A notable exchange has emerged on social media platform X, with video game designer Jonathan Blow at the forefront of a discussion involving VLC Media Player and Microsoft Defender. The situation began when Blow expressed frustration over a delay in opening MP3 files in VLC, stating that in some instances, the process could take over 30 seconds. He remarked, “A large sector of open source software is in a truly embarrassing place now…”
In response to Blow’s comments, a community note was added to his post, clarifying that the delay may not be solely attributed to VLC but rather to Microsoft Defender, as suggested by several users on X. VideoLAN, the organization behind VLC, weighed in on the matter, while Blow continued to assert that the responsibility for addressing the issue lies with VLC, despite his acknowledgment of a faulty graphics driver from AMD contributing to the problem.
What’s actually happening?
While some might view this situation as a “storm in a teacup,” the discourse has sparked a variety of opinions. On Reddit, particularly within the r/pcmasterrace subreddit, participants engaged in a more measured discussion, focusing on the root causes and potential solutions. It appears that at least part of the delay is indeed linked to Microsoft Defender, as evidenced by user “nicktheone,” who noted that adding VLC’s folder as an exception resolved the issue.
The debate continues regarding the responsibility for rectifying the problem. Even if the bug is associated with Microsoft Defender, there is an argument to be made that the VideoLAN team could also play a role in finding a solution. Blow spent a significant portion of his Wednesday afternoon engaging with users on X, further fueling the conversation.
How to create an exception for VLC in Microsoft Defender
While ideally, users should not need to create an exception for VLC to ensure a swift MP3 opening experience, the reality is that this workaround has proven effective. Here are the straightforward steps to create an exception:
- Open Windows Security
- Select Virus & threat protection
- Select Manage settings
- Select Add or remove exclusions (located at the bottom of the page)
- Click Add an exclusion
- Select Folder
- Navigate to C:Program FilesVideoLAN
- Click Select Folder
Before implementing this exclusion, VLC took approximately five seconds to open an MP3 file on my computer. After creating the exclusion, the same file opened in under one second.
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Microsoft Defender vs. VLC: Which is causing MP3s to take 30 seconds to load?
A notable exchange has emerged on social media platform X, with video game designer Jonathan Blow at the forefront of a discussion involving VLC Media Player and Microsoft Defender. The situation began when Blow expressed frustration over a delay in opening MP3 files in VLC, stating that in some instances, the process could take over 30 seconds. He remarked, “A large sector of open source software is in a truly embarrassing place now…”
In response to Blow’s comments, a community note was added to his post, clarifying that the delay may not be solely attributed to VLC but rather to Microsoft Defender, as suggested by several users on X. VideoLAN, the organization behind VLC, weighed in on the matter, while Blow continued to assert that the responsibility for addressing the issue lies with VLC, despite his acknowledgment of a faulty graphics driver from AMD contributing to the problem.
What’s actually happening?
While some might view this situation as a “storm in a teacup,” the discourse has sparked a variety of opinions. On Reddit, particularly within the r/pcmasterrace subreddit, participants engaged in a more measured discussion, focusing on the root causes and potential solutions. It appears that at least part of the delay is indeed linked to Microsoft Defender, as evidenced by user “nicktheone,” who noted that adding VLC’s folder as an exception resolved the issue.
The debate continues regarding the responsibility for rectifying the problem. Even if the bug is associated with Microsoft Defender, there is an argument to be made that the VideoLAN team could also play a role in finding a solution. Blow spent a significant portion of his Wednesday afternoon engaging with users on X, further fueling the conversation.
How to create an exception for VLC in Microsoft Defender
While ideally, users should not need to create an exception for VLC to ensure a swift MP3 opening experience, the reality is that this workaround has proven effective. Here are the straightforward steps to create an exception:
Before implementing this exclusion, VLC took approximately five seconds to open an MP3 file on my computer. After creating the exclusion, the same file opened in under one second.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.