Viska Downloads Troubleshooting

Windows · x64 preview · Setup guide

Install. Speak.
Write where you work.

Viska runs local speech recognition on your computer. You do not need a Python installation, a cloud account or an API key to get started.

The Windows edition is an experimental preview. Automated package tests cover startup and local transcription; microphone and automatic-paste behavior still need feedback from real Windows desktops.

Step 1

Install the complete app.

  1. The new 0.5.68 installer has passed its GitLab build tests but is not yet available on this site's download page. Until it is published, the existing 0.5.57 download is a portable ZIP: follow the portable instructions below. The new preview targets Windows 11 on an Intel or AMD x64 computer.
  2. Open the downloaded setup file. Viska installs for your Windows user; administrator access is not required. A desktop shortcut is optional.
  3. Start Viska from the Start menu. Keep its application files together in the installation folder.

The preview is unsigned. A Windows security warning is different from an installation error. Check that the file came from this site and compare its SHA-256 with the download page before deciding whether to trust it. Do not turn off antivirus or SmartScreen globally.

Using the portable ZIP instead?

Extract the entire ZIP first, then open Viska/Viska.exe. Keep the _internal folder beside it. Do not run a detached EXE or launch it from inside the ZIP viewer. The portable package still stores settings and models in your Windows user-data folder.

Step 2

Choose a model and check your microphone.

  1. Open Menu → Models. Download a recommended GGML model for your language and wait for installation to finish.
  2. Select the model. Local CPU transcription works without NVIDIA or CUDA.
  3. In Windows, open Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone. Enable microphone access and Let desktop apps access your microphone.
  4. Make a short recording in Viska and stop it. The finished text should appear in the editor.

If recording fails, check the selected input device and whether another application is holding it. Reconnect a disconnected USB microphone, select it again and retry. See Microsoft’s microphone permission guide for Windows settings.

Step 3

Dictate into another app.

  1. Open Menu → Settings → Hotkeys. Enable Global hotkeys and check the key combination shown there.
  2. In Settings, open System-wide dictation. Enable Auto-paste after background dictation and choose an output mode that permits external delivery.
  3. Open Notepad normally, click its text field, and use the shortcut to start recording. Speak, then use the shortcut again to stop.
  4. Keep the same field focused while Viska transcribes. The new text should be pasted there. Repeat with a second short sentence.

If automatic paste cannot complete, Viska should keep the finished text on the system clipboard so you can press Ctrl + V. Recent segments also keeps a session copy when enabled. Administrator-level target apps may block input from a normally running Viska; test with ordinary Notepad first.

Which kind of problem are you seeing?

Windows blocks the downloaded file
Record the exact security message. Signing and reputation warnings are separate from whether Viska can transcribe.
The installer fails
Record its error and your selected installation folder. Make sure you have enough free disk space.
Viska does not open
Record the startup message and the log location it displays.
Viska opens, but an action fails
Open Menu → Help → Copy diagnostics and send that summary with the exact error and the action that caused it. Do not send API keys, private recordings or dictated text.

Send Windows feedback. Include your Viska version and whether you used the installer or portable ZIP.

Updates and removal

Quit Viska before installing an update. Install it for the same Windows user to keep your settings and downloaded models. Ordinary uninstallation removes the app and its shortcuts while retaining user data.