Add Safe Programs to Windows Security

Windows Security (formerly Microsoft Defender/Windows Defender) is Windows’ built-in security program. This application sometimes reports that programs are making changes to the computer. Windows Security then suspects that something is wrong and blocks it. This is useful with ransomware, but not if it blocks Outlook or an Internet program, for example. The security program automatically recognizes many programs, but sometimes you have to manually indicate that a program is safe to use.

Add a program to the list of trusted apps like this:

• Click the Start button.
• click on Institutions. That’s the gear icon.
• In Windows 10, click Update and Security. In Windows 11, click Privacy & Security.
• click on Windows Security > Open Windows Security. A new window opens.
• click on Virus & Threat Protection.
• Under ‘Virus & threat protection settings’, click Manage settings.
• Scroll down a bit and click under ‘Controlled folder access’ Manage controlled folder access.
• click on Allow an app through Controlled Folder Access.
  • Can’t you see this? Then the protection against ransomware is still turned off. Then click under ‘Controlled folder Access’ on the slide with ‘Off’.
  • click on Yes in the User Account Control window.
• click on Allow an app through Controlled Folder Access.
• Click again Yes.
• click on Add an allowed app.
• In the drop-down window, choose Recently blocked apps or on Browse all apps.
• Click on the app you want to add.
• click on To open.
• Click on the cross in the top right to exit the window.

Do you not know whether the program is safe? Then remove it from the list of allowed programs again:

• Click the Start button.
• click on Institutions. That’s the gear icon.
• In Windows 10, click Update and Security. In Windows 11, click Privacy & Security.
• click on Windows Security > Open Windows Security.
• click on Virus & Threat Protection.
• Under ‘Virus & threat protection settings’, click Manage settings.
• Scroll down a bit and click under ‘Controlled folder access’ Manage controlled folder access.
• click on Allow an app through Controlled Folder Access.
• click on Yes.
• Under ‘Add an allowed app’, click the app you want to remove.
• click on remove.

Learn more about ransomware and what to do about it in the ‘Don’t hold your PC hostage to ransomware’ article or the ‘Tackling ransomware’ tip.