Hello all,

I installed Bitdefender Total Security, and was able to get Spine to run after doing the following. I have also attached a screenshot of the exceptions list that I used in order to run Spine.

• Went to the link Mario posted to review the steps to add an exception to Bitdefender.
• Installed Bitdefender Total Security (the free trial).
• Allowed it to run a scan on installation to establish a baseline.
• Tried to open Spine to verify that it had interfered with Spine's operation; test was successful, I couldn't open Spine.
• Updated Bitdefender.
• Added Spine's installation folder to the exceptions list, and tried to open Spine. Still no dice.
• Opened the exceptions list again, and then added both the installation folder AND the exe itself inside that folder (so for me, C:\Program Files\Spine\Spine.exe) and verified that it was added to all 3 categories of the exceptions list: the Antivirus, Online Threat Protection, and the Advanced Threat Defense.

After that, I rebooted and verified that Bitdefender was running, and then opened Spine! I've had no problems opening projects or Spine itself. I tested using projects from different folders, etc.

I'm using Windows 10, Spine Professional 4.0.55, and the latest version of Bitdefender Total Security from their website.

Hello,

for me it was enough to just add Spine.exe as exception to "Advanced Threat Defense".
Windows 11 21H2, latest Bitdefender Internet Security as of today

@jzcge Thank you for sharing the information!!

Hello,
For anyone having the problem with Spine and Comodo, I found how to exclude it from comodo without having to uninstall.:

I added it in many classic exclusion list (like antivirus and firewall exclusion - full folder + .exe), but it seems that this last place (which is a litle "hidden") was the one that unblocked me :

Advanced protection > Misc > Do not detect injection of command in the following applications > add the Spine path.

Here you can see in screenshot that I manage to open application.
Sorry interface is in french, but you can adapt to your langage.

I hope it helps
(at least it will help me in the future because I already found it years ago and struggle again for two days after system reinstall xD)

That's a great find, thanks DamsLMF!

I've added the Spine folder as an exception to BitDefender, also the .exe .
Still doesn't work for me

I've added the Spine folder as an exception to BitDefender, also the .exe .
Still doesn't work for me

Sorry Dinomaniak. That means something is still interfering with Spine. It may still be BitDefender or it could be something else, such as other antivirus software or even malware you didn't know you were infected with.

Really such programs offer basically no protection, they only slow down your computer and interfere with other software. I suggest uninstalling all such software. If you want something that actually provides real protection, I suggest Windows Firewall Control:
https://www.binisoft.org/wfc
It is a UI for the built-in Windows firewall. It shows a dialog when software is trying to access the internet. You can allow or block the traffic and it won't ask again. It only configures the Windows firewall you already use, so it doesn't make your computer slower or cause other issues.

I'm new to Spine and surprised me that in 2023 a software company recommends you to disable your antivirus to run its software. Imagine Adobe products asking users to disable their antivirus in order to work.

Sorry, but this has no sense. Even more when someone pays for this. Spine is a software made to animate. It should work properly with any antivirus. What's the issue that makes Spine unable to run with an active antivirus? Where can I read about that?

The problem is that antivirus code is injected into Spine causes all sorts of problems. When we allowed it, we could not differentiate between legitimate problems and problems caused by antivirus. We spent an enormous amount of time over many years hunting down ghosts and fielding support requests for problems caused by antivirus software.

Unlike Adobe, we actually care about fixing bugs and providing top notch support. For example, you are getting a response within a few hours of posting by the owner of the company. We are a small company and we don't have the resources to waste on antivirus nonsense. By disallowing our software from being invaded and sabotaged by antivirus software, we can make a higher quality product and provide better customer support.

I can appreciate if you are willing to put everything aside and use antivirus software, but the trouble it causes us is just too much. Besides, I don't feel it is unreasonable to request that other software not corrupt Spine. You can do that easily by safelisting Spine in your antivirus software. Then you can continue to enjoy a slower computer and false sense of security that the antivirus software provides. I joke, but I