# Troubleshooting The public [troubleshooting page](https://rcourtman.github.io/presspeech/troubleshooting.html) has the complete, task-focused recovery path for macOS and Windows. This concise reference keeps the same recovery steps available as plain Markdown. ## Start Here 1. Reopen Presspeech's controls. Open `Presspeech.app` again on macOS or launch Presspeech again from the Windows Start Menu. The running process restores Setup or Settings instead of starting a second dictation process. 2. Check the model, microphone, permission, and hotkey status in **Setup Checklist** on macOS or **Setup** on Windows. 3. Use **Try Dictation**. If its private scratchpad works, continue with the paste and focus checks below. ## macOS ### Menu Bar Item Is Missing macOS can temporarily omit third-party status items when a crowded or notched menu bar has too little space. Open `/Applications/Presspeech.app` again from Applications, Finder, or Spotlight. The existing process opens Setup Checklist. Enable **Show in Dock** there for a persistent alternative. Right-click the Dock icon to open dictation controls, Settings, Support, or Quit. ### Permission Is Missing Or Will Not Appear Presspeech needs Microphone, Accessibility, and Input Monitoring. Open **Support -> Setup Checklist...** and choose the affected row. If the grant still does not appear, quit and reopen the copy in Applications, return to Setup Checklist, and choose **Try Again**. Presspeech resets only that stuck TCC entry and asks macOS again. ### Speech Model Fails To Load Check the connection and retry first. If Presspeech reports an incomplete or corrupt cache, use **Support -> Reset Speech Model Cache...**. Presspeech deletes only the local model cache, then downloads and verifies a fresh copy; settings and dictionary rules remain intact. ### Hotkey Stops Working - Confirm **Settings -> Hotkey** still shows the intended key. - Confirm Input Monitoring is granted in Setup Checklist. - Use **Settings -> Hotkey -> Reset Hotkey to Default** to test Right Option. - If another app reserves the key, record another supported right-side modifier or F-key. ### Try Dictation Works But Text Is Not Inserted Confirm Accessibility is granted, click the destination text field, then dictate without changing apps before transcription finishes. If the HUD or menu says **Copied — press Command-V to paste**, the finished transcript is already on the clipboard. Return to the intended field and paste it manually instead of dictating it again. Presspeech also uses this fallback when it cannot verify the same destination. Some Electron/Chromium-based apps do not consistently expose the focused-window information the current Mac app checks, so the notice can appear even if the window looks unchanged. If Presspeech instead says **Couldn't paste — use Copy Last Transcript**, choose that menu action before trying again. ### Previous Clipboard Content Is Pasted Turn off **Settings -> Behavior -> Restore clipboard after paste** and retry with non-sensitive text in TextEdit. This option is off by default. Disabling it leaves the new transcript on the clipboard and avoids restoring old content before a slow target app has consumed the paste. Remove unintended text from the destination before continuing and include the target app's name with privacy-safe diagnostics if you report the problem. ### System Audio Stays Muted Unmute the Mac from Control Center or Sound settings, then reopen Presspeech. The app uses a local watchdog and recovery marker to restore audio after an interrupted recording, and checks the marker again at launch. If it happens again, use **Support -> Copy Diagnostics** before quitting. ### Unexpected Exit Notice The notice means a local marker remained after the previous process ended; nothing was sent anywhere. Use **Copy Diagnostics** or **Open Log** from the notice if you want to report what happened. ## Windows ### Notification Icon Is Missing Select the up-arrow at the right of the taskbar to check notification-area overflow. You can also launch Presspeech again from the Start Menu. The existing process restores its open window, opens Setup during first run, or opens Settings afterward. ### Speech Model Is Preparing Or Failed Keep Setup open and wait for the selected model to report ready. A hotkey press while it is preparing is intentionally ignored. If Setup reports a failure, choose **Retry Speech Model**. Check the connection and available disk space; on an NVIDIA system, also update the display driver or select a local Whisper model in Settings. ### Microphone Is Silent Or Cannot Open Select the intended input in Setup, speak during its local level check, and choose **Check Again**. If the input cannot open, use Setup's links to Windows Microphone Privacy and Sound Input settings. Turn on **Microphone access** and **Let desktop apps access your microphone**, then confirm the input under **Settings -> System -> Sound -> Input**. Windows does not show a separate Presspeech toggle for this unpackaged desktop app. ### Hotkey Does Nothing Confirm the model is ready and check the selected key in Setup or Settings. If Right Alt types `@`, `€`, or accented letters, the keyboard uses it as AltGr; Presspeech deliberately leaves that chord alone. Choose F8 or another available modifier or F-key and retry in **Try Dictation**. ### Try Dictation Works But Text Is Not Inserted Click the destination text field before pressing the hotkey and keep that window focused until transcription finishes. If the notification says **Transcript copied, not pasted**, the finished transcript is already on the clipboard. Return to the intended field and press **Ctrl+V** instead of dictating it again. This fallback is used when focus changed, the original window could not be identified, or the target runs as administrator. Reopen an elevated target normally when possible; do not run Presspeech as administrator as a workaround. ### Playback Stays Muted Unmute the affected output from Windows Quick Settings or **Settings -> System -> Sound**, then reopen Presspeech. Copy diagnostics if the previous mute state is not restored after recording. ### Start With Windows Will Not Enable Choose **Open Startup Settings**, find Presspeech under **Settings -> Apps -> Startup**, and review the system setting. Return to Setup or Settings and retry **Finish Setup** or **Save**. ## Report A Problem Safely Choose **Support -> Copy Diagnostics** on macOS or **Copy Diagnostics** from the Windows notification-area menu. Include short reproduction steps, platform and app version, whether the model reached ready, and whether Try Dictation worked. For Windows model failures, include CPU, GPU, and driver details when available. Use the [bug report form](https://github.com/rcourtman/presspeech/issues/new?template=bug_report.yml), or the [private vulnerability-reporting form](https://github.com/rcourtman/presspeech/security/advisories/new) for a security issue. GitHub issues are public. Diagnostics omit transcript text, audio, and dictionary contents. Do not add dictated text, audio, references, dictionary or shortcut contents, credentials, or other private data yourself.