Verify the official installer
The official installer is named AI Stripper Setup 2.3.2.exe. Windows should report Sputnik Digital LLC as the verified publisher.
The installer SHA-256 is:
B22110A541FFFDDEA7FAE971BACC3998D2EF0EE43CC8CD074A12E139A76F5BCFIn PowerShell, verify a downloaded copy with:
Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 ".\AI Stripper Setup 2.3.2.exe"
Get-AuthenticodeSignature ".\AI Stripper Setup 2.3.2.exe"The hash must match exactly and the Authenticode status should be Valid.
Installation and removal
Version 2.3.2 requests administrator permission and defaults to the system Program Files directory. The installed package includes the application, PDF user manual, changelog, and third-party notices.
The installer creates a Start menu group and can add a desktop shortcut. Use Windows Installed apps to remove AI Stripper. The uninstaller is signed through the same Sputnik publisher profile.
Uninstalling the application does not delete image originals or completed output files. Saved defaults in the user profile may remain unless they are removed separately.
How update checks work
AI Stripper makes one small HTTPS request after startup and can repeat that request when you select the version control. It asks SputnikFX.com for the current version, a trusted product URL, and a short release note.
If a newer version exists, AI Stripper displays a notification. It does not download an executable, run an installer, or replace files automatically. The final download and install choice remains with the user.
The app accepts update links only from SputnikFX.com over HTTPS. Invalid, untrusted, or unavailable responses are ignored.
Privacy boundaries
Core stripping, rewriting, and conversion are local. AI Stripper has no account system, analytics package, or ad SDK. It does not send images, filenames, file paths, metadata contents, or a device identifier during the version check.
The request identifies the application and installed version through a user-agent string. That is enough for the server to return compatible release metadata without receiving the work being processed.
The optional Suggest metadata action has a different network boundary. After the user approves the disclosure, it sends one metadata-free JPEG rendering at a time to the selected OpenAI or Gemini provider. The rendering is resized to a maximum of 1600 pixels. The request does not include the source filename, folder path, existing metadata, Author, Copyright, or other rewrite values.
The disclosure appears every time Suggest metadata starts. The feature is not required for stripping, rewriting, conversion, or update checks. Provider terms, retention rules, and API charges apply to the user's own account.
Saved defaults remain in the current Windows user's Local AppData folder. Provider API keys are stored separately in Windows Credential Manager. Settings shows masked dots when a key exists without loading the stored secret into the interface. Neither location is used as an activity log.
Troubleshooting
- Installer cannot write to a folderUse version 2.3.2, approve the administrator prompt, and select a location where the account has installation permission.
- Windows shows an unknown publisherStop. Verify the file came from SputnikFX.com, check the SHA-256 hash, and inspect the Authenticode signature.
- No update message appearsThe installed build may be current, the network may be unavailable, or the response may have failed validation. Image processing still works offline.
- WebP Options appears to freeze an older buildClose the older AI Stripper process and install version 2.3.2. Current releases include the conversion-dialog ownership fix.
- The old taskbar pin stays separateInstall version 2.3.2, unpin the old shortcut once, launch AI Stripper from Start, then pin the running window. The current build groups by the installed executable.
- Suggest metadata reports a missing keyOpen Settings, choose OpenAI or Gemini, enter an API key for that provider, and save it to Windows Credential Manager.
- An AI provider rejects a requestCheck the selected model, provider account status, key permissions, network connection, and any provider quota or billing limit. Core processing remains available.
- A file will not processConfirm that it is a valid JPG, JPEG, PNG, or WebP file and that the destination folder is writable.
- Conversion is rejectedAnimated WebP files must stay WebP for same-format stripping. AI Stripper will not silently flatten them.
Questions
Why does the installer ask for administrator permission?
Version 2.3.2 installs into Program Files by default, which is a protected Windows application folder.
Does AI Stripper download updates automatically?
No. It only displays a notification and trusted product link when a newer version is available.
What information does the update check send?
The request identifies AI Stripper and its installed version. It does not include images, filenames, paths, metadata, or a device identifier.
What does Suggest metadata send?
After approval, one metadata-free JPEG rendering resized to a maximum of 1600 pixels is sent to the selected OpenAI or Gemini provider. The request excludes filenames, paths, source metadata, Author, Copyright, and other rewrite values.
Can I use AI Stripper without an API key?
Yes. API keys are needed only for optional metadata suggestions. Core image processing and update notifications remain available without one.
Continue through the AI Stripper manuals
Review Rewrite Fields and Saved Defaults for the earlier part of this workflow.
Return to the AI Stripper Quick Start or open the current product page to download the signed release.
Reference files Keep the manual nearby
Work from the complete release manual.
The versioned PDF covers every control, installation, privacy behavior, and troubleshooting step in AI Stripper 2.3.2.
