Quick symptom finder
| Symptom | Go to |
|---|---|
| App won't start, or shows a .NET error | Windows compatibility |
| Installer blocked by SmartScreen or antivirus | Installation issues |
| Black video, or no sound during playback | Video & waveform |
| No waveform | Video & waveform |
| Accented or non-Latin characters look garbled | Configuration issues |
| Settings missing or different from what you set | Conflicts |
| Subtitle files open in the wrong program | Conflicts |
| Everything is tiny or blurry on a 4K screen | Configuration issues |
Compatibility with Windows 10 and 11
Subtitle Edit 5 officially requires Windows 10 version 22H2 (build 19045) or newer, fully updated. Every supported Windows 11 release meets that requirement.
| Windows 10 | Windows 11 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum build | 22H2, build 19045 | Any supported release |
| x64 installer | Yes | Yes |
| x64 portable ZIP | Yes | Yes |
| ARM64 build | Use x64 build | ARM64 ZIP |
| Common pitfall | An outdated build causes .NET runtime errors | Blurry UI when scaling is set very high |
Windows 10: "It worked on another PC but not this one"
This almost always means the Windows 10 build is older than 22H2 or is missing cumulative updates. Open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update, install everything, restart, and repeat until no updates are left. Then confirm with winver.
Windows 11 on ARM
Use the ARM64 ZIP for native speed. The x64 build can run under Windows' emulation, but it's slower, especially for waveform generation and OCR.
Installation issues
Restart Windows so pending updates finish installing, then run the setup file again. If you downloaded it from anywhere other than GitHub Releases, delete it and download it again from the official link.
- SmartScreen warning: check that the file came from
github.com/SubtitleEdit/subtitleedit, then choose More info → Run anyway. - Antivirus quarantine: restore the file only if it came from the official page, and report the false positive to your antivirus vendor.
- Portable build can't save: it is in a protected folder. Move it out of
Program Files. - Wrong build: ARM64 and x64 builds don't run in place of each other natively. Match the build to your system type.
The full error table is in the installation guide.
Video and waveform problems
Two separate helpers are involved: libmpv shows the video picture and plays the sound, and FFmpeg reads the audio to draw the waveform. Working out which one is failing tells you what to fix.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Waveform appears, but the video is black or silent | FFmpeg works, so the file is fine. libmpv is failing to load. | Update your graphics driver. Download libmpv again from . Check that vulkan-1.dll is in the same folder as libmpv-2.dll. |
| Video plays, but there is no waveform | FFmpeg is missing or wasn't found. | Download FFmpeg from , then open the video again. |
| Playback is choppy, or some features are missing | VLC is selected as the player. Subtitle Edit's VLC support is limited. | Switch the player to mpv (libmpv) under Video Player settings. |
| A particular file won't open | Damaged file or unusual codec. | Try another video. If other videos work, re-encode or remux this one. Subtitle Edit 5 includes video re-encode and cut tools. |
Conflicts and configuration issues
Installed and portable copies use different settings
The installed version reads %APPDATA%\Subtitle Edit. The portable version reads its own folder. If you use both, each has its own settings, dictionaries and helpers, which can look like "lost" settings. Press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+D in either copy to see which folder it is using.
Moving up from Subtitle Edit 4
Subtitle Edit 5 is a rewrite on a new UI framework. Don't assume that version 4 settings, plugins or custom add-on folders carry over. Set up version 5 fresh, and keep your old version 4 folder until you have moved your custom dictionaries and replace lists across.
Subtitle files open in another program
Other subtitle tools, media players and video editors often register .srt, .ass or .vtt for themselves. Use the file-association option in Subtitle Edit's settings, or right-click a subtitle file and choose Open with → Choose another app → Always.
Garbled characters (é, п, ?)
The file uses an older code page, not UTF-8. Turn on Auto-convert encoding to UTF-8 on open under . For a single file, use , then save it again as UTF-8.
Tiny or blurry interface on high-DPI screens
Change UI scaling and the grid and text box fonts under , rather than using Windows' compatibility scaling override.
Helper version conflicts
If you pointed Subtitle Edit at your own FFmpeg, mpv or Tesseract install, a version mismatch can cause crashes or strange output. The project doesn't officially support other versions. Download the helper again with Subtitle Edit's built-in downloader.
Downloads blocked on work or school networks
Set the proxy in Subtitle Edit's network settings, or ask IT to allow GitHub downloads.
Open the data folder with Ctrl+Alt+Shift+D (installed version: %APPDATA%\Subtitle Edit). Close Subtitle Edit, then rename the folder to Subtitle Edit.old. For the portable version, extract a fresh copy instead. On the next start Subtitle Edit creates fresh settings. Copy back only the files you need, such as custom dictionaries.
Still stuck?
- Read the official Subtitle Edit FAQ.
- Search existing reports on the GitHub issue tracker. If you open a new one, include your Subtitle Edit version, your Windows version and build, and the error log (available from the settings window).