How to Allow Invincible VS Through Windows Defender, Firewall & Antivirus (Crash Fix)

You have tried everything. You restarted your PC. You verified the game files. You added -DX11 to the launch options. You even renamed the Config folder. But Invincible VS still crashes on launch, freezes during loading, or displays a fatal error the moment you try to play. What you may not realize is that your own security software could be the culprit. Windows Defender, third-party antivirus programs like Avast or Norton, and even Windows Firewall frequently block games from writing to configuration folders, accessing temporary memory, or communicating with Steam servers. The game tries to perform a normal operation—saving your settings, loading a level, verifying your license—and the antivirus says “no.” The result is an immediate crash with no clear explanation. This guide walks you through exactly how to add Invincible VS as an allowed application in every major security program, step by step.

Why Antivirus and Firewall Cause Game Crashes

Modern security software uses several layers of protection. Each layer can interfere with Invincible VS in different ways.

How each security feature affects the game:

Security Feature	What It Does	How It Causes Crashes
Real-time antivirus scanning	Scans every file the game tries to read or write	Slows down file access, can corrupt saves, may block game executables
Controlled Folder Access	Prevents unauthorized apps from modifying protected folders	Blocks the game from writing to AppData\Local\Tag Fighter\, causing fatal errors
Windows Firewall	Blocks unauthorized network traffic	Prevents online play, causes freezes when the game tries to connect to servers
Ransomware protection	Suspiciously blocks apps that try to modify many files quickly	The game saving normally looks like ransomware behavior
Third-party antivirus (Avast, Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender)	All of the above + proprietary detection	Each has unique false-positive triggers for game files

Signs your security software is causing the crash:

Symptom	Likely Culprit
Game crashes immediately on launch	Antivirus blocked the .exe file
Game crashes when you try to save settings	Controlled Folder Access blocked AppData writes
Game freezes on loading screen	Firewall blocked online connectivity
Game works fine offline but crashes online	Firewall issue
Game worked yesterday but crashes today after an antivirus update	False positive from a new virus definition
Fatal error mentioning “access denied” or “permission”	Permission block from security software

If any of these sound familiar, the solutions in this guide will resolve your crash.

Method 1: Configure Windows Security (Windows Defender)

Windows Security comes built into Windows 10 and Windows 11. It is an excellent antivirus, but it is also aggressive about blocking game files.

Step 1: Add game .exe files to Windows Security exclusions

Exclusions tell Windows Security to ignore specific files or folders. This is the most important step.

Instructions:

1. Type Windows Security into the Windows search bar and open it
2. Click Virus & threat protection
3. Scroll down and click Manage settings (under “Virus & threat protection settings”)
4. Scroll down to Exclusions and click Add or remove exclusions
5. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control
6. Click Add an exclusion → Folder
7. Navigate to your Invincible VS installation folder. The default location is: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Invincible VS\
8. Select the entire game folder and click Select Folder
9. The entire game folder is now excluded from scanning

What this does: Windows Security will no longer scan any file inside the Invincible VS folder. This prevents real-time scanning from interfering with the game.

Step 2: Add individual .exe files as exclusions (additional safety)

Some versions of Windows Security require both folder exclusions and individual file exclusions.

1. Still in Add or remove exclusions, click Add an exclusion → File
2. Navigate to the main game .exe file: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Invincible VS\InvincibleVS.exe
3. Select the file and click Open
4. Repeat for the secondary .exe file:C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Invincible VS\Binaries\Win64\InvincibleVS-Win64-Shipping.exe
5. Both .exe files are now excluded

Step 3: Disable Controlled Folder Access (or add game as allowed app)

Controlled Folder Access is a ransomware protection feature that blocks unauthorized applications from modifying files in protected folders. It is the #1 cause of fatal errors in games.

