5.0.1 - Windows darktable.exe <folder path> does not import folder

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I checked and did not find my issue in the already reported ones

Describe the bug

When importing a folder path from the command line, it doesn't import the folder. Darktable runs as if opened normally.

• Recursive is enabled in Import UI window

Steps to reproduce

1. C:\Program Files\darktable\bin> .\darktable.exe "G:\path\to\folder"
2. Enter

Expected behavior

Should be the same as on Mac and Linux

Logfile | Screenshot | Screencast

C:\Program Files\darktable\bin>darktable.exe --version
darktable 5.0.1
Copyright (C) 2012-2025 Johannes Hanika and other contributors.

Compile options:
  Bit depth              -> 64 bit
  Debug                  -> DISABLED
  SSE2 optimizations     -> ENABLED
  OpenMP                 -> ENABLED
  OpenCL                 -> ENABLED
  Lua                    -> ENABLED  - API version 9.4.0
  Colord                 -> DISABLED
  gPhoto2                -> ENABLED
  GMIC                   -> ENABLED  - Compressed LUTs are supported
  GraphicsMagick         -> ENABLED
  ImageMagick            -> DISABLED
  libavif                -> ENABLED
  libheif                -> ENABLED
  libjxl                 -> ENABLED
  LibRaw                 -> ENABLED  - Version 0.22.0-Devel202403
  OpenJPEG               -> ENABLED
  OpenEXR                -> ENABLED
  WebP                   -> ENABLED

Commit

No response

Where did you obtain darktable from?

darktable.org / GitHub release

darktable version

darktable 5.0.1

What OS are you using?

Windows

What is the version of your OS?

Windows 11 Home

Describe your system

------------------
System Information
------------------

         Operating System: Windows 11 Home 64-bit (10.0, Build 26100) (26100.ge_release.240331-1435)
                 Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
                Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7700 8-Core Processor               (16 CPUs), ~3.8GHz
                   Memory: 32768MB RAM
      Available OS Memory: 31850MB RAM


---------------
Display Devices
---------------
           Card name: AMD Radeon(TM) Graphics
        Manufacturer: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
           Chip type: AMD Radeon Graphics Processor (0x164E)
            DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
      Display Memory: 16384 MB
    Dedicated Memory: 459 MB
       Shared Memory: 15924 MB
        Current Mode: 2880 x 1800 (32 bit) (100Hz)
      Driver Version: 32.0.13018.6
 

Are you using OpenCL GPU in darktable?

None

If yes, what is the GPU card and driver?

No response

Please provide additional context if applicable. You can attach files too, but might need to rename to .txt or .zip

No response

Start by reproducing the Windows 11 behavior with darktable 5.0.1 using the command shown, and compare it with folder imports on macOS or Linux. Trace the command-line folder-import entry point and identify why Windows opens normally instead; done means the supplied folder is imported recursively on Windows as expected.