Desktop Explorer chapter guide

Admin recovery and Tower walkthrough

Recover Desktop Explorer

1. Log in to the Admin profile and open Terminal.
2. Enter CHRONO RESTORE.
3. At the recovery prompt, enter shame/03-18-1997.res.
4. Open the restored Chronolog entry and let it finish. The important clue is GOLDENRATIO.
5. Open documents/de_analysis.nsh.
6. Enter GOLDENRATIO as the analysis password.
7. Enter ADMIN when asked which user to analyse.
8. Enter Y to run diagnostics.
9. The script shows YNGEGSKY. Its decrypted answer is TAROCCHI.
10. Use TAROCCHI again to open shame/DE_INSTALLER.folder, then run DE_Installer.exe.

Optional achievement before the Tower

For “Clever Girl...”, use a desktop Terminal that accepts the uninstall command and enter:

UNINSTALL DESKTOPEXPLORER

The attempt does not remove the story program; it triggers the achievement response.

Start the Tower

Open the newly installed Desktop Explorer and enter START. The first attempt is intentionally interrupted. Open Chronolog, select Guppy's highlighted writing prompt and complete the response. Return to Desktop Explorer and enter START again.

Open the outside gate

Tower inputs use COMMAND TARGET. Enter these in order:

LOOK MOON
USE LEVER
GO FORWARD

You are now in the first-floor hall. The Orb Room and Portrait Room may be cleared in either order.

Orb Room solution

1. From the hall, enter GO LEFTROOM.
2. Enter USE ORB. The terminal becomes visually distorted, but the input still works.
3. Use the banner sequence below without changing the order.

LOOK RIGHTBANNER
USE LEFTBANNER
USE MIDDLEBANNER

The first action is LOOK; the next two are USE. Repeating USE for all three is a common reason the puzzle appears stuck.

Portrait Room solution

Return to the main hall and enter the other side room. Follow the room's StoryTeller description and cover the portrait as instructed. When the temporary FEEL command becomes available, enter:

FEEL FLOOR
FEEL WALL
USE LEVER

If FEEL is not recognized, the portrait has not been covered correctly or the story description has not finished opening. Use HELP to confirm whether the command is active.

Reach the seventh floor

After both side rooms are complete, return to the main hall and enter GO FORWARD through the opened gate. Enter GO FORWARD once more to approach the objects by the window.

Turn two different objects. This sequence works:

TURN SWORD
TURN CHALICE

The interface may replace one of those objects with a camera. When direction controls appear, try TURN LEFT or TURN RIGHT; the refusal is part of the sequence.

Trigger the confrontation

1. Submit an ordinary available command, such as LOOK CAMERA.
2. The Tower replaces the input and opens Chronolog.
3. Read Admin's highlighted 08-29-1997.res entry completely.
4. Return to the Tower and submit another ordinary command.
5. When the final command appears, enter CONFRONT FEARS.

The story now returns to Max. Continue at the Photo Lab section rather than restarting the Mall route.

Admin and Tower quick reference

When a Tower command does not work

• Enter HELP, then MOREHELP, because commands are enabled per room and story state.
• Use the target wording shown by the Tower, such as RIGHTBANNER rather than adding spaces.
• Finish the active StoryTeller or Chronolog file before returning to Terminal.
• Use GO FORWARD and TURN RIGHT instead of older combined forms such as MOVEFORWARD.

Related guides

• All Terminal commands and aliases
• Full chapter walkthrough
• All passwords and answers
• Achievements and missables

Sources and version notes

• Official patch notes
• Admin and Tower reference
• Terminal command reference