Antivirus Is Blocking a Program You Trust — How to Fix It

Antivirus programs occasionally flag legitimate software as a threat — this is called a false positive. The right response is not to turn off your antivirus, but to add a targeted exception for the trusted program.

How to tell if antivirus is the problem

If a program suddenly stops working or will not install, check your antivirus activity log or notification history. In Windows Security (the built-in antivirus), press Win + I, go to Privacy and security, Windows Security, Virus and threat protection, then click 'Protection history' to see recent actions taken.

Add an exclusion in Windows Security

1. Open Windows Security (search for it in the Start menu).
2. Click Virus and threat protection.
3. Scroll down to Virus and threat protection settings and click 'Manage settings'.
4. Scroll to Exclusions and click 'Add or remove exclusions'.
5. Click 'Add an exclusion' and choose File to exclude the specific program file, or Folder to exclude its entire installation folder.

Add an exclusion in third-party antivirus software

The exact steps vary by product, but the setting is usually found under labels like Exceptions, Exclusions, Whitelist, or Trusted items. Check the Help section of your security software or search for [your antivirus name] add exception on the vendor's support site.

Restore a quarantined file

If the antivirus already moved the file to quarantine, you will need to restore it from there before adding an exception. In Windows Security, go to Protection history, find the quarantined item, and click 'Restore'. Then add it as an exclusion so it is not quarantined again.

Make sure you are certain it is safe

Only add exceptions for software you installed yourself from a trusted source. If a program you do not recognise is being flagged, do not restore it — it may genuinely be malware. If you are unsure, ask us before restoring anything.