Windows executable crashes immediately on launch

[drhiidden]

Problem

Windows users report that ricochet.exe crashes immediately after launching with no visible error message.

Current Behavior

1. Download ricochet.exe from releases
2. Double-click executable
3. Window appears briefly then closes
4. No error message shown

Expected Behavior

• Application should start successfully, OR
• Show clear error message with instructions if dependencies missing

Root Cause (Suspected)

Hardcoded Mac paths in cmd/ricochet/main.go:109-112:
whisperPath = "/Users/exampleUser/Ricochet/third_party/whisper.cpp/..."## Proposed Fix

1. Add startup dependency validation (TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN, FFmpeg, Whisper)
2. Make Whisper optional (disable voice commands if missing)
3. Show helpful error messages instead of crashing
4. Create console version for debugging
5. Update Windows documentation

Impact

🚨 CRITICAL: Blocks all Windows users from using Ricochet

[sach16795]

Similar issue. Would highly appreciate if the tool can be made functional for windows environment.

[igoryanba]

Hello. I don't have a PC to check. But I will definitely fix the problem. Thanks for writing.