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Antivirus False Positive Guide

Some antivirus programs incorrectly flag StarWhisper's transcription engine as a threat and quarantine it. This is a false positive — StarWhisper is safe, open-source software. This guide explains why it happens and how to fix it.

Symptom: StarWhisper won't transcribe

If StarWhisper shows an error when trying to record, or transcription never completes, your antivirus may have silently quarantined whisper-cli.exe or SDL2.dll. Follow this guide to restore it.

Why Does This Happen?

StarWhisper uses whisper.cpp, an open-source AI transcription engine maintained on GitHub by thousands of contributors. Because whisper-cli.exe is a compiled binary that processes audio data locally, some antivirus heuristics mistakenly classify it as suspicious.

The files that may be flagged:

  • whisper-cli.exe — the local AI transcription engine (whisper.cpp)
  • SDL2.dll — a standard open-source multimedia library used for audio capture

Neither file connects to the internet, records data covertly, or performs any action beyond processing audio you explicitly provide. The quarantine is a false positive.

Source code is public

whisper.cpp source code is available at github.com/ggerganov/whisper.cpp. SDL2 source code is at github.com/libsdl-org/SDL. Both are widely trusted open-source projects.

Step 1: Check if Files Were Quarantined

Before making any changes, confirm whether your antivirus has removed the files.

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the StarWhisper install directory:
    C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\StarWhisper
    (replace YourName with your Windows username)
  2. Look for whisper-cli.exe inside the app folder.
  3. If the file is missing, your antivirus quarantined it — continue with Step 2.
  4. If the file exists, the issue may be something else. See Quality & Performance or contact support.

Tip: Show hidden folders

The AppData folder is hidden by default. In File Explorer, click View → Show → Hidden items, or paste the path directly into the address bar.

Step 2: Add a Folder Exclusion

The fix is to tell your antivirus to stop scanning the StarWhisper folder. Follow the instructions for your software below.

Windows Defender (Microsoft Defender Antivirus)

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security → Windows Security.
  3. Click Open Windows Security.
  4. Select Virus & threat protection.
  5. Scroll down to Virus & threat protection settings and click Manage settings.
  6. Scroll down to Exclusions and click Add or remove exclusions.
  7. Click + Add an exclusion → choose Folder.
  8. Navigate to and select the StarWhisper install folder:
    C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\StarWhisper
  9. Click Select Folder. The exclusion is saved immediately.

Also restore the quarantined file

Adding the exclusion prevents future quarantines, but won't restore an already-removed file. After adding the exclusion, go to Protection history in Windows Security, find the StarWhisper item, and click Restore. Then reinstall StarWhisper as described in Step 3.

Other Antivirus Software

The exact menu names vary between products, but the process is the same: find the Exclusions, Whitelist, or Trusted Applications section and add the StarWhisper folder.

Antivirus Where to find exclusions
Avast / AVG Menu → Settings → General → Exceptions
Malwarebytes Settings → Allow List → Add folder
Bitdefender Protection → Antivirus → Settings → Exceptions
Kaspersky Settings → Additional → Threats and Exclusions → Manage exclusions
Norton / Symantec Settings → Antivirus → Scans and Risks → Exclusions/Low Risks
ESET Setup → Advanced Setup → Detection Engine → Exclusions
McAfee PC Security → Real-Time Scanning → Excluded Files

In each case, add the full path to the StarWhisper install folder as a folder exclusion:

C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\StarWhisper

Step 3: Reinstall StarWhisper

Once the exclusion is in place, reinstall StarWhisper to restore any quarantined files. The installer will replace missing files without affecting your settings or history.

  1. Download the latest installer from starwhisper.ai.
  2. Run the installer. Your antivirus should no longer block it now that the folder is excluded.
  3. After installation completes, launch StarWhisper and run a test recording.

Your settings are preserved

Reinstalling does not remove your saved settings, vocabulary, or transcription history. Those are stored separately and are not affected.

Step 4: Verify the Fix

Confirm StarWhisper is working correctly after reinstalling:

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the StarWhisper install folder.
  2. Confirm whisper-cli.exe and SDL2.dll are present.
  3. Launch StarWhisper.
  4. Click the recording circle and speak a few words.
  5. Transcription should complete normally within a few seconds.

Still not working?

If whisper-cli.exe is present but transcription still fails, your antivirus may be blocking execution rather than quarantining the file. Check your antivirus logs for "blocked" events and add whisper-cli.exe as a trusted application in addition to the folder exclusion.

Reporting the False Positive

Reporting the false positive to your antivirus vendor helps protect other users. Most vendors accept submissions through their website:

Still Need Help?

If you have followed all the steps above and StarWhisper still isn't working, contact support with:

  • The name and version of your antivirus software
  • A screenshot of any error message StarWhisper shows
  • Whether whisper-cli.exe is present in the install folder

[email protected] — we typically respond within 24 hours.

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