diff --git a/src/blackcore/application.cpp b/src/blackcore/application.cpp
index 05bd95f64..07fe3e141 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/application.cpp
+++ b/src/blackcore/application.cpp
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ namespace BlackCore
         Q_ASSERT_X(!sApp, Q_FUNC_INFO, "already initialized");
         Q_ASSERT_X(QCoreApplication::instance(), Q_FUNC_INFO, "no application object");
 
-        // init skiped when called from CGuiApplication
+        // init skipped when called from CGuiApplication
         if (init)
         {
             this->init(true);
@@ -133,8 +133,6 @@ namespace BlackCore
             //
 
             // Translations
-            const QFile file(":blackmisc/translations/blackmisc_i18n_de.qm");
-            CLogMessage(this).debug() << (file.exists() ? "Found translations in resources" : "No translations in resources");
             QTranslator translator;
             if (translator.load("blackmisc_i18n_de", ":blackmisc/translations/")) { CLogMessage(this).debug() << "Translator loaded"; }
             QCoreApplication::instance()->installTranslator(&translator);
@@ -315,7 +313,7 @@ namespace BlackCore
         // parse if needed, parsing contains its own error handling
         if (!this->m_parsed)
         {
-            const bool s = this->parse();
+            const bool s = this->parseAndStartupCheck();
             if (!s) { return false; }
         }
 
@@ -985,15 +983,24 @@ namespace BlackCore
         return this->m_parser.value(option).trimmed();
     }
 
-    bool CApplication::parse()
+    bool CApplication::parseAndStartupCheck()
     {
-        if (this->m_parsed) { return m_parsed; }
+        if (this->m_parsed) { return m_parsed; } // already done
+
+        // checks
         if (CBuildConfig::isLifetimeExpired())
         {
             this->cmdLineErrorMessage("Program exired " + CBuildConfig::getEol().toString());
             return false;
         }
 
+        const QStringList verifyErrors = CDirectoryUtils::verifyRuntimeDirectoriesAndFiles();
+        if (!verifyErrors.isEmpty())
+        {
+            this->cmdLineErrorMessage("Missing runtime directories/files: " + verifyErrors.join(", "));
+            return false;
+        }
+
         if (this->m_singleApplication && this->m_alreadyRunning)
         {
             this->cmdLineErrorMessage("Program must only run once");
@@ -1036,7 +1043,7 @@ namespace BlackCore
 
     bool CApplication::cmdLineErrorMessage(const QString &errorMessage, bool retry) const
     {
-        Q_UNUSED(retry); // onyl works with UI version
+        Q_UNUSED(retry); // only works with UI version
         fputs(qPrintable(errorMessage), stderr);
         fputs("\n\n", stderr);
         fputs(qPrintable(this->m_parser.helpText()), stderr);
@@ -1045,7 +1052,7 @@ namespace BlackCore
 
     bool CApplication::cmdLineErrorMessage(const CStatusMessageList &msgs, bool retry) const
     {
-        Q_UNUSED(retry); // onyl works with UI version
+        Q_UNUSED(retry); // only works with UI version
         if (msgs.isEmpty()) { return false; }
         if (!msgs.hasErrorMessages())  { return false; }
         CApplication::cmdLineErrorMessage(
diff --git a/src/blackcore/application.h b/src/blackcore/application.h
index a578d218c..6ccd305d6 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/application.h
+++ b/src/blackcore/application.h
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ namespace BlackCore
         //! \note in some cases (error, version, help) application is terminated during this step
         //! \sa parsingHookIn
         //! \return true means to continue, false to stop
-        bool parse();
+        bool parseAndStartupCheck();
         //! @}
 
         //! Display error message
diff --git a/src/blackgui/guiapplication.cpp b/src/blackgui/guiapplication.cpp
index 36255709d..fe06888bd 100644
--- a/src/blackgui/guiapplication.cpp
+++ b/src/blackgui/guiapplication.cpp
@@ -263,9 +263,23 @@ namespace BlackGui
     bool CGuiApplication::cmdLineErrorMessage(const QString &errorMessage, bool retry) const
     {
         const QString helpText(beautifyHelpMessage(this->m_parser.helpText()));
+        constexpr int MaxLength = 60;
+
+        QString htmlMsg;
+        if (errorMessage.length() > MaxLength)
+        {
+            htmlMsg = "<html><head/><body><h4>" + errorMessage.left(MaxLength) + "..." + "</h4>" +
+                      "Details: " + errorMessage + "<br><br>";
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            htmlMsg = "<html><head/><body><h4>" + errorMessage + "</h4>";
+        }
+        htmlMsg += helpText + "</body></html>";
+
         const int r = QMessageBox::warning(nullptr,
                                            QGuiApplication::applicationDisplayName(),
-                                           "<html><head/><body><h2>" + errorMessage + "</h2><br>" + helpText + "</body></html>", QMessageBox::Abort, retry ? QMessageBox::Retry : QMessageBox::NoButton);
+                                           htmlMsg, QMessageBox::Abort, retry ? QMessageBox::Retry : QMessageBox::NoButton);
         return (r == QMessageBox::Retry);
     }
 
