GPT4All is an optional extra app. Point it at a folder of PDFs or notes, ask a question, and it answers from what's in them. It runs offline on an ordinary computer.
Most people don't need it. The Library Assistant (see Start on Any Device) already searches every book on the drive. GPT4All is handy for asking about your own files.
⚠️ Set it up now, while you have internet
It needs the internet once, to download a small add-on. After that it works offline.
💾 Install it (Windows, about 2 minutes)
On the drive, open OfflineLibrary → AI-Offline → DocReader-GPT4All.
Double-click the gpt4all-installer file.
If a blue box says Windows protected your PC, click More info, then Run anyway.
Click through the installer, then open GPT4All.
(Mac or Linux: the folder has the installer for the kind of computer that made the drive.)
⚙️ First-time setup (while you have internet)
Use the AI already on the drive:Settings (gear) → Application → set Model Folder to the drive's OfflineLibrary → AI-Offline → models folder. Then pick Llama 3.2 3B Instruct in the model list at the top of Chats.
Turn on the document reader: click LocalDocs → + Add Collection. The first time, it downloads a small add-on. Let it finish.
After that, everything works offline.
📂 Point it at your books
Click LocalDocs → + Add Collection.
Give it a name (like Army Manuals) and pick a folder, such as Manuals → ArmyFieldManuals, Medical → Manuals-PDF, the Southern-Oregon folder, or your own notes.
Click Create. It reads the files (a few minutes the first time).
It reads PDFs, Word files and text files. It can't read the .zim encyclopedias; use Kiwix for those.
💬 Ask a question
Go to Chats and start a new chat.
Check a model is picked and your LocalDocs collections are turned on.
Ask one clear question, like "How do I purify water if I have no filter?"
It answers and shows which files it used. Check anything about health or safety in the file itself.
🔧 If something goes wrong
Problem
Fix
No models listed
Set Model Folder to the drive's AI-Offline\models (see setup step 1)
LocalDocs won't read the files
It needs its one-time download: do setup step 2 while online
Slow answers
Use the 3B model and close other programs
The answer ignores my documents
Check the collection is turned on in the chat and has finished reading