diff --git a/shell/windows/LayersShell/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/shell/windows/LayersShell/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index 6c85723..3b27cea 100644
--- a/shell/windows/LayersShell/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/shell/windows/LayersShell/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -35,25 +35,39 @@ public sealed partial class MainWindow : Window
         _hwnd = WindowNative.GetWindowHandle(this);
         App.Log($"hwnd = {_hwnd:X}");
 
-        var appWindow = AppWindow.GetFromWindowId(Win32Interop.GetWindowIdFromWindow(_hwnd));
-        if (appWindow is not null)
+        try
         {
-            appWindow.SetPresenter(AppWindowPresenterKind.Overlapped);
-            if (appWindow.Presenter is OverlappedPresenter op)
+            var appWindow = AppWindow.GetFromWindowId(Win32Interop.GetWindowIdFromWindow(_hwnd));
+            App.Log($"appWindow null? {appWindow is null}");
+            if (appWindow is not null)
             {
-                op.IsAlwaysOnTop = true;
-                op.IsResizable = true;
-                op.IsMaximizable = false;
-                op.IsMinimizable = true;
-                op.SetBorderAndTitleBar(hasBorder: false, hasTitleBar: false);
+                appWindow.SetPresenter(AppWindowPresenterKind.Overlapped);
+                App.Log($"presenter kind: {appWindow.Presenter?.Kind}");
+                if (appWindow.Presenter is OverlappedPresenter op)
+                {
+                    op.IsAlwaysOnTop = true;
+                    op.IsResizable = true;
+                    op.IsMaximizable = false;
+                    op.IsMinimizable = true;
+                    op.SetBorderAndTitleBar(hasBorder: false, hasTitleBar: false);
+                    App.Log("OverlappedPresenter configured");
+                }
+                appWindow.ResizeClient(new SizeInt32((int)DefaultLogicalWidth, (int)DefaultLogicalHeight));
+                App.Log("ResizeClient ok");
             }
-            appWindow.ResizeClient(new SizeInt32((int)DefaultLogicalWidth, (int)DefaultLogicalHeight));
         }
+        catch (Exception ex) { App.Log($"appWindow setup FAILED: {ex}"); throw; }
 
-        SystemBackdrop = new MicaBackdrop { Kind = Microsoft.UI.Composition.SystemBackdrops.MicaKind.Base };
+        try
+        {
+            SystemBackdrop = new MicaBackdrop { Kind = Microsoft.UI.Composition.SystemBackdrops.MicaKind.Base };
+            App.Log("SystemBackdrop assigned");
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex) { App.Log($"SystemBackdrop FAILED: {ex}"); throw; }
 
         Activated += OnActivated;
         Closed += OnClosed;
+        App.Log("events wired");
 
         DispatcherQueue.TryEnqueue(() =>
         {