@@ -279,7 +293,7 @@ namespace BlackGui
         const QString msgsHtml = msgs.toHtml(msgs.size() > 1 ? propertiesMulti : propertiesSingle);
         const int r = QMessageBox::critical(nullptr,
                                             QGuiApplication::applicationDisplayName(),
-                                            "<html><head/><body>" + msgsHtml + "<br><br>" + helpText + "</body></html>", QMessageBox::Abort, retry ? QMessageBox::Retry : QMessageBox::NoButton);
+                                            "<html><head><body>" + msgsHtml + "<br><br>" + helpText + "</body></html>", QMessageBox::Abort, retry ? QMessageBox::Retry : QMessageBox::NoButton);
         return (r == QMessageBox::Retry);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/directoryutils.cpp b/src/blackmisc/directoryutils.cpp
index 1b8482abc..9879e5be9 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/directoryutils.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/directoryutils.cpp
@@ -327,6 +327,34 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         return dir.entryList(QDir::Dirs | QDir::NoDotAndDotDot | QDir::NoSymLinks);
     }
 
+    QStringList CDirectoryUtils::verifyRuntimeDirectoriesAndFiles()
+    {
+        QStringList failed;
+        QDir d(CDirectoryUtils::binDirectory());
+        if (!d.isReadable()) { failed.append(d.absolutePath()); }
+
+        d = QDir(CDirectoryUtils::imagesDirectory());
+        if (!d.isReadable()) { failed.append(d.absolutePath()); }
+
+        d = QDir(CDirectoryUtils::stylesheetsDirectory());
+        if (!d.isReadable()) { failed.append(d.absolutePath()); }
+
+        d = QDir(CDirectoryUtils::applicationDataDirectory());
+        if (!d.isReadable()) { failed.append(d.absolutePath()); }
+
+        // check if the executables are avialable
+        QString fn = CDirectoryUtils::executableFilePath(CBuildConfig::swiftCoreExecutableName());
+        if (!QFile::exists(fn)) { failed.append(fn); }
+
+        fn = CDirectoryUtils::executableFilePath(CBuildConfig::swiftDataExecutableName());
+        if (!QFile::exists(fn)) { failed.append(fn); }
+
+        fn = CDirectoryUtils::executableFilePath(CBuildConfig::swiftGuiExecutableName());
+        if (!QFile::exists(fn)) { failed.append(fn); }
+
+        return failed;
+    }
+
     QSet<QString> CDirectoryUtils::fileNamesToQSet(const QFileInfoList &fileInfoList)
     {
         QSet<QString> sl;
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/directoryutils.h b/src/blackmisc/directoryutils.h
index 701b5bf33..1526a6e85 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/directoryutils.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/directoryutils.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         //! \remark In BlackMisc so it can also be used from BlackMisc classes
         static const QString &logDirectory();
 
-        //! Directory for log files
+        //! Directory for crashpad files
         static const QString &crashpadDirectory();
 
         //! Virtually the inverse operation of CDirectoryUtils::normalizedApplicationDirectory
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         //! All sub directories of given dir
         static QStringList getSubDirectories(const QString &rootDir);
 
+        //! Check if the (most important) runtime directories are available
+        static QStringList verifyRuntimeDirectoriesAndFiles();
+
         //! Result of directory comparison
         struct DirComparison
         {
diff --git a/src/swiftcore/main.cpp b/src/swiftcore/main.cpp
index da59c9d1f..26cb5ac47 100644
--- a/src/swiftcore/main.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftcore/main.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     a.addVatlibOptions();
     a.addParserOption({{"r", "start"}, QCoreApplication::translate("main", "Start the server.")});
     a.addParserOption({{"c", "coreaudio"}, QCoreApplication::translate("main", "Audio in core.")});
-    if (!a.parse()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
+    if (!a.parseAndStartupCheck()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
 
     const QString dBusAdress(a.getCmdDBusAddressValue());
     a.useContexts(a.isParserOptionSet("coreaudio") ?
diff --git a/src/swiftdata/main.cpp b/src/swiftdata/main.cpp
index 7a0e2a0bc..8c6f92543 100644
--- a/src/swiftdata/main.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftdata/main.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     CGuiApplication a(CApplicationInfo::swiftMappingTool(), CApplicationInfo::MappingTool, CIcons::swiftDatabase48());
     a.setSignalStartupAutomatically(false); // application will signal startup on its own
     a.splashScreen(CIcons::swiftDatabase256());
-    if (!a.parse()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
+    if (!a.parseAndStartupCheck()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
     a.useWebDataServices(BlackCore::CWebReaderFlags::AllSwiftDbReaders, CDatabaseReaderConfigList::forMappingTool());
     if (!a.start())
     {
diff --git a/src/swiftguistandard/main.cpp b/src/swiftguistandard/main.cpp
index 6066a09bc..7b379cae9 100644
--- a/src/swiftguistandard/main.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftguistandard/main.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     CSwiftGuiStdApplication a;
     a.setSignalStartupAutomatically(false); // application will signal startup on its own
     a.splashScreen(CIcons::swift256());
-    if (!a.parse()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
+    if (!a.parseAndStartupCheck()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
     if (!a.hasSetupReader() || !a.start())
     {
         a.gracefulShutdown();
diff --git a/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp b/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp
index d79ef561c..3d0630f45 100644
--- a/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     Q_UNUSED(qa);
     CGuiApplication a(CApplicationInfo::swiftLauncher(), CApplicationInfo::Laucher, CIcons::swiftLauncher1024());
     a.addParserOption({{"i", "installer"}, QCoreApplication::translate("main", "Installer setup.") });
-    if (!a.parse()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
+    if (!a.parseAndStartupCheck()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
     a.useWebDataServices(BlackCore::CWebReaderFlags::AllSwiftDbReaders, CDatabaseReaderConfigList::forLauncher());
     if (!a.start())
     {