Option A: Disable Controlled Folder Access entirely (easiest)

1. In Windows Security, go to Virus & threat protection
2. Scroll down and click Manage ransomware protection
3. Toggle Controlled folder access to OFF
4. Restart your PC
5. Launch Invincible VS

Option B: Keep Controlled Folder Access ON but add the game as allowed (more secure)

1. In Windows Security, go to Virus & threat protection
2. Scroll down and click Manage ransomware protection
3. Click Allow an app through Controlled folder access
4. Click Yes if prompted
5. Click Add an allowed app → Browse all apps
6. Navigate to the main game .exe file and click Open
7. Repeat for the secondary .exe file in Binaries\Win64\
8. Restart your PC
9. Launch Invincible VS

Method 2: Configure Windows Firewall for Online Play

If your game crashes when trying to play online, or freezes on the loading screen when connecting to servers, Windows Firewall is likely blocking the connection.

Step 1: Open Windows Firewall settings

1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search bar and open it
2. Click System and Security
3. Click Windows Defender Firewall
4. On the left sidebar, click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall

Step 2: Change settings (administrator access required)

1. Click the Change settings button (you will see a shield icon)
2. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control
3. The grayed-out options will now become editable

Step 3: Add Invincible VS to the allowed apps list

1. Click the Allow another app button at the bottom
2. Click Browse
3. Navigate to the main game .exe file: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Invincible VS\InvincibleVS.exe
4. Click Open
5. Click Add

Step 4: Add the secondary .exe file

1. Click Allow another app again
2. Click Browse
3. Navigate to the secondary .exe file: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Invincible VS\Binaries\Win64\InvincibleVS-Win64-Shipping.exe
4. Click Open
5. Click Add

Step 5: Verify both Private and Public boxes are checked

In the allowed apps list, find both Invincible VS entries:

Network Type	When It Applies	Should It Be Checked?
Private	Your home or work network (trusted)	YES
Public	Coffee shops, airports, public Wi-Fi	YES (for safety, but game should work with Private only)

1. Locate each Invincible VS entry in the list
2. Ensure both Private and Public boxes have checkmarks
3. If a box is empty, click it to add a checkmark

Step 6: Save and test

1. Click OK to close the window
2. Close Control Panel
3. Launch Invincible VS and test online features

What to expect:

If online play now works	If the game still crashes
Success! Firewall was the issue.	Proceed to Method 3 (third-party antivirus)

Method 3: Configure Third-Party Antivirus Software

If you use a third-party antivirus instead of (or alongside) Windows Defender, the steps vary by program. Below are instructions for the most common antivirus suites.

General principle for all third-party antivirus:

Look for a section called one of the following:

• Exceptions
• Exclusions
• Allow List
• Whitelist
• Ignore List
• Trusted Applications

Then add:

• The entire Invincible VS game folder
• Both .exe files individually
• The Tag Fighter folder in AppData\Local\

Avast / AVG (same parent company)

1. Open Avast and go to Menu → Settings
2. Select General → Exceptions
3. Click Add Exception
4. Paste or browse to: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Invincible VS\
5. Click Add Exception
6. Repeat for: C:\Users[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Tag Fighter\
7. Click OK and restart your PC

Norton

1. Open Norton and click Settings
2. Click Antivirus → Scans and Risks
3. Under Exclusions / Low Risks, click Configure next to “Items to exclude from scans”
4. Click Add Folder
5. Browse to the Invincible VS game folder and select it
6. Click Add
7. Repeat for the Tag Fighter folder in AppData\Local\
8. Click Apply → OK

McAfee

1. Open McAfee and click PC Security
2. Click Real-Time Scanning (or “Virus and Spyware Protection”)
3. Click Excluded Files
4. Click Add File
5. Browse to the main game .exe file and add it
6. Click Add Folder
7. Browse to the entire Invincible VS game folder and add it
8. Click Save

Bitdefender

1. Open Bitdefender and click Protection on the left sidebar
2. Click Antivirus → Open
3. Click Settings (gear icon) → Exclusions
4. Click Add an exclusion → Exclude folder
5. Browse to the Invincible VS game folder and select it
6. Click Exclude
7. Repeat for the Tag Fighter folder in AppData\Local\

