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Windows

freemkv provides a native desktop app and a command-line interface on Windows. Both use the same ripping engine. Download the x86_64 builds from the Download page.

The freemkv desktop app on Windows with a disc image open — per-title and per-track selection with chapters and durations, output format, and a live log

Requirements

Section titled “Requirements”
  • 64-bit Windows on an x86_64 (Intel or AMD) PC. There is no native ARM64 build; the x86_64 build runs under emulation on ARM Windows.
  • An optical drive. See OEM (stock) drives and Unlocked drives for drive support.

Install

Section titled “Install”

Desktop app

Section titled “Desktop app”

Download freemkv-x86_64-windows.zip, right-click it and choose Extract All. Keep the extracted folder wherever you prefer, then open freemkv-gui.exe.

Open a disc, image or folder, select the titles and tracks, choose an output location and press Rip. No terminal is needed.

Command line

Section titled “Command line”

Download freemkv-x86_64-windows.exe. In File Explorer, open its folder, right-click an empty area and choose Open in Terminal. In PowerShell, run:

Terminal window
.\freemkv-x86_64-windows.exe --version
.\freemkv-x86_64-windows.exe info disc://

The .\ tells PowerShell to use the file in the current folder. You can rename it to freemkv.exe for shorter commands. Running it with gui opens the desktop interface. See the CLI reference for ripping commands and options.

Verify the download

Section titled “Verify the download”

The .zip and the standalone .exe on GitHub Releases each have a matching .sha256 file. Compare the hash of your download with the line for the same file name:

Terminal window
(Get-FileHash .\freemkv-x86_64-windows.zip -Algorithm SHA256).Hash.ToLower()
Get-Content .\freemkv-x86_64-windows.zip.sha256

First launch

Section titled “First launch”

The Windows downloads are currently unsigned. SmartScreen may show Windows protected your PC for either the desktop app or CLI. For a download you obtained from the official release page and trust:

  1. Open freemkv-gui.exe or run the CLI.
  2. In the SmartScreen prompt, choose More info.
  3. Choose Run anyway if Windows offers it. Managed computers may require an administrator’s approval.

If antivirus software quarantines the file, review its detection details and verify the download source. An unsigned-file warning and a malware detection are different; do not assume every alert is a false positive. See Microsoft’s explanation of SmartScreen.

Update or remove

Section titled “Update or remove”
Installation Update Remove
Desktop app .zip Close freemkv, then replace the extracted freemkv-gui.exe with the one from the new release Delete the extracted folder
Standalone CLI Replace the .exe with the new release Delete the .exe

There is no installer to run. Settings and ripped movies are separate from program files, so updating or removing freemkv leaves them in place.

File locations

Section titled “File locations”
What Location
Desktop settings %APPDATA%\freemkv\gui-settings.json
Desktop diagnostic log log.txt in the same folder, written only when the app’s log level is Verbose or debug messages are on
Finished movies The output location you choose before ripping; the desktop app suggests your Videos folder
AACS keys See Decryption Keys
CLI diagnostic log Off by default; --log-level 3 writes log.txt in the current folder

To capture a CLI log at a specific path:

Terminal window
.\freemkv-x86_64-windows.exe info disc:// --log-level 3 --log-file "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\freemkv-log.txt"

Drive access

Section titled “Drive access”

freemkv uses native Windows SCSI pass-through (SPTI). No freemkv-specific driver is required. If physical-drive access is denied, start the desktop app or terminal with Run as administrator. A drive can be selected by its letter, such as D:.

Close other software using the disc and confirm the drive appears in Windows before retrying.

autorip

Section titled “autorip”

For automatic ripping through a browser, download autorip-x86_64-windows.zip, extract it and run:

Terminal window
.\autorip.exe serve

Leave the terminal open and visit http://localhost:8080. See autorip Service for configuration, data locations and running it as a service.

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”
  • Windows protected your PC: review First launch.
  • A black window flashes and closes: you opened the CLI by double-clicking it. Use a terminal, or open freemkv-gui.exe for the desktop app.
  • PowerShell says the command is not recognized: check the filename, current folder and leading .\.
  • No drive is available: check the connection, close other disc software and review Drive access.
  • A movie is missing: check the output location selected for that rip.

See also

Section titled “See also”