Windows 10: Windows-Defender and Visual-C++ development: Exclude Executables/Processes xor data folders?

Original Question at: https://stackoverflow.com/q/65423768/321013


It would appear to be "obvious" 12 that Antivirus Software on Windows put the spanner in the works of esp. C++ compilation -- what ismuch less obvious to me is what is needed to be excluded from Real-Time Scanning.

You get told fromdifferent resources on the Web, that you should exclude you project folders and yourdevenv.exe, cl.exe, node.exe ... what-have-you.


See: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/android/defender-settings


However, these instructions seem a bit contradictory to me, at least as far as directory excludes vs. process excludes go:


Q: If I tell my AV to not scan stuff used by process devenv.execl.exe..., then why on earth would I need toalso exclude my, e.g. C:\mystuff\cpp-project\** project folders?


Q: Shouldn't a process exclusion of an AV product, that greps all relevant development tools be more than sufficient to speed up build times?


Q: Why would additional do-not-scan-directory exclusions be necessary? Are they necessary?

:)

 

Improving the C++ Developer Experience in Visual Studio 2015

Source: Improving the C++ Developer Experience in Visual Studio 2015 | The Visual Studio Blog

 

File History won't exclude folders

I just tried to exclude C:\Users\Donny\Downloads using the legacy control panel File History interface. When I clicked "Select Folder" the folder was added to the excluded folders list. When I clicked "Save changes" and went back into the excluded folders
list, C:\Users\Donny\Downloads was not listed at all.

So certainly not fixed for me.

 

Windows Defender won't list Excluded files, File Locations, etc..etc


Hi all,

I have selected certain file types / folders and locations in Windows Defender on Windows 10 that were added to the exclusions lists...

Previously I could go to Windows Defender and see what files, folders or extensions I had excluded but now they have disappeared....

All I see is the add buttons which work as intended when I want to add a folder etc etc....
But then they are not listed anywhere so that I can remember what I have excluded or not....

Can some one please help me so that they are visible again, is there a setting in the registry that needs to be fixed?

This is what I should see where, below the red arrows I should see the excluded files/folders including their path etc etc [see image below]



but I see nothing..

Yet if i go to the registry as indicated below...

File and file location exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

*Arrow HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions\Paths

File type exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

*Arrow HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions\Extensions

Processes exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

*Arrow HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions\Processes

they are all listed there....?

I have to say that windows defender is excluding folders/files and etc etc, that I have selected during its scans, but I cant see the excluded items in the Windows Defender as per image of my Exclusions section below...





Thanking you in advance for your support and assistance on this issue....

Cheers