Recorder Inactive Due to ISP/Regional Network Restrictions

Some internet service providers (ISPs) and regional networks block or throttle connections to Medal's services (cdn.medal.tv, api.medal.tv, etc.). This happens at the network level before traffic ever reaches Medal's servers.

This is not a Medal bug or something we can fix with an app update. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Short summary
• Prerequisites
• Files to create
  • Start_Medal_Bypass.bat
  • list-medal.txt
• Quick start
• Troubleshooting
• Advanced tips
• Security & maintenance
• Need help?

Short summary

Zapret is an autonomous DPI-bypass tool that runs locally on Windows and can help bypass provider DPI blocks for specific hostnames without using a third-party proxy. This guide shows how to run Zapret (zapret-win-bundle) to unblock Medal.tv on Windows 10/11 (x64).

⚠️ Important legal & safety note — Bypassing network restrictions may violate local law, your ISP’s terms of service, or company policy. Only use this guide on networks and systems where you are authorized to do so. Disabling Secure Boot and whitelisting binaries in antivirus reduce system protections; proceed only if you understand the trade-offs.

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 or Windows 11 (x64). Run all commands as Administrator.

• Download and extract the Zapret Windows bundle (zapret-win-bundle) into a folder, e.g. D:\Zapret.
  Official repo: https://github.com/bol-van/zapret-win-bundle

• Ensure a working winws.exe is present in the same folder.

• You may need to disable Secure Boot if driver signing prevents Windivert from loading. Microsoft docs on disabling Secure Boot: https://learn.microsoft.com/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/disabling-secure-boot
  Warning: disabling Secure Boot reduces OS-level protections and can cause conflicting issues with anti-cheats.

• Add an AV exception for your Zapret folder (or whitelist the programs). For guidance and example wording for whitelisting Medal files, see Medal’s AV whitelist article.

Files to create

Place the files below in the same folder as winws.exe.

• Start_Medal_Bypass.bat

  @echo off
  cd /d "%~dp0"
  
  
  rem =============================================================================================
  rem Medal.tv Unblocker for Zapret
  rem Wrapper batch script to start winws.exe with Medal.tv hostlist
  rem Batch created by Tim Fuhrmann — Contact: tim@medal.tv
  rem Original Zapret software: Copyright (c) 2016-2024 bol-van (MIT License)
  rem =============================================================================================
  
  
  title Medal.tv Unblocker (Zapret)
  
  
  cls
  echo =============================================================================================
  echo  Medal.tv Unblocker for Zapret
  echo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  echo  * Keep this window open while using Medal.tv
  echo  * To stop the bypass: close this window or press Ctrl+C
  echo  * If you encounter any issues with Medal, please reach out to the Medal.tv Support Team!
  echo =============================================================================================
  echo.
  if not exist list-medal.txt (
    echo [!] list-medal.txt not found in %cd%
    pause
    exit /b
  )
  
  
  rem Start zapret in the same window (blocking)
  winws.exe --wf-tcp=80,443 --hostlist="list-medal.txt" --dpi-desync=fake,multidisorder --new
  
  
  rem This will execute only after winws exits
  echo.
  echo [*] Zapret stopped. Program exited with code %errorlevel%
  pause

  
  

• list-medal.txt

  medal.tv
  cdn.medal.tv
  .medal.tv
  127.0.0.1

  
  

Notes: Zapret’s hostlist accepts plain domain entries and applies subdomains automatically — keep the list simple. Add any additional Medal hostnames you discover if necessary.

Quick start

1. Extract the zapret-win-bundle to a folder (e.g. D:\Zapret). Confirm winws.exe and the windivert subfolder are present.

2. Save Start_Medal_Bypass.bat and list-medal.txt into the same folder as winws.exe.

3. Right-click Start_Medal_Bypass.bat → Run as administrator.

4. Check the console for lines like:

   • windivert initialized. capture is started

   • Loaded X hosts from list-medal.txt

If you see those messages, leave the console open and test Medal.tv in your browser or the Medal client!

Troubleshooting

• Console shows only usage/help and exits with code 1
  You likely ran winws without the required options. Ensure the wrapper uses:

  --wf-tcp=80,443 --hostlist="list-medal.txt" --dpi-desync=fake,multidisorder --new

• Windivert / driver errors ("failed to open driver", "error 577")
  Driver signing / Secure Boot likely blocked the driver. Check Secure Boot and consider temporarily disabling it, or use a signed Windivert build if available.

• Antivirus blocks winws or Windivert
  Add a folder exception (whitelist) for the Zapret folder. See Medal’s AV whitelist article for wording/examples and follow your corporate/home AV guidance.

• Run blockcheck\blockcheck.cmd (included in the Zapret bundle)
  blockcheck can auto-detect the best --dpi-desync parameters for your ISP and writes working command-line examples to blockcheck.log. Swap the working arguments into the Start_Medal_Bypass.bat command if needed.

• Medal still fails

  • Add more Medal hostnames to list-medal.txt (if you identify them).

  • Try different --dpi-desync strategies suggested by blockcheck.

  • If problems persist, contact Medal Support and include the console output and blockcheck.log.

Advanced tips

• To run Zapret with different DPI-desync options, edit the winws.exe command line in Start_Medal_Bypass.bat with the arguments blockcheck suggests.

• Keep the console window open while using Medal; closing it or stopping the process will stop the bypass.

• If you want to run Zapret unattended, consider converting the batch into a scheduled task that runs with highest privileges — but be mindful of AV and driver loading issues!

Security & maintenance

• Keep your copy of Zapret and Windivert up to date from their official sources.

• Re-enable Secure Boot if you disabled it for troubleshooting and you no longer need the unsigned driver.

• Only whitelist binaries you trust and only on machines you own or administer.

Need help?

If you run into problems you can’t resolve:

• Include the console output from Start_Medal_Bypass.bat (copy/paste), and if present, blockcheck.log.

• Reach out to Medal Support with those logs and a short description of what you tried.