Antivirus removes Win32 project exe

Question

When I compile my Win32 Windows Application my antivirus thinks it is a virus and removes exe file, I have to turn off antivirus every time to compile project. How can I solve this problem? I think this is in the description, and I have to set manufacturer name.

Answer 1

There are various patterns in programs that let it be recognized by a scanner as a malware. This is heuristic scanning: the scanner doesn't recognize your program, but things it tries to do: API calls, certain ways or areas of memory or filesystem access, and so on.

Classic examples consist of reading Outlook's address book and trying to read or execute certain file paths.

I think this is in the description, and I have to set manufacturer name.

So, what happens if you don't set the description (what is "the description" by the way)? Does the executable then not get deleted? There's your answer.

Anyway you will have to analyze why and when the virus scanner removes your executable. Compile your program partially, leaving out significant parts can help deduct which part is causing trouble, and reading the source might just point out why.

Answer 2

Just an anecdote:

Few years ago I was playing with TCC. When I compiled one of the example programs, a simple Win32 program with a window, my antivirus removed the exe. It turned out that it was enough to change the name of the window class to solve the problem. (I don't know whether the current version of that TCC sample code is detected as a virus or not.)

Maybe your case can also be solved with a similar small change, without turning off the antivirus. Good luck :)