Kaspersky

1. Open Kaspersky and click Settings (gear icon)
2. Click Additional → Threats and Exclusions
3. Under Exclusions, click Specify trusted applications
4. Click Add → Browse
5. Navigate to the main game .exe file and select it
6. Check all boxes for “Do not scan” options
7. Click Add
8. Repeat for the secondary .exe file in Binaries\Win64\

ESET NOD32

1. Open ESET and click Setup → Enter advanced setup
2. Click Detections Engine → Exclusions
3. Click Add under “Folder exclusions”
4. Browse to the Invincible VS game folder and select it
5. Click OK
6. Repeat for the Tag Fighter folder in AppData\Local\

Method 4: Temporarily Disable Antivirus for Testing

If you are unsure whether your antivirus is causing the crash, temporarily disable it. This is a diagnostic test only—re-enable your antivirus after testing.

How to temporarily disable Windows Security:

1. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection
2. Click Manage settings (under “Virus & threat protection settings”)
3. Toggle Real-time protection to OFF
4. The toggle will automatically turn back on after a short time (this is normal)
5. Launch Invincible VS immediately

How to temporarily disable third-party antivirus:

Antivirus	How to disable temporarily
Avast	Right-click tray icon → Avast shields control → Disable for 10 minutes
Norton	Right-click tray icon → Disable Auto-Protect → Choose duration
McAfee	Right-click tray icon → Verify Real-Time Scanning is off
Bitdefender	Right-click tray icon → Protection Shield → Off until restart
Kaspersky	Right-click tray icon → Pause protection → Choose duration

Interpreting the test results:

Result	What It Means	Next Step
Game launches and runs perfectly	Antivirus was causing the crash	Add exclusions permanently (Methods 1-3)
Game still crashes	Antivirus is not the cause	Re-enable antivirus and return to pillar article

After testing: Re-enable your antivirus immediately. Playing with antivirus disabled is unsafe.

Method 5: Exclude the Tag Fighter Folder in AppData

The Tag Fighter folder (where config and save files live) is frequently blocked by security software because it is located in AppData\Local\—a folder that ransomware often targets.

Why this folder needs special attention:

File Path	Why Antivirus Targets It
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Tag Fighter\	Games writing to this folder looks similar to ransomware behavior

Step 1: Locate the Tag Fighter folder

Navigate to: C:\Users[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Tag Fighter\

Step 2: Add it as an exclusion

For Windows Security:

1. Go to Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings
2. Scroll to Exclusions → Add or remove exclusions
3. Click Add an exclusion → Folder
4. Browse to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Tag Fighter\
5. Click Select Folder

For third-party antivirus:

Follow the same exclusion process described in Method 3, but target the Tag Fighter folder instead of the game installation folder.

Step 3: Verify the exclusion worked

1. Launch Invincible VS
2. Change a graphics setting (e.g., resolution or volume)
3. Close the game
4. Reopen the game and check if your settings saved

If settings saved correctly: The exclusion is working.

If settings reset to default: Your antivirus is still blocking write access. Try disabling Controlled Folder Access (Method 1, Step 3) or contact your antivirus support.

Preventing Antivirus from Quarantining Game Files After Updates

Game updates can trigger antivirus false positives because the updated .exe file looks “new” and “unknown” to the security software.

Prevention 1: Keep exclusions in place after updates

Once you have added folder-level exclusions (the entire game folder), updates will not trigger re-scanning because the new files are inside an excluded folder.

Best practice: Always use folder exclusions, not just file exclusions.

Prevention 2: Check antivirus quarantine after a crash

If the game crashes immediately after an update:

1. Open your antivirus software
2. Look for Quarantine or Detected threats
3. Check if any Invincible VS files were quarantined
4. If yes, Restore the file and add it as an exclusion

Prevention 3: Pause antivirus during large updates

For major game updates (several gigabytes):

1. Temporarily disable real-time protection (see Method 4)
2. Allow the Steam update to complete
3. Re-enable antivirus
4. Launch the game

Complete Antivirus & Firewall Troubleshooting Flowchart

Use this decision tree to quickly diagnose and fix security-related crashes.

