diff --git a/electron/ipc/handlers.ts b/electron/ipc/handlers.ts
index 760bbe23..6284fb19 100644
--- a/electron/ipc/handlers.ts
+++ b/electron/ipc/handlers.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 	setWindowsCapturePaused,
 	setWindowsSystemAudioPath,
 	setWindowsMicAudioPath,
+	setWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath,
 	setWindowsPendingVideoPath,
 	selectedSource,
 } from "./state";
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ export function killWindowsCaptureProcess() {
 		setWindowsCapturePaused(false);
 		setWindowsSystemAudioPath(null);
 		setWindowsMicAudioPath(null);
+		setWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(null);
 		setWindowsPendingVideoPath(null);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/electron/ipc/register/recording.ts b/electron/ipc/register/recording.ts
index b4241613..51598e97 100644
--- a/electron/ipc/register/recording.ts
+++ b/electron/ipc/register/recording.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ import {
 	setWindowsSystemAudioPath,
 	windowsMicAudioPath,
 	setWindowsMicAudioPath,
+	windowsOrphanedMicAudioPath,
+	setWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath,
 	windowsPendingVideoPath,
 	setWindowsPendingVideoPath,
 	lastNativeCaptureDiagnostics,
@@ -162,6 +164,14 @@ function normalizeDesktopSourceName(value: string) {
 	return value.trim().replace(/\s+/g, " ").toLowerCase();
 }
 
+async function cleanupWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(filePath: string | null) {
+	if (!filePath) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	await fs.rm(filePath, { force: true }).catch(() => undefined);
+}
+
 export function registerRecordingHandlers(
 	onRecordingStateChange?: (recording: boolean, sourceName: string) => void,
 ) {
@@ -193,12 +203,14 @@ export function registerRecordingHandlers(
         let captureOutput = ''
         let systemAudioPath: string | null = null
         let microphonePath: string | null = null
+        let orphanedMicAudioPath: string | null = null
         const resolvedDisplay = resolveWindowsCaptureDisplay(
           source,
           getScreen().getAllDisplays(),
           getScreen().getPrimaryDisplay(),
         )
         const displayBounds = resolvedDisplay.bounds
+        setWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(null)
 
         const config: Record<string, unknown> = {
           outputPath,
@@ -267,6 +279,8 @@ export function registerRecordingHandlers(
           options,
         )
         if (microphoneFallbackRequired) {
+          orphanedMicAudioPath = microphonePath
+          setWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(orphanedMicAudioPath)
           microphonePath = null
           setWindowsMicAudioPath(null)
         }
@@ -562,6 +576,7 @@ export function registerRecordingHandlers(
 
         const proc = windowsCaptureProcess
         const preferredVideoPath = windowsCaptureTargetPath
+        const preferredOrphanedMicAudioPath = windowsOrphanedMicAudioPath
         setWindowsCaptureStopRequested(true)
         proc.stdin.write('stop\n')
         const tempVideoPath = await waitForWindowsCaptureStop(proc)
@@ -578,6 +593,8 @@ export function registerRecordingHandlers(
         setWindowsCaptureTargetPath(null)
         setWindowsCaptureStopRequested(false)
         setWindowsCapturePaused(false)
+        setWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(null)
+        await cleanupWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(preferredOrphanedMicAudioPath)
         setWindowsPendingVideoPath(finalVideoPath)
         recordNativeCaptureDiagnostics({
           backend: 'windows-wgc',
@@ -592,6 +609,7 @@ export function registerRecordingHandlers(
       } catch (error) {
         console.error('Failed to stop native Windows capture:', error)
         const fallbackPath = windowsCaptureTargetPath
+        const fallbackOrphanedMicAudioPath = windowsOrphanedMicAudioPath
         setWindowsNativeCaptureActive(false)
         setNativeScreenRecordingActive(false)
         setWindowsCaptureProcess(null)
@@ -600,7 +618,9 @@ export function registerRecordingHandlers(
         setWindowsCapturePaused(false)
         setWindowsSystemAudioPath(null)
         setWindowsMicAudioPath(null)
+        setWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(null)
         setWindowsPendingVideoPath(null)
+        await cleanupWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(fallbackOrphanedMicAudioPath)
 
         if (fallbackPath) {
           try {
@@ -897,7 +917,9 @@ export function registerRecordingHandlers(
 
