Antivirus & False Positives

Nexus is safe. If your antivirus blocked or removed it, that is a false positive. Nexus controls fans, lighting, and sensors at a low level, which antivirus software sometimes mistakes for something harmful. The desktop app is open source, so anyone can read the code at github.com/hello-nexus. Download Nexus only from hellonexus.com/download.

The fix takes about a minute:

  1. Restore Nexus from your antivirus quarantine.
  2. Allow the Nexus folder, C:\Program Files\Nexus, in your antivirus, then run the installer or start Nexus again.

Find your antivirus

Microsoft Defender

  1. If Windows says "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway.
  2. Restore: open Windows Security > Protection history, open the Nexus entry, and choose Restore. If it is flagged again, choose Actions > Allow on device.
  3. Allow the folder: Virus & threat protection > Manage settings > Add or remove exclusions > Add an exclusion > Folder.
Windows Security open on Virus and threat protection, showing Current threats, Quick scan, Allowed threats, Protection history, and Manage settings Windows Security Virus and threat protection settings page scrolled to the Exclusions section, with the Add or remove exclusions link at the bottom

Guides: exclusions, Protection history. Report: file submission.

Norton

  1. Restore: Security > Security History > choose Quarantine, then on the Nexus item choose Create exception & restore.
  2. Allow the folder: Security > Scans > Exclusions tab > Add, and pick the Nexus folder.

Guides: exclusions, quarantine. Report: file submission.

McAfee

  1. Restore: Navigation > Quarantined and Trusted Items > Quarantined Items, select Nexus, and click Restore.
  2. Allow the folder: open Excluded Files and Folders (in newer versions Real-Time Scanning > Excluded Files) and add the Nexus folder.

McAfee menus differ by version. Guides: quarantine, restore, exclude a file. Report: use the false positive option on McAfee's support site.

Avast

  1. Restore: Protection > Quarantine, tick Nexus, click the three dots, and choose Restore and add exception.
  2. Or allow the folder: Menu > Settings > General > Exceptions > Add exception > File / Folder.

Guides: exceptions, quarantine. Report: false positive form.

AVG

  1. Restore: Menu > Quarantine, tick Nexus, click the three dots, and choose Restore and add exception.
  2. Or allow the folder: Menu > Settings > General > Exceptions > Add exception > File / Folder.

Guides: exceptions, quarantine, Blocked & Allowed apps (for ransomware, webcam, or browser warnings). Report: false positive form.

Bitdefender

  1. Restore: Protection > Antivirus > Open > Settings > Manage quarantine. Turn on Create exception for the restored files, select Nexus, and click Restore.
  2. Or allow the folder: Protection > Antivirus > Open > Settings > Manage Exceptions > +Add an Exception.

Guides: exceptions, quarantine. Report: use the false positive form on Bitdefender's consumer support site.

Kaspersky

  1. Restore: Security > Quarantine (top right), select Nexus, and click Restore.
  2. Allow the folder: Settings > Security settings > Threats and exclusions > Manage exclusions > Add.

Guides: exclusions, restore. Menus change between versions. Report: OpenTIP.

ESET

  1. Restore: Tools > Quarantine, right-click Nexus, and choose Restore and exclude from scanning.
  2. Or allow the folder: press F5 > Scan > Edit next to Performance Exclusions > Add.

Guides: exclusions, restore. Report: submit a sample.

Malwarebytes

  1. Restore: Detection History > Quarantined items, tick Nexus, tick Exclude this from future detections, and click Restore.
  2. Or allow the folder: Detection History > Allow list > Add item.

Guides: Allow list, quarantine. Report: false positive.

Trend Micro

  1. Allow the folder: Settings > Exception Lists > Programs/folders > Add > Browse, pick the Nexus folder, then Apply and OK.
  2. If Nexus was already removed, download it again from hellonexus.com/download.

Guide: exception list. Report: submit a sample.

Avira

  1. Allow the folder: cogwheel > PC Protection > Real-Time Protection > Exceptions, and add C:\Program Files\Nexus\ (the trailing backslash matters).
  2. If Nexus was already removed, restore it from Avira's Quarantine or download it again.

Menus change between versions. Guide: excluding files. Report: file submission.

Webroot

  1. Open Webroot, click the PC Security gear, then Block/Allow Files > Add File.
  2. Pick Nexus.exe in the Nexus folder and select Allow. Files you restored from quarantine show up in the same list.

Guide: Blocking or allowing files. Report: open a support ticket with Webroot and choose the false positive option.

Mac

Nexus for Mac is signed and notarized by Apple. If a Mac security app flags it, allow Nexus.app the same way.

Still flagged?

Tell us on Discord which antivirus you use, and report the file to your antivirus vendor as a false positive with the links above.