First of all, im not sure is this the right place to put these kind of topics, sorry if i put this in the wrong section.

I have this problem with Steam games that if i have Real-Time Protection enabled, i have to wait several minutes to let the game (Example, Team Fortress 2) to open.

All the games open almost instantly if i turn Real-Time Protection off, but i'd still prefer to keep it on.

If there is a way to not scan certain places on your computer with Real-Time Protection and someone could tell me how, id appreciate it.

I have BitDefender Internet Security 2008 and im running on Vista Home Premium 32Bit.

Thanks!

Hello AirRide,

Did you already tried the game mode? To enter game mode right click on the red BitDefender icon near the system tray and press on Turn on game mode press on ok.

Are you sure that steam isn't updating your game files at the moment? Because that happens from time to time and that can cause a startup delay.

If you want to exclude the steam folder this is how you can do that: Right click on the red BitDefender icon near the system tray and press on open advanced settings normally the antivirus section and the shield tab should be highlighted press on the exceptions tab and press on the add button a wizard will appear select the first option (which should be selected by default) now press on browse untill you are at the steam folder press open after that press on add, next,finish.

Kind regards,
Niels

Thanks for the fast reply, Niels.

I have tried the GameMode, it makes No difference.

Also, i've checked that nothing is updating/downloading when trying to open any of the games.

I've also tried excluding the steam folder like you said, but for some reason it still scans ALL the files that steam uses.

Any other suggestions that might help?

Thanks!

This is a recently discovered issue on some Steam forums. Somebody finally tied it back to BD. TF2 takes over 4 minutes to load for me. 30 seconds with BD off. Game mode makes no difference. I disable BD to start Steam games.

I have a currently open support case with BD and so far no luck. I ran some tools for them and sent 2 reports for analysis. They now want me to uninstall MS Defender. My son doesn't have Defender and had the same isuue. He also has a brand new PC which only ever had BD installed for antivirus. After an update a couple of days ago his PC just crawled even on just the start menu. He gave up on BD and uninstalled it (1 wasted license).

Actually i've had that too, lets say 4 days ago?

I like BitDefender and i have a 2 year license on it too so i don't really want to get rid of it..

Hello Jamz58 and AirRide,

Which built are you currently using? To obtain that information please right click on the red BitDefender icon near the system tray and press on show.

Windows Defender is installed by default on all computers that have vista installed.

Right click on the red BitDefender icon near the system tray and press on open advanced settings normally the antivirus section and the shield tab should be highlighted press on custom level uncheck scan http traffic press ok to save the changes.

I will try if I have problems with steam on my computer.

Kind regards,
Niels

The Build info can be seen in "About" Section, not in "Show"
I'm Currently on Build 11.0.17


I have Windows Defender turned off because BitDefender recommended it to be turned off when using BitDefender.


I've had "Scan HTTP Traffic" Unchecked for a long time, no difference.

Hello AirRide,

By me steam games start within a 1 minute. The only difference I have for my language version build 11.0.17 isn't available. I just excluded the steam folder,turn on game mode.

If I didn't excluded steam started within 2 minutes.

See also if your game files aren't fragmented to verify that open steam go to my games right click on your installed games choose properties, local files take a look at the fragmentation percentage.

Kind regards,
Niels

I've done both "Verify integrity of game cache..." and "Defragment cache files"
No problem there.

I seem to have something broken with my Real-Time Protection and Game Mode, Either of them seem to work properly.
Excluding the paths has no effect and Game Mode doesn't seem to do anything.
Only way i can get my games working properly is to turn Real-Time Protection off.

Also for some odd reason i can't upload anything when BitDefender is running, otherwise internet turns itself off and will work only when i restart my pc.

I've tried uploading with Real-Time Protection and Firewall turned off, and it works.

I'd like to chip in that I have the same problem with World of Warcraft (I've only tried the excetions function here). I've set the exceptions to my World of Warcraft\interface\addons folder, because it is so slow to start. Regardless, BD 2008 still scans the files. My exceptions are "On-access: Yes" and "On-demand: Yes".

Does the exclude function also include subfolders and files ????

Just thought that might be a simple solution.

I also have to chime in. I have the exact same problem with Steam (Half-life 2, etc) games. With Real Time Protection enabled, they take around 4 or 5 minutes to launch. Game Mode has the same effect. If Real Time Protection is turned off, it takes around 30 seconds for Steam games to start up.

On a possibly related note, I've noticed that it takes about 3 to 5 times longer to read a large amount data, or install software from my CD-ROM drive with Real Time Protection enabled. Again, the problem goes away when I disable Real Time Protection.

I am running Windows XP SP3, not Vista. BDIS 2008 Build 11.0.17. I also have submitted to BD Tech support.

I would be very surprised if the exclude did not also count subfolders, as I can imagine most people want to use it to exclude their entire game folder

Hello AirRide and others,

The only thing that I can conclude is that the problem is with build 11.0.17. Because I tested it with build 11.0.16 and only 1 minute it took to start steam games. I excluded the steam folder and used game mode.

Me as a normal user can't do much about it. You can try a repair installation so BitDefender will revert to an earlier build or wait for a fix that will be released trough automatic updates. Before you perform a repair installation please make a back-up off your settings to do that do the following: right click on the red BitDefender icon near the system tray press on open advanced settings,advanced,under the manage settings button press on save all settings make a new folder to save your settings. Now close BitDefender. Be sure that you right click on the red BitDefender icon near the system clock press exit. Click on start,programs,BitDefender 2008,repair or remove. Use repair. Let BitDefender update untill build 11.0.16.
After that disable automatic updates by right click on the red BitDefender icon near the system tray press on open advanced settings,update section uncheck the box by automatic updates. And install defenitions manuall from here.

If you contact support be sure that you tell them that it only happens with build 11.0.17. Check automatic updates again once you got an answer from support that a fix is released.

Kind regards,
Niels

Hello Killavirus,

When you set an exception to a certain folder all files and subfolders are also excluded from the on-access and on-demand scan.

Kind regards,
Niels

When I try to repair (since I've got the same ludicrous loadtime (6min+))
I never get the choice not to install 17.

Gamemode and exempting the steamfolders makes no discernable difference at all which is unexpected.

I agree w above posters this is rather annoying and it feels less than satisfactory to turn realtime prot off.....

Hello Horza,

No, that is correct. But you can see that at the new install BitDefender will update many times. You need to check untill when you right click on the red BitDefender icon near the system tray and press on info you see build 11.0.16.

Kind regards,
Niels

I have same problem... Steam and BitDefender won't go together... Because when I played Crysis(not Steam), I did not get any of these hassles. I still have my internet after I logged out, but Steam no Internet after I logged out and if I clicked a server it said server was not responding like all the servers that I clicked were not server. I have build BitDefender Internet Security 2008 - Build 11.0.17