> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openwhispr.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Antivirus or firewall blocks OpenWhispr

> Windows Defender or a security suite flagging the installer, quarantining bundled binaries, or prompting about the local server.

Security software flags OpenWhispr, or quietly removes parts of it after
installation. There are several separate versions of this and they look
different, so it's worth identifying which one you have.

## 1. The installer is flagged as suspicious

Windows SmartScreen, Norton, McAfee and similar products warn about applications
they haven't seen many times before. It's a reputation signal, not a detection —
new releases of any small application trigger it.

**What to do:** download only from [openwhispr.com](https://openwhispr.com) or
our [GitHub releases](https://github.com/OpenWhispr/openwhispr/releases), then
choose the option to keep or run it anyway. On Windows SmartScreen that's **More
info → Run anyway**.

If your security software reports a specific detection name rather than a
generic warning, please send it to us — we submit false positives to vendors,
and your report is what lets us do it.

## 2. Bundled components are quarantined

This is the one that produces confusing symptoms, because the app installs fine
and then fails at one specific task. OpenWhispr ships helper binaries, and
security software sometimes removes them **silently** afterwards:

| Binary                            | What breaks when it's removed                           |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| FFmpeg                            | Transcription fails immediately with "FFmpeg not found" |
| whisper.cpp                       | Local transcription doesn't work                        |
| `windows-system-audio-helper.exe` | Meeting audio falls back to microphone only             |
| sherpa-onnx                       | Local Parakeet transcription fails                      |

**What to do:** add OpenWhispr to your antivirus exclusions, then reinstall so
the removed files come back. On Windows Defender that's **Windows Security →
Virus & threat protection → Manage settings → Exclusions**.

Reinstalling without adding the exclusion first usually just repeats the cycle.

## 3. A firewall prompt for the local server

The first time local Parakeet transcription runs, Windows may ask whether to
allow `sherpa-onnx-ws-win32-x64` on public and private networks.

**Either answer is safe.** The bundled server only serves OpenWhispr itself over
`127.0.0.1`, and Windows never filters loopback traffic — so transcription works
even if you click Cancel. The prompt appears because the server has no
loopback-only bind option, so Windows sees it listening on all interfaces.

All-users installations register a firewall rule that blocks outside access and
suppresses the prompt entirely. Per-user and portable builds may still see it
once.

## 4. The firewall blocks cloud transcription

If dictation fails with connection errors rather than a security warning, the
firewall is blocking outbound traffic rather than the application itself.

Allow OpenWhispr through Windows Firewall, and if you're on a managed network,
give your IT team the [network allowlist](/help/it/network-allowlist).

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Is OpenWhispr actually safe?">
    The desktop app is open source — you can read exactly what it does at
    [github.com/OpenWhispr/openwhispr](https://github.com/OpenWhispr/openwhispr).
    Downloads come from our own site and from GitHub releases.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="It worked, then stopped after a scan.">
    Classic quarantine. A scheduled scan removed a bundled binary after
    installation — section 2 above.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My company won't let me add exclusions.">
    Ask IT to allowlist the application rather than individual files, and send
    them the [network allowlist](/help/it/network-allowlist) at the same time so
    both are handled together.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which detection name should I report?">
    Whatever your security software shows — the exact string. That's what
    vendors need for a false-positive submission.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Snippet file="still-need-help.mdx" />

## Related

* [OpenWhispr won't open](/help/fix/app-wont-open)
* [Network allowlist](/help/it/network-allowlist)
* [Local transcription isn't working](/help/fix/local-transcription-not-working)