How to Temporarily Disable Antivirus for FiveM

How to Temporarily Disable Antivirus for FiveM

FiveMGTA VTroubleshootingClient-sideCrashHow To

If FiveM® is being blocked by your antivirus or security software, you may need to temporarily disable your protection or create exclusions. This guide shows you how to safely disable various antivirus programs and create the proper exclusions for FiveM®.

  • Unable to connect to FiveM servers
  • FiveM blocked by antivirus
  • Antivirus preventing FiveM from launching
  • FiveM detected as a threat
  • Defender blocking FiveM connection

Last updated: May 2025

Common Causes

  • Antivirus software is blocking FiveM® installation or launch
  • Security software is preventing FiveM® from accessing game files
  • False positives in your antivirus are blocking FiveM® connections or files
  • Real-time protection is interfering with FiveM® operations

Solutions for Players

  • Before disabling your antivirus:

    Important Safety Note

    Only temporarily disable your antivirus while troubleshooting FiveM®. Remember to re-enable it afterward for your computer's security. Better yet, add exclusions for FiveM® rather than fully disabling your protection.

  • Windows Defender (Windows 10 & 11):
    1. 1
      Press Win+I to open Settings
    2. 2
      Click on "Privacy & Security" (or "Update & Security" in older Windows versions)
    3. 3
      Select "Windows Security" then "Virus & threat protection"
    4. 4
      Under "Virus & threat protection settings" click "Manage settings"
    5. 5
      Temporarily turn off "Real-time protection"
    6. 6
      Alternatively, add exclusions instead of disabling protection:
      1. 1
        In the same settings area, scroll down to "Exclusions"
      2. 2
        Click "Add or remove exclusions"
      3. 3
        Click "Add an exclusion" and select "Folder"
      4. 4
        Browse to your FiveM® installation folder (typically C:\Program Files\FiveM or %localappdata%\FiveM)
  • Common Third-Party Antivirus Software:
    • Avast/AVG:
      1. 1
        Right-click the Avast/AVG icon in your system tray
      2. 2
        Select "Avast/AVG shields control" or "Protection controls"
      3. 3
        Choose how long to disable protection (10 minutes is usually sufficient)
      4. 4
        Click "OK" to confirm
    • Norton:
      1. 1
        Open Norton Security
      2. 2
        Click "Settings"
      3. 3
        Select "Antivirus" or "Real-Time Protection"
      4. 4
        Toggle "Auto-Protect" and "SONAR Protection" to OFF
      5. 5
        Set a duration and click "Apply"
    • McAfee:
      1. 1
        Right-click the McAfee icon in your system tray
      2. 2
        Click "Real-Time Scanning"
      3. 3
        Select "Turn Off"
      4. 4
        Choose a duration and confirm
    • Kaspersky:
      1. 1
        Open Kaspersky Security Center
      2. 2
        Click the gear icon (Settings)
      3. 3
        Select "Protection" or "General"
      4. 4
        Disable "Kaspersky Protection" temporarily
    • Bitdefender:
      1. 1
        Open Bitdefender
      2. 2
        Go to "Protection" or "Antivirus"
      3. 3
        Find "Advanced" or "Shield" settings
      4. 4
        Disable protection temporarily
  • After troubleshooting, create permanent exclusions:

    For long-term use, add these folders to your antivirus exclusions:

    • %localappdata%\FiveM
    • %localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app
    • Your FiveM installation directory (if installed elsewhere)
    • Your Grand Theft Auto V directory
  • Understanding false positives:

    Antivirus programs sometimes misidentify FiveM® files as malicious (a "false positive"). Adding FiveM® to your exclusion list allows the program to run while maintaining protection against actual threats.

Antivirus and FiveM Questions

Answers to frequently asked questions about antivirus software and FiveM

Temporarily disabling your antivirus while troubleshooting FiveM is generally safe, but you should remember to re-enable it afterward. A better approach is to add FiveM folders to your antivirus exclusions list rather than completely disabling protection.

Antivirus programs sometimes incorrectly identify FiveM files as malicious due to "false positives." This happens because FiveM needs deep system access to modify GTA V files and communicate with servers, which can trigger security software's heuristic detection.

You should add your FiveM installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\FiveM or %localappdata%\FiveM), the FiveM.app folder within that directory, and your Grand Theft Auto V installation folder to your antivirus exclusions list.

Windows Defender might still block FiveM in some cases even with exclusions, particularly after FiveM updates. This happens because the application's signature changes, which can trigger new security alerts. You may need to update your exclusions after major FiveM updates.

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