Unable to Start Whisper

[zezartiti]

I downloaded SubtitleEdit-Windows-x64-Setup.exe. Before installing it, I was prompted to download and install dotnet-sdk-10.0.301-win-x64.exe, so I proceeded to meet that requirement. Afterward, I tried using the text-to-speech feature and encountered a problem.

[pigers]

check if your antimalware system did not delete something in that area

[orangepinkpurple]

i have the same! did you manage to figure it out?

[niksedk]

Hi :)

The error means that whisper-cli.exe was missing when Subtitle Edit tried to start it - most likely your antivirus software quarantined/deleted it (freshly downloaded unsigned executables are often flagged).

To fix it now:

1. Check your antivirus quarantine and restore the file, or better: add an exclusion for the folder %APPDATA%\Subtitle Edit\SpeechToText
2. Delete the Cpp folder inside %APPDATA%\Subtitle Edit\SpeechToText - Subtitle Edit will then prompt you to download Whisper again the next time you use speech-to-text

Also, Subtitle Edit has been improved (#12363): when the engine file has gone missing, it now explains the likely antivirus cause and offers to re-download it directly. This will be in the next beta/release.

[orangepinkpurple]

I redownloaded it but it didnt help. However what made it work was when in the cpp folder there inside is also a release folder. I moved everything from the release folder to the ccp folder and that made it work!

[niksedk]

Thanks @orangepinkpurple - your note about the Release folder was the key clue :)

The Windows whisper.cpp CPU build (whisper-blas-bin-x64.zip) nests all its binaries under a Release/ folder, so whisper-cli.exe ended up in Cpp/Release/ instead of Cpp/, and Subtitle Edit couldn't find it - exactly what you worked around by moving the files up.

Fixed in #12378 (merged): Subtitle Edit now strips that Release/ folder while unpacking. This will be in the next beta/release.