Users of VLC on Windows 11 have recently encountered a frustrating delay, with some waiting up to 33 seconds for MP3 playback to commence. This issue, however, is not a reflection of VLC’s reliability, but rather a bug within Microsoft Defender that interferes with VLC’s plugin cache. VideoLAN, the organization behind VLC, has taken steps to clarify this situation, emphasizing that open-source software should not be unfairly labeled as unreliable.
In short:
- On affected Windows 11 systems, VLC takes up to 33 seconds to play an MP3 file.
- VideoLAN attributes the problem to a bug in Microsoft Defender that quarantines VLC’s plugin cache.
- The discussion was ignited by a critical tweet from game developer Jonathan Blow.
- Workaround: Users can add the VLC folder as an exception in Windows Defender or regenerate the plugin cache.
The trigger: A tweet from Jonathan Blow
The narrative began with a public grievance from Jonathan Blow, the acclaimed game developer behind titles like Braid and The Witness. He took to X to express his frustration, noting that VLC took an astonishing 33 seconds to play an MP3 file, prompting him to switch to Windows Media Player. His tweet raised broader questions about the state of open-source software on Windows.
Finally switched away from VLC to Microsoft Media Player, because VLC now takes 33 seconds to start playing an MP3 after clicking on it.
A large sector of open-source software is in a truly embarrassing place right now… pic.twitter.com/237aLdx2fG
— Jonathan Blow (@Jonathan_Blow) August 12, 2026
Blow experienced this delay on a high-performance system equipped with a Ryzen 9 9800X3D and 32 GB of DDR5 RAM. Other users echoed his experience, reporting similar delays, sometimes around 24 seconds, even on Windows 10. In his comparison, Blow highlighted that Windows Media Player, which idles at approximately 377 MB of RAM, launches without any lag.
The Cause: How Microsoft Defender on Windows 11 Cripples VLC’s Plugin Cache
VideoLAN responded swiftly to the concerns raised by Blow. They clarified that a recent Windows 11 update introduced a bug in Microsoft Defender, which mistakenly quarantines VLC’s plugin cache file. Unlike other media players, VLC loads its codecs, demuxers, and input/output modules from a cache file named plugins.dat as needed. When Defender blocks or delays access to this file, VLC struggles to determine which module to load for an MP3 file, resulting in significant delays.
While the exact technical details remain somewhat murky, reports suggest that this issue has persisted for over a year. Such missteps by Defender, which inadvertently block legitimate software, are not uncommon, as evidenced by previous Windows Update problems.
VideoLAN Responds: “Open Source Isn’t the Problem”
In their response to Blow’s critique, VideoLAN firmly stated that the root of the issue lies within a bug in Microsoft Defender, not in the open-source nature of VLC. They emphasized that reinstalling VLC or regenerating the plugin cache would rectify the problem. The developers criticized the notion that open-source software is “embarrassing” when the actual culprit is a Windows bug.
As of now, Microsoft has not issued an official statement regarding the incident. However, a community comment under Blow’s original post confirmed that adding an exception for the VLC folder in Defender effectively resolves the issue, lending credence to VideoLAN’s explanation.
Here’s how to fix the problem yourself
If you find yourself affected by this issue, there are three potential solutions, with the first option being the least disruptive:
- Set up a Defender exclusion: Open Windows Security, navigate to “Virus & Threat Protection” and “Manage settings,” and add the VLC installation folder (typically
C:Program FilesVideoLAN) as an exclusion. - Rebuild the plugin cache: Search for “VLC media player – reset preferences and cache files” in the Start menu, or run the
vlc-cache-gen.exefile located in the installation folder. Note that this may result in the loss of custom settings such as the equalizer and keyboard shortcuts. - Reinstall VLC: If the first two options do not resolve the issue, download the latest version from the official VideoLAN website and perform a clean reinstallation of VLC.
Users who have implemented the Defender exception report a dramatic reduction in loading times, from several seconds to less than one second, further supporting the theory of a Defender-related bug.