   ipcMain.handle('mux-native-windows-recording', async (_event, pauseSegments?: PauseSegment[]) => {
     const videoPath = windowsPendingVideoPath
+    const orphanedMicAudioPath = windowsOrphanedMicAudioPath
     setWindowsPendingVideoPath(null)
+    setWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(null)
 
     if (!videoPath) {
       return { success: false, message: 'No native Windows video pending for mux' }
@@ -916,6 +938,7 @@ export function registerRecordingHandlers(
         outputPath: videoPath,
         fileSizeBytes: await getFileSizeIfPresent(videoPath),
       })
+      await cleanupWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(orphanedMicAudioPath)
       return await finalizeStoredVideo(videoPath)
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Failed to mux native Windows recording:', error)
@@ -930,10 +953,11 @@ export function registerRecordingHandlers(
       })
       setWindowsSystemAudioPath(null)
       setWindowsMicAudioPath(null)
-      return {
-        success: false,
-        message: 'Failed to finalize native Windows recording',
-        error: String(error),
+      await cleanupWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(orphanedMicAudioPath)
+      try {
+        return await finalizeStoredVideo(videoPath)
+      } catch {
+        return { success: false, message: 'Failed to mux native Windows recording', error: String(error) }
       }
     }
   })
diff --git a/electron/ipc/state.ts b/electron/ipc/state.ts
index 7fa98176..19e9ba29 100644
--- a/electron/ipc/state.ts
+++ b/electron/ipc/state.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export let windowsCaptureStopRequested = false;
 export let windowsCapturePaused = false;
 export let windowsSystemAudioPath: string | null = null;
 export let windowsMicAudioPath: string | null = null;
+export let windowsOrphanedMicAudioPath: string | null = null;
 export let windowsPendingVideoPath: string | null = null;
 
 // ── Diagnostics ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -127,6 +128,7 @@ export function setWindowsCaptureStopRequested(v: boolean) { windowsCaptureStopR
 export function setWindowsCapturePaused(v: boolean) { windowsCapturePaused = v; }
 export function setWindowsSystemAudioPath(v: string | null) { windowsSystemAudioPath = v; }
 export function setWindowsMicAudioPath(v: string | null) { windowsMicAudioPath = v; }
+export function setWindowsOrphanedMicAudioPath(v: string | null) { windowsOrphanedMicAudioPath = v; }
 export function setWindowsPendingVideoPath(v: string | null) { windowsPendingVideoPath = v; }
 
 export function setLastNativeCaptureDiagnostics(v: NativeCaptureDiagnostics | null) { lastNativeCaptureDiagnostics = v; }
diff --git a/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts b/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts
index 2d129916..a4d08d01 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts
@@ -85,7 +85,29 @@ function getErrorMessage(error: unknown) {
 		return error.message;
 	}
 
-	return String(error);
+	if (typeof error === "string" && error.trim().length > 0) {
+		return error;
+	}
+
+	if (typeof error === "object" && error !== null) {
+		try {
+			const serialized = JSON.stringify(error);
+			if (serialized && serialized !== "{}") {
+				return serialized;
+			}
+		} catch {
+			// Ignore stringify failures and fall through to a generic message.
+		}
+
+		if (typeof (error as { toString?: () => string }).toString === "function") {
+			const stringified = (error as { toString: () => string }).toString();
+			if (stringified && stringified !== "[object Object]") {
+				return stringified;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return "An unexpected error occurred";
 }
 
