FAQ & troubleshooting

Quick answers to the things people hit most often.

Your licence and your download

I have a new computer — how do I install Zerds again?

Your licence key stays valid and covers every computer you own or control — there is nothing to move, deactivate or transfer. Self-service downloads are not switched on yet, so email us your key using the address at the foot of this page and we will send the installer straight back.

I have lost my licence key

Email us from the address you bought with, or tell us which address it was, and we will look the purchase up and re-send the key. Self-service recovery is not switched on yet. Nothing is lost — your licence record does not expire.

Do I have to buy it again for a second machine?

No. One purchase, one person, every computer you own or control — macOS, Windows and Linux. The same key works on all of them at once.

I was refunded. What happens to my licence?

A refunded licence can no longer be used to get the installer. An install that is already activated keeps running until its licence file lapses.

Common questions

Does it run on macOS or Linux?

Zerds runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. All three are in beta.

How do updates arrive?

Every 1.x update is included. If there is ever a 2.0, it's a separate purchase — and your 1.x keeps working, offline, for as long as you have it.

There's no "Others" text

Check that the Others channel is not muted and that the call audio is actually playing through the device Windows is using — the Others level meter moves when it's being heard. For per-app capture, the app must already be running and have played audio at least once.

The first recording is slow / "Downloading model…"

The transcription model downloads once on first use, then runs from cache. Later recordings don't repeat it.

Transcription is slow on a CPU-only machine

Pick a smaller Whisper model (e.g. small.en instead of large-v3), or turn off live transcription so it runs after you stop.

I'm behind a corporate proxy / Hugging Face is blocked

Downloads use your OS certificate store and proxy settings. If a download still fails, Zerds shows a direct URL and a mirror so you can fetch the model in a browser and drop it into the models/ folder.

Per-app capture says the app isn't running

Launch the target app first — capture resolves it at record time. On Windows, the app must have played audio at least once to appear in the picker.

"Record Discord" does nothing

Make sure the bot is invited to the server you're calling in (Settings → Integrations), and that you're in a voice channel when you press the button. Use Test connection to check the token.

Still stuck?

Email [email protected] — including any licence key or error wording you have. If you have bought Zerds and cannot get to your download, say so and we will send you the installer directly.