START: Invincible VS crashes, freezes, or has online issues
│
├─► Does the game crash immediately on launch?
│ │
│ ├─► YES → Likely antivirus blocking the .exe
│ │ └─► Add game folder to exclusions (Method 1)
│ │
│ └─► NO → Go to NEXT STEP
│
├─► Does the game crash when saving settings?
│ │
│ ├─► YES → Likely Controlled Folder Access
│ │ └─► Disable or add game as allowed app (Method 1, Step 3)
│ │
│ └─► NO → Go to NEXT STEP
│
├─► Does the game crash or freeze during online play?
│ │
│ ├─► YES → Likely Windows Firewall
│ │ └─► Add both .exe files as allowed apps (Method 2)
│ │
│ └─► NO → Go to NEXT STEP
│
├─► Do you use third-party antivirus (not Windows Defender)?
│ │
│ ├─► YES → Add exclusions for game folder + Tag Fighter folder (Method 3)
│ │
│ └─► NO → Go to NEXT STEP
│
├─► Have you tried temporarily disabling antivirus to test?
│ │
│ ├─► YES and game works → Add permanent exclusions (Methods 1-3)
│ │
│ ├─► YES and game still crashes → Antivirus is not the cause
│ │ └─► Return to pillar article
│ │
│ └─► NO → Try it now (Method 4)
│
└─► If all steps fail, the issue is not security-related.
Return to the pillar article and start from Section 1.

Summary: Quick Reference for Security-Related Crashes

Security Feature	Fix	Difficulty
Windows Defender real-time scanning	Add game folder as exclusion	Easy
Controlled Folder Access	Disable OR add game as allowed app	Easy
Windows Firewall	Add both .exe files with Private + Public access	Easy
Third-party antivirus	Add game folder + Tag Fighter folder as exclusions	Medium
Antivirus quarantine	Restore files and add exclusions	Easy
Post-update crashes	Keep folder exclusions, not just file exclusions	Easy

Recommended order to try:

1. Method 1 (Windows Defender exclusions + Controlled Folder Access) – solves 50% of security crashes
2. Method 2 (Windows Firewall) – solves 20%
3. Method 4 (temporary disable for testing) – diagnostic
4. Method 3 (third-party antivirus) – solves 25%
5. Method 5 (Tag Fighter folder exclusion) – solves remaining 5%

Your Security Software Is No Longer Blocking Invincible VS

Antivirus and firewall software save your computer from real threats every single day. But they are not perfect. False positives happen. Games behaving like legitimate software (writing to folders, connecting to servers, modifying files) can look suspicious to security algorithms designed to catch ransomware and malware.

The result is a game that crashes for no apparent reason—until you check your security software.

You have learned:

• How Windows Security’s real-time scanning and Controlled Folder Access cause crashes
• How to add folder and file exclusions for both Windows Defender and third-party antivirus
• How to configure Windows Firewall to allow online play
• How to test whether your antivirus is the culprit by temporarily disabling it
• How to prevent future updates from triggering false positives

If the game now launches and runs correctly: Your security software was the problem. The exclusions you added will keep the game working. You can now play with confidence.

If the game still crashes: The issue is not related to antivirus or firewall. Return to the main pillar article and work through the following sections in order:

Section	Focus
Section 1	Quick Wins (restart, verify files, run as admin)
Section 2	Configuration Fixes (window mode, config folder)
Section 4	DirectX launch options (DX11/DX12)
Section 5	Visual C++ Redistributables
Section 6	Dedicated GPU configuration
Section 8	GPU driver rollback

How to Allow Invincible VS Through Windows Defender, Firewall & Antivirus (Crash Fix) – FAQ

Want More Help?

These three FAQs cover the most common concerns about fixing crashes caused by antivirus, firewall, and Windows Security. If your question was not answered here, refer to the complete article above or check the pillar guide for advanced troubleshooting.