windows defender update - With Controlled Folder Access turned to ON

[xsteveuk]

Hi

 

I am using win 10 creators fall new update

with the new windows defender update

and have the Controlled Folder Access turned to ON

 

When using CCleaner  and click to RUN to perform clean up

I get the following popup on the Action Center

 

 

Virus & Threat Protection

 

Controlled Folder Access blocked 

C:\Progr...\CCleaner64.exe from makeing changes to the folder

%userprofile%\Favorites

 

Unauthorised changes blocked

Controlled Folder Access blocked 

C:\Progr...\CCleaner64.exe from makeing changes to the folder

%userprofile%\Favorites

 

I have tried going to settings on windows defender  - Virus & Threat Protection

- Controlled Folder Access - Settings -

Allow App through controlled foler access - and clicking to allow CCleaner

 

But still get the popup notice on the windows action center

Saying Controlled Folder Access blocked 

C:\Progr...\CCleaner64.exe from makeing changes to the folder

%userprofile%\Favorites

[nukecad]

Did you possibly make a mistake and allow CCleaner.exe instead of CCleaner64.exe?

 

Have you tried allowing both?.

[xsteveuk]

Did you possibly make a mistake and allow CCleaner.exe instead of CCleaner64.exe?

 

Have you tried allowing both?.

 

BINGO!

It looks like yes I made the mistake and allowed CCLeaner.exe -  when it should have been CCleaner64.exe

Setting it to CCleaner64.exe   - seems to have fixed the issue I was having.

 

Thanks for your help

 

Steve

[nukecad]

Thank you,

 

You've given me an idea about what may be stopping my word processor and spreadsheet saving to the Documents folder when they can save to the OneDrive folder.

That too started with the FCU.

 

OneDrive is not in the CFA list.

 

I'll try allowing them in CFA when I get home.

[xsteveuk]

Thank you,

 

You've given me an idea about what may be stopping my word processor and spreadsheet saving to the Documents folder when they can save to the OneDrive folder.

That too started with the FCU.

 

OneDrive is not in the CFA list.

 

I'll try allowing them in CFA when I get home.

Thanks again for your help - It would be interesting to know if that worked for you ..

[nukecad]

Thanks again for your help - It would be interesting to know if that worked for you ..

Yes it did,

 

Turning off CFA allowed my 3rd party 'office' application (Softmaker FreeOffice) to save again.

So now I know to allow it's 3 main .exe's.

 

I hadn't noticed it was CFA that was blocking it because I have notifications turned off.

 

Further searching has found the CFA works on a "Block everything by default" basis.

(or should that be 'Block everything that isn't Microsoft', sneaky).

 

So it's probably going to affect a lot of 3rd party apps that try to delete or save files in a protected folder.

 

Oddly not all 3rd party apps seem to be affected, ie. my Softmaker is, but Irfanview isn't. Go figure?

 

I'll write up a post specifically about this and post it here, and elsewhere.

 

Thanks again for the pointer.

[hazelnut]

Good info nukecad  and thanks to xsteveuk for bringing the subject up

[mta]

indeed, never knew about CFA, so this topic made me spend an hour or so this morning chasing up where the thing lives and what it does.

in the end, figured it wasn't for me.

[nukecad]

The more I've learned about it, the less I like it.

 

Sounds like a good idea but it's a piss poor implementation.

 

https://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=49101&p=288033

[xsteveuk]

This feature Controlled Folder Access  only works when Windows Defender Antivirus is your main security software; if you're running third-party antivirus on your machine, this feature won't be available.
 
Controlled Folder Access
Wont be available when you use another antivirus program
I found a link here that may help explain it more if Okay to post it 
https://m.windowscentral.com/whats-new-windows-defender-security-center-windows-10-fall-creators-update

[nukecad]

Yes if you are running another AV then Windows defender is automatically disabled to avoid clashes.

 

(You can run Defender and Malwarebytes 3 side by side though).

 

CFA is supposed to be off by default, but it wasn't on my laptop, maybe they've changed it? - I did get the upgrade on the first day of release.

(It may have been an option during the install, I vaguely remember seeing something about anti-ransomware).