diff --git a/windows/ActivityWatch.Windows.Common.psm1 b/windows/ActivityWatch.Windows.Common.psm1
index 94d7102..104e0dd 100755
--- a/windows/ActivityWatch.Windows.Common.psm1
+++ b/windows/ActivityWatch.Windows.Common.psm1
@@ -301,6 +301,9 @@ function Copy-ActivityWatchCollectorAssets {
         $resolvedRules = Resolve-Path -LiteralPath $CustomRulesSource -ErrorAction Stop
         Copy-Item -LiteralPath $resolvedRules.Path -Destination $rulesTarget -Force
     }
+    else {
+        Copy-Item -LiteralPath $exampleRulesTarget -Destination $rulesTarget -Force
+    }
 
     if ($CustomPolicySource) {
         $resolvedPolicy = Resolve-Path -LiteralPath $CustomPolicySource -ErrorAction Stop
@@ -718,7 +721,7 @@ function Start-CollectorScriptIfNeeded {
         return
     }
 
-    `$staParam = if (`$ScriptPath -like "*endpoint-signals*") { "-STA" } else { $null }
+    `$staParam = if (`$ScriptPath -like "*endpoint-signals*") { "-STA" } else { `$null }
     `$argumentList = @('-NoProfile', '-WindowStyle', 'Hidden', '-ExecutionPolicy', 'Bypass')
     if (`$staParam) { `$argumentList += `$staParam }
     `$argumentList += @('-File', `$ScriptPath, '-ConfigPath', `$ConfigPath)
diff --git a/windows/browser-domains-native-collector.ps1 b/windows/browser-domains-native-collector.ps1
index b220b3d..f4eff79 100755
--- a/windows/browser-domains-native-collector.ps1
+++ b/windows/browser-domains-native-collector.ps1
@@ -701,13 +701,26 @@ function Ensure-Bucket {
         return
     }
 
+    try {
+        Invoke-RestMethod -Method Get -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" | Out-Null
+        $script:KnownBuckets[$BucketId] = $true
+        return
+    }
+    catch {
+    }
+
     $body = @{
         client   = $ClientName
         type     = $BucketType
         hostname = $script:Hostname
     } | ConvertTo-Json -Compress
 
-    Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" -ContentType 'application/json' -Body $body -TimeoutSec 15 -DisableKeepAlive | Out-Null
+    try {
+        Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" -ContentType 'application/json; charset=utf-8' -Body ([Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetBytes($body)) | Out-Null
+    }
+    catch {
+        Invoke-RestMethod -Method Get -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" | Out-Null
+    }
     $script:KnownBuckets[$BucketId] = $true
 }
 
diff --git a/windows/dlp-endpoint-signals-collector.ps1 b/windows/dlp-endpoint-signals-collector.ps1
index 5200e7c..ec64425 100644
--- a/windows/dlp-endpoint-signals-collector.ps1
+++ b/windows/dlp-endpoint-signals-collector.ps1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-[CmdletBinding()]
+[CmdletBinding()]
 param(
     [string]$ConfigPath = 'C:\ProgramData\AWatch-rus\deployment-config.json',
     [string]$ServerHost,
@@ -54,13 +54,32 @@ function Ensure-Bucket {
         return
     }
 
+    try {
+        Invoke-RestMethod -Method Get -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" | Out-Null
+        $script:KnownBuckets[$BucketId] = $true
+        return
+    }
+    catch {
+    }
+
     $body = @{
         client   = $ClientName
         type     = $BucketType
         hostname = $script:Hostname
     } | ConvertTo-Json -Compress
 
-    Invoke-AwJsonPost -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" -Json $body
+    try {
+        Invoke-AwJsonPost -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" -Json $body
+    }
+    catch {
+        try {
+            Invoke-RestMethod -Method Get -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" | Out-Null
+        }
+        catch {
+            Write-EndpointLog "Bucket create/check failed for ${BucketId}: $($_.Exception.Message)"
+            throw
+        }
+    }
     $script:KnownBuckets[$BucketId] = $true
 }
 
diff --git a/windows/file-operations-collector.ps1 b/windows/file-operations-collector.ps1
index ca543a3..bc63d55 100644
--- a/windows/file-operations-collector.ps1
+++ b/windows/file-operations-collector.ps1
@@ -74,13 +74,37 @@ function Ensure-Bucket {
         [string]$ClientName,
         [string]$BucketType
     )
-    if ($script:KnownBuckets.ContainsKey($BucketId)) { return }
+
+    if ($script:KnownBuckets.ContainsKey($BucketId)) {
+        return
+    }
+
+    try {
+        Invoke-RestMethod -Method Get -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" | Out-Null
+        $script:KnownBuckets[$BucketId] = $true
+        return
+    }
+    catch {
+    }
+
     $body = @{
         client   = $ClientName
         type     = $BucketType
         hostname = $script:Hostname
     } | ConvertTo-Json -Compress
-    Invoke-AwJsonPost -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" -Json $body
+
+    try {
+        Invoke-AwJsonPost -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" -Json $body
+    }
+    catch {
+        try {
+            Invoke-RestMethod -Method Get -Uri "$($script:ApiBase)/buckets/$BucketId" | Out-Null
+        }
+        catch {
+            Write-FileCollectorLog "Bucket create/check failed for ${BucketId}: $($_.Exception.Message)"
+            throw
+        }
+    }
     $script:KnownBuckets[$BucketId] = $true
 }
 
diff --git a/windows/worktime-session-collector.ps1 b/windows/worktime-session-collector.ps1
index f1b04ef..7c15ece 100644
--- a/windows/worktime-session-collector.ps1
+++ b/windows/worktime-session-collector.ps1
@@ -47,7 +47,12 @@ function Ensure-Bucket {
         hostname = $HostnameValue
     } | ConvertTo-Json -Compress
 
-    Invoke-AwJsonPost -Uri "$ApiBase/buckets/$BucketId" -Json $body
+    try {
+        Invoke-AwJsonPost -Uri "$ApiBase/buckets/$BucketId" -Json $body
+    }
+    catch {
+        Invoke-RestMethod -Method Get -Uri "$ApiBase/buckets/$BucketId" | Out-Null
+    }
 }
 
 function Get-SessionRecords {