DISCOVERY ENGINEDOCS

First launch and setup

The four setup steps the app walks you through the first time, and a fictional sample case to practice on.

#What happens the first time

The first time Discovery Engine opens (or any time there are no cases), it shows a short setup with four steps listed down the left side:

  1. This computer: checks disk encryption.
  2. Reading models: downloads what the app needs to read scans and recordings.
  3. Your case: names your first case and picks its folder.
  4. Privacy: one switch, then reading starts.

You can go Back at any step. Once a case exists, the app opens on the Start Up screen instead.

#Step 1: Check this computer

The app checks whether full-disk encryption is protecting the disk your case will live on. You'll see one of:

MessageWhat it means
The disk is encryptedFileVault (Mac) or BitLocker / Device encryption (Windows) is on. Good.
The disk is not encryptedTurn encryption on before you add a real case. You can continue meanwhile.
Disk encryption could not be checkedThe app couldn't read the setting. Check it yourself in System Settings or Windows Settings.

Case files and the case database hold personal details, so encryption matters if the computer is ever lost or stolen. It's a warning, never a block, because some Windows editions don't offer it.

Click Continue.

#Step 2: Download the reading models

Reading happens on your computer, so recordings and documents never leave it. To do that the app needs a few models, downloaded once:

ModelWhat it does
Speech recognitionTranscribes recorded calls and videos (English).
Speech detectionFinds the stretches of speech in a recording.
Name detectionFinds the names of people and organizations, so they can be linked and given stand-ins.
e5-small-int8 (listed by its technical name)The search model: makes search by meaning work.
Speech recognition, other languagesOptional. Only needed for recordings that are not in English.

Click Download what is needed (the button shows the total size, about 1 GB). Each model shows its progress, then Ready. Text recognition for scans ships with the app, so it isn't in the list.

If a download fails, its row says Failed with a Try again button. A failed download leaves nothing half-installed behind.

#Step 3: Create your first case

A case is one folder of files: everything your attorney sent.

  1. Type a Case name. It's for you; pick anything ("Harrowfield", "Smith matter").
  2. Choose the folder that holds the case's files.
  3. Click Create case.

The app reads the files where they are. It never moves, renames or changes them. You can add more folders and single files to the case later. See Creating a case and Adding files and folders.

#Step 4: Privacy

One switch: Let AI agents use this case. It's on by default.

When it's on, an AI agent on this computer (such as ChatGPT desktop or Claude desktop) can search and read the case through the discovery command, with real names and file names. Every call is logged on the Agent log screen. You can turn it off any time in the case's Settings, which blocks every agent call on that case at once.

Click Start reading files. The app opens the Progress screen and starts reading.

#Try it on the sample case first

If you were given the fictional Harrowfield sample case (Harrowfield-sample-case.zip), it's a good way to learn the app before you point it at real files. Every person, company and amount in it is made up.

  1. Extract the ZIP (on Windows: right-click, Extract All…; on a Mac: double-click). You get a folder called Harrowfield productions with Production 1 and Production 2 inside.
  2. In setup step 3, name the case and choose Harrowfield productions/Production 1 as its folder.
  3. Leave the switch on and click Start reading files. The sample takes a few minutes.
  4. Later, add the second production: click Add files or folders at the top of Progress or Documents and choose Production 2. Nothing is copied or moved.

The sample includes PDFs, scans, e-mails, spreadsheets, photos, recorded calls and a video, so you can try search, the recording player, people merges and the rest.

#After setup