diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index 1c3746a..f037aeb 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -84,11 +84,20 @@ cmdApp.get('/__tauri_cmd/:cmd', (req, res) => {
 });
 cmdApp.listen(4892, '127.0.0.1', () => debugLog("[CMD-SERVER] Dedicated command server listening on 127.0.0.1:4892"));
 
+process.stdin.resume();
+process.stdin.on('end', () => {
+  debugLog('stdin closed - parent died. Self-terminating...');
+  process.exit(0);
+});
+process.stdin.on('error', () => {
+  process.exit(0);
+});
+
 process.on('uncaughtException', (err) => {
   debugLog(`CRITICAL UNCAUGHT EXCEPTION: ${err.stack || err.message}`);
-  if (err.code === 'EPIPE') {
+  if (err.code === 'EPIPE' || err.code === 'EOF') {
     debugLog('Pipe to parent closed - parent process gone, exiting');
-    process.exit(1);
+    process.exit(0);
   }
   try { sendToTauri('error', { message: err.message }); } catch (e) { }
 });
@@ -126,6 +135,9 @@ async function start() {
 
   const installBuild = async (release) => {
     const tempZipPath = path.join(APPDATA_DIR, 'download-temp.zip');
+    if (fs.existsSync(tempZipPath)) {
+      try { fs.unlinkSync(tempZipPath); } catch (e) { }
+    }
     let attempts = 0;
     let downloadSuccess = false;
 
@@ -367,17 +379,23 @@ process.on('exit', () => {
   if (serviceManager) {
     for (const name of Object.keys(serviceManager.processes)) {
       const proc = serviceManager.processes[name];
-      if (proc && proc.child) {
-        try { proc.child.kill('SIGKILL'); } catch (e) { }
+      if (proc && proc.child && proc.child.pid) {
+        try {
+          if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+            require('child_process').spawnSync('taskkill', ['/F', '/T', '/PID', proc.child.pid.toString()], { stdio: 'ignore', windowsHide: true });
+          } else {
+            process.kill(-proc.child.pid, 'SIGKILL');
+          }
+        } catch (e) { }
       }
     }
   }
 });
 
-process.on('SIGINT', async () => {
-  if (expressServer) expressServer.close();
-  if (playerExpressServer) playerExpressServer.close();
-  if (serviceManager) await serviceManager.stopAll();
+process.on('SIGINT', () => {
+  process.exit(0);
+});
+process.on('SIGTERM', () => {
   process.exit(0);
 });
 
diff --git a/patcher.js b/patcher.js
index 834603c..586dc13 100644
--- a/patcher.js
+++ b/patcher.js
@@ -63,17 +63,24 @@ class Patcher {
       const fullPath = path.join(this.appDataPath, dir);
       if (fs.existsSync(fullPath)) {
         try {
-          fs.rmSync(fullPath, { recursive: true, force: true });
+          const trashPath = path.join(this.appDataPath, `.trash_${dir}_${Date.now()}`);
+          fs.renameSync(fullPath, trashPath);
+          fs.rmSync(trashPath, { recursive: true, force: true });
         } catch (e) {
           try {
-            const trashPath = fullPath + '.trash.' + Date.now();
-            fs.renameSync(fullPath, trashPath);
-          } catch (renameErr) {
-            console.warn(`Could not remove or rename ${fullPath}. It will be overwritten.`);
-          }
+            fs.rmSync(fullPath, { recursive: true, force: true });
+          } catch (err2) { }
         }
       }
     }
+    try {
+      const files = fs.readdirSync(this.appDataPath);
+      for (const file of files) {
+        if (file.startsWith('.trash_')) {
+          fs.rmSync(path.join(this.appDataPath, file), { recursive: true, force: true });
+        }
+      }
+    } catch (e) { }
   }
 
   extractZipPayload(zipPath) {
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/main.rs b/src-tauri/src/main.rs
index 65f46b7..85ff0c4 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/main.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/main.rs
@@ -50,6 +50,15 @@ fn clean_path(path: &std::path::Path) -> String {
 }
 
 fn kill_child_process(child: &mut Child) {
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    {
+        use std::os::windows::process::CommandExt;
+        const CREATE_NO_WINDOW: u32 = 0x08000000;
+        let _ = Command::new("taskkill")
+            .args(&["/F", "/T", "/PID", &child.id().to_string()])
+            .creation_flags(CREATE_NO_WINDOW)
+            .output();
+    }
     let _ = child.kill();
     let _ = child.wait();
 }
@@ -482,6 +491,30 @@ fn open_new_window(app: tauri::AppHandle, url: String) -> Result<(), String> {
     }
 }
 
+#[tauri::command]
+async fn kill_orphans() -> Result<(), String> {
+    debug_log("[KILL] User requested orphan process kill");
+
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    {
+        use std::os::windows::process::CommandExt;
+        const CREATE_NO_WINDOW: u32 = 0x08000000;
+        let _ = std::process::Command::new("taskkill")
+            .args(&["/F", "/T", "/IM", "node.exe"])
+            .creation_flags(CREATE_NO_WINDOW)
+            .output();
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(not(windows))]
+    {
+        let _ = std::process::Command::new("pkill")
+            .args(&["-9", "-f", "node"])
+            .output();
+    }
+    
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[tauri::command]
 fn get_logo_base64(app: tauri::AppHandle) -> Result<String, String> {
     use std::io::Read;
@@ -528,7 +561,8 @@ fn main() {
             win_close,
             win_drag,
             open_new_window,
-            get_logo_base64
+            get_logo_base64,
+            kill_orphans
         ])
         .manage(NodeServices(Mutex::new(None)))
         .setup(|app| {
@@ -566,6 +600,7 @@ fn main() {
                 .current_dir(&root_dir)
                 .env("APPDATA_PATH", &app_data_str)
                 .env("NODE_EXE", &node_bin)
+                .stdin(Stdio::piped())
                 .stdout(Stdio::piped())
                 .stderr(Stdio::piped());
 
diff --git a/ui/index.html b/ui/index.html
index c232391..760354f 100644
--- a/ui/index.html
+++ b/ui/index.html
@@ -256,24 +256,8 @@
                     </div>
                 </div>
             </div>
-        </div>
-    </div>
 
-    <div id="view-error" class="view-state">
-        <div class="container">
-            <svg class="icon icon-error" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2">
-                <circle cx="12" cy="12" r="10" />
-                <line x1="12" y1="7" x2="12" y2="13" />
-                <circle cx="12" cy="17" r="1" />
-            </svg>
-
-            <h1>Couldn't start Vyla Home</h1>
-            <p id="error-msg"></p>
-
-            <div class="buttons">
-                <button class="primary" onclick="location.reload()">Try Again</button>
             </div>
-        </div>
     </div>
 
     <script type="module">
@@ -581,15 +565,23 @@ void main() {
             });
 
             eventApi.listen("error", (e) => {
-                const data = e.payload || e;
-                if (data && data.message) {
-                    setStatus(`Error: ${data.message}`, "#ef4444");
-                }
+                setStatus("Cleaning up background processes...", "#fca5a5");
+                try {
+                    const core = window.__TAURI__?.core;
+                    if (core) {
+                        core.invoke("kill_orphans").finally(() => {
+                            setTimeout(() => {
+                                core.invoke("win_close").catch(() => {});
+                            }, 500);
+                        });
+                    }
+                } catch (err) { }
             });
         }
 
         btnYes.addEventListener("click", () => {
-            if (actionsEl) actionsEl.style.display = "none";
+
+        if (actionsEl) actionsEl.style.display = "none";
             setStatus("Starting update installation...");
             fetch("http://127.0.0.1:4891/update/yes", { method: "POST" }).catch(() => { });
         });
diff --git a/update-client.js b/update-client.js
index c0d1087..80eee90 100644
--- a/update-client.js
+++ b/update-client.js
@@ -228,7 +228,8 @@ class UpdateClient {
   }
 
   async checkForUpdates() {
-    const releases = await this.fetchJson(RELEASES_API);
+    const cacheBuster = `?cb=${Date.now()}`;
+    const releases = await this.fetchJson(RELEASES_API + cacheBuster);
     if (!releases || releases.length === 0) {
       return null;
     }