 export function useScreenRecorder(): UseScreenRecorderReturn {
@@ -1046,8 +1068,14 @@ export function useScreenRecorder(): UseScreenRecorderReturn {
 							micFallbackRecorder.current = recorder;
 						} catch (micError) {
 							console.warn("Browser microphone fallback failed:", micError);
+							const permissionDenied =
+								micError instanceof DOMException &&
+								(micError.name === "NotAllowedError" ||
+									micError.name === "SecurityError");
 							toast.error(
-								`${getErrorMessage(micError)}. Recording will continue without microphone audio.`,
+								permissionDenied
+									? "Microphone permission denied. Recording will continue without microphone audio."
+									: `${getErrorMessage(micError)}. Recording will continue without microphone audio.`,
 								{ id: MICROPHONE_FALLBACK_ERROR_TOAST_ID, duration: 10000 },
 							);
 						}
diff --git a/src/lib/exporter/sourceAudioFallback.test.ts b/src/lib/exporter/sourceAudioFallback.test.ts
index bb0b0a03..6de41b51 100644
--- a/src/lib/exporter/sourceAudioFallback.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/exporter/sourceAudioFallback.test.ts
@@ -40,4 +40,28 @@ describe("resolveSourceAudioFallbackPaths", () => {
 			externalAudioPaths: ["/tmp/recording.mic.wav"],
 		});
 	});
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+
+	it("normalizes Windows file URLs and local paths when checking embedded audio", () => {
+		expect(
+			resolveSourceAudioFallbackPaths("file:///C:/Users/Egg/Videos/recording.mp4", [
+				"C:\\Users\\Egg\\Videos\\recording.mp4",
+				"C:\\Users\\Egg\\Videos\\recording.mic.wav",
+			]),
+		).toEqual({
+			hasEmbeddedSourceAudio: true,
+			externalAudioPaths: ["C:\\Users\\Egg\\Videos\\recording.mic.wav"],
+		});
+	});
+
+	it("matches Windows paths case-insensitively for embedded audio detection", () => {
+		expect(
+			resolveSourceAudioFallbackPaths("file:///C:/Users/Egg/Videos/recording.mp4", [
+				"c:\\users\\egg\\videos\\recording.mp4",
+				"c:\\users\\egg\\videos\\recording.mic.wav",
+			]),
+		).toEqual({
+			hasEmbeddedSourceAudio: true,
+			externalAudioPaths: ["c:\\users\\egg\\videos\\recording.mic.wav"],
+		});
+	});
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/exporter/sourceAudioFallback.ts b/src/lib/exporter/sourceAudioFallback.ts
index 0b937614..6e1fcca4 100644
--- a/src/lib/exporter/sourceAudioFallback.ts
+++ b/src/lib/exporter/sourceAudioFallback.ts
@@ -1,22 +1,48 @@
 import { getLocalFilePathFromResource } from "./mediaResource";
 
+function normalizeSourceAudioFallbackPath(resourceOrPath: string): string | null {
+	if (typeof resourceOrPath !== "string") {
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	const resolvedPath = getLocalFilePathFromResource(resourceOrPath) ?? resourceOrPath;
+	const trimmedPath = resolvedPath.trim();
+	if (!trimmedPath) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	const isWindowsPath =
+		/^[A-Za-z]:[\\/]/.test(trimmedPath) || /^\\\\[^\\]+\\[^\\]+/.test(trimmedPath);
+	if (isWindowsPath) {
+		return trimmedPath.replace(/\//g, "\\").toLowerCase();
+	}
+
+	return trimmedPath.replace(/\\/g, "/");
+}
+
 export function resolveSourceAudioFallbackPaths(
 	videoResource: string | null | undefined,
 	sourceAudioFallbackPaths: string[] | null | undefined,
 ) {
-	const normalizedPaths = (sourceAudioFallbackPaths ?? []).filter(
-		(audioPath) => typeof audioPath === "string" && audioPath.trim().length > 0,
-	);
+	const normalizedPaths = (sourceAudioFallbackPaths ?? [])
+		.filter((audioPath) => typeof audioPath === "string" && audioPath.trim().length > 0)
+		.map((audioPath) => ({
+			audioPath,
+			normalizedPath: normalizeSourceAudioFallbackPath(audioPath),
+		}));
 	const localVideoSourcePath = videoResource
-		? getLocalFilePathFromResource(videoResource)
+		? normalizeSourceAudioFallbackPath(videoResource)
 		: null;
 	const hasEmbeddedSourceAudio =
-		Boolean(localVideoSourcePath) && normalizedPaths.includes(localVideoSourcePath);
+		Boolean(localVideoSourcePath) &&
+		normalizedPaths.some(({ normalizedPath }) => normalizedPath === localVideoSourcePath);
 
 	return {
 		hasEmbeddedSourceAudio,
 		externalAudioPaths: hasEmbeddedSourceAudio
-			? normalizedPaths.filter((audioPath) => audioPath !== localVideoSourcePath)
-			: normalizedPaths,
+			? normalizedPaths
+					.filter(({ normalizedPath }) => normalizedPath !== localVideoSourcePath)
+					.map(({ audioPath }) => audioPath)
+			: normalizedPaths.map(({ audioPath }) => audioPath),
 	};
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}