Windows

freemkv comes in two builds for Windows. Install one or the other; both are the freemkv command and use the same ripping engine. Download the x86_64 builds from the Download page.

freemkv (the app): the desktop app plus every CLI command.
freemkv CLI: the command line only, as a single console program.

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

64-bit Windows on an x86_64 (Intel or AMD) or ARM64 (Snapdragon, Surface) PC. Each download has a native ARM64 version: freemkv-aarch64-windows-setup.exe, freemkv-aarch64-windows.zip and freemkv-cli-aarch64-windows.exe. Scoop picks the right build for your PC.
An optical drive. See OEM (stock) drives and Unlocked drives for drive support.

Install

Scoop

With Scoop, add the freemkv bucket once and install:

scoop bucket add freemkv https://github.com/freemkv/scoop-bucket
scoop install freemkv          # or freemkv-cli

freemkv is the app: a freemkv shortcut under Start menu > Scoop Apps, and the freemkv command on your PATH. freemkv-cli is the command line only; install one or the other. scoop update freemkv installs new releases. The bucket also has the firmware tools: scoop install freemkv-flash freemkv-fw.

App

Run freemkv-x86_64-windows-setup.exe. It installs for your user only (no administrator prompt) into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\freemkv, adds a freemkv Start menu shortcut and an optional desktop icon, and adds freemkv to your user PATH.

For a portable copy instead, download freemkv-x86_64-windows.zip, right-click it, choose Extract All and keep the two files together.

The app is two files, because Windows fixes at build time whether a program owns a console:

File	Purpose
`freemkv.exe`	The window. Double-click it or use the Start menu shortcut.
`freemkv.com`	The same program for terminals.

Typing freemkv in PowerShell or Command Prompt runs freemkv.com, because Windows tries .com before .exe. So freemkv disc:// mkv://Movie.mkv rips with progress in the terminal, and a bare freemkv opens the window and returns to the prompt. After installing, open a new terminal so it picks up the PATH change:

freemkv --version
freemkv info disc://

From the portable folder, use .\freemkv instead; the .\ tells PowerShell to use the file in the current folder.

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

Command line only

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

.\freemkv --version
.\freemkv info disc://

It has no window; a bare freemkv prints usage. See the CLI reference for ripping commands and options.

Verify the download

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

(Get-FileHash .\freemkv-x86_64-windows-setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256).Hash.ToLower()
Get-Content .\freemkv-x86_64-windows-setup.exe.sha256

First launch

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

Run the installer, open freemkv.exe or run the CLI.
In the SmartScreen prompt, choose More info.
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

Installation	Update	Remove
Installed app	Close freemkv and run the new release’s installer	Settings → Apps → Installed apps → freemkv → Uninstall; this also removes it from PATH
Portable app `.zip`	Close freemkv, then replace `freemkv.exe` and `freemkv.com` with the ones from the new release	Delete the extracted folder
Standalone CLI	Replace the `.exe` with the new release	Delete the `.exe`

Settings and ripped movies are separate from program files, so updating or removing freemkv leaves them in place.

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:

freemkv info disc:// --log-level 3 --log-file "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\freemkv-log.txt"

Use .\freemkv from a portable or CLI folder.

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.

freemkv-library

For automatic ripping through a browser, see freemkv-library for setup, configuration and data locations. It ships as a Docker image.

Troubleshooting

Windows protected your PC: review First launch.
A black window flashes and closes: you double-clicked the standalone CLI. Use a terminal, or install the app and open freemkv.exe.
PowerShell says the command is not recognized: after installing, open a new terminal. For portable or CLI files, 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.