Add Exceptions to Anti Virus Programs

Introduction

Many antivirus programs now offer protection against ransomware which protects the user folder from malicious attempts. This is normally a good thing as ransomware is designed to encode your user data since data has a huge value.

Unfortunately this can prevent that trustworthy programs can write to these folders either which can lead to all kinds of unwanted behavior. The antivirus programs allow to put certain programs on a safe list so that they are allowed to write to these folders again.

This tutorial will show you how to do that for a few widely used antivirus programs. The same concepts are present in other programs as well so please consult the documentation of the program.

Firewalls can also block software. Please consult the documentation for your firewall on how to add exceptions there.

Steps

Most programs have two places where you can add exceptions

  • Exceptions from scans and real time protection. Those files/folders are not scanned.
  • Exceptions for ransomware protection.

First step if you have issues is to add the program you have issues with as exception to ransomware protection and if that doesn’t help as general exception.

Windows 10 Defender – Controlled Folder Access

Pictures below are for Avast as are the labels but they are almost identical in AVG and it works the same way.

Avast sometimes asks if you want to add a program as exception depending on your settings. Click on Allow App to permanently allow the program to write to your protected folders. Click on Block App to permanently block the access

Ransomware

  1. Open Avast/AVG
  2. Click on Protection –>Ransomware Shield –>Cogwheel on the right side or on Menu –> Settings–> Protection –> Ransomware-Shield
  3. If you set the mode to Smart Mode the most common programs are already safe and you should not have any issues. Continue with Step 7 and check if your program now works. Continue with Step 4 if it still doesn’t work or if you rather use strict mode.
  4. Click on view allowed/blocked apps to add new exceptions.
  5. The list of allowed apps shows all already allowed apps. You can now add the Exe file of the program you’re having issues with by clicking on the Allow App button (Sims 3/Origin as example)
  6. You can either navigate through the file system (Select App Path) or just add the program from the suggestion list.

  7. Click on Close to make sure all changes are saved. Restart the program you had issues with to check if they are now solved.

Exceptions from scans and shields

It’s only recommended to add files here if the it hasn’t helped to add them to the ransomware protection.

  1. Open Avast/AVG
  2. Click on Menu–> Settings–> Exceptions –> Add Exception
  3. Click on Browse and tick all programs/files/.. that you want to add as an exception in the dialog. Then click OK

  4. The programs should then show on the exception list.

  5. Click on Close to make sure all changes are saved. Restart the program you had issues with to check if they are now solved.

Sophos has some pretty aggressive protection that can keep your game from opening at all.

Add Exception

  1. Open Sophos
  2. Navigate to Help > Local Exclusions
  3. Click on Add
  4. Add the Exe file of the application that gives you issue

Turning off Features

The main culprit is the code cave utilization. You can turn that off completely if adding an exception doesn’t work:

  1. Go to  Advanced Exploit Mitigation
  2. Turn off Cave Code Utilization

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