VLC slow startup on Windows

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If you use VLC with Windows (new installations use the Windows Media Player by default), you may get a very slow startup when playing music.

This is caused by a bug in Windows Defender. This can be worked around by adding an exception to Windows Defender for the VLC folder.

In Windows, open Settings, selected Update & Security, then Windows Security.
Select Virus and Threat Protection.
In this window, there is a heading, Virus and Threat Protection Settings. Select the link below that, Manage Settings.
Scroll down until you see a heading, Exclusions. Select the link below that, Add or Remove Exclusions .

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Windows security will pop up a do-you-want-to-make-changes window. Select Yes.
You should see the exclusion list and the Add an exclusion button as below.

winvlc-excl-add.png (6.49 KiB) Viewed 419 times

Select Add an exclusion .

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Select Folder.

The standard Windows file selection dialog will be displayed. Navigate to Local Disk (C:) (displayed in the list on the left). Double-click on Program Files (in the list on the right), Scroll down until you see VideoLAN and double-click it. Select VLC, then select Select Folder.

winvlc-excl-c.png (8.75 KiB) Viewed 419 times

This will add the entire VLC folder as an exclusion to Windows Defender, and the slow startup problems will be resolved.