff --git a/LibationWinForms/MessageBoxAlertAdmin.cs b/LibationWinForms/MessageBoxAlertAdmin.cs
index a1423a7e..3d68836f 100644
--- a/LibationWinForms/MessageBoxAlertAdmin.cs
+++ b/LibationWinForms/MessageBoxAlertAdmin.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-using LibationWinForms.Dialogs;
-using System;
-using System.Linq;
+using System;
+using LibationWinForms.Dialogs;
 
 namespace LibationWinForms
 {
@@ -15,7 +14,11 @@ namespace LibationWinForms
 		/// <returns>One of the System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult values.</returns>
 		public static System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult Show(string text, string caption, Exception exception)
 		{
-			Serilog.Log.Logger.Error(exception, "Alert admin error: {@DebugText}", new { text, caption });
+			try
+			{
+				Serilog.Log.Logger.Error(exception, "Alert admin error: {@DebugText}", new { text, caption });
+			}
+			catch { }
 
 			using var form = new MessageBoxAlertAdminDialog(text, caption, exception);
 			return form.ShowDialog();
diff --git a/LibationWinForms/Program.cs b/LibationWinForms/Program.cs
index cb9bf0ef..80be122a 100644
--- a/LibationWinForms/Program.cs
+++ b/LibationWinForms/Program.cs
@@ -24,36 +24,54 @@ namespace LibationWinForms
 		[STAThread]
 		static void Main()
 		{
-			//// Uncomment to see Console. Must be called before anything writes to Console.
-			//// Only use while debugging. Acts erratically in the wild
-			//AllocConsole();
+			try
+			{
+				//// Uncomment to see Console. Must be called before anything writes to Console.
+				//// Only use while debugging. Acts erratically in the wild
+				//AllocConsole();
 
-			Application.SetHighDpiMode(HighDpiMode.SystemAware);
-			Application.EnableVisualStyles();
-			Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
+				Application.SetHighDpiMode(HighDpiMode.SystemAware);
+				Application.EnableVisualStyles();
+				Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
 
-			//***********************************************//
-			//                                               //
-			//   do not use Configuration before this line   //
-			//                                               //
-			//***********************************************//
-			// Migrations which must occur before configuration is loaded for the first time. Usually ones which alter the Configuration
-			var config = AppScaffolding.LibationScaffolding.RunPreConfigMigrations();
+				//***********************************************//
+				//                                               //
+				//   do not use Configuration before this line   //
+				//                                               //
+				//***********************************************//
+				// Migrations which must occur before configuration is loaded for the first time. Usually ones which alter the Configuration
+				var config = AppScaffolding.LibationScaffolding.RunPreConfigMigrations();
 
-			RunInstaller(config);
+				RunInstaller(config);
 
-			// most migrations go in here
-			AppScaffolding.LibationScaffolding.RunPostConfigMigrations();
+				// most migrations go in here
+				AppScaffolding.LibationScaffolding.RunPostConfigMigrations();
 
-			// migrations which require Forms or are long-running
-			RunWindowsOnlyMigrations(config);
+				// migrations which require Forms or are long-running
+				RunWindowsOnlyMigrations(config);
 
-			MessageBoxVerboseLoggingWarning.ShowIfTrue();
+				MessageBoxVerboseLoggingWarning.ShowIfTrue();
 
 #if !DEBUG
 			checkForUpdate();
 #endif
 
+			}
+			catch (Exception ex)
+			{
+				var title = "Fatal error, pre-logging";
+				var body = "An unrecoverable error occurred. Since this error happened before logging could be initialized, this error can not be written to the log file.";
+				try
+				{
+					MessageBoxAlertAdmin.Show(body, title, ex);
+				}
+				catch
+				{
+					MessageBox.Show($"{body}\r\n\r\n{ex.Message}\r\n\r\n{ex.StackTrace}", title, MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
+				}
+				return;
+			}
+
 			AppScaffolding.LibationScaffolding.RunPostMigrationScaffolding();
 
 			Application.Run(new Form1());
@@ -300,14 +318,14 @@ namespace LibationWinForms
 			if (result != DialogResult.Yes)
 				return;
 
-			using var fileSelector = new SaveFileDialog { FileName = zipName, Filter = "Zip Files (*.zip)|*.zip|All files (*.*)|*.*" };
-			if (fileSelector.ShowDialog() != DialogResult.OK)
-				return;
-			var selectedPath = fileSelector.FileName;
-
 			try
 			{
-				LibationWinForms.BookLiberation.ProcessorAutomationController.DownloadFile(zipUrl, selectedPath, true);
+				using var fileSelector = new SaveFileDialog { FileName = zipName, Filter = "Zip Files (*.zip)|*.zip|All files (*.*)|*.*" };
+				if (fileSelector.ShowDialog() != DialogResult.OK)
+					return;
+				var selectedPath = fileSelector.FileName;
+
+				BookLiberation.ProcessorAutomationController.DownloadFile(zipUrl, selectedPath, true);
 			}
 			catch (Exception ex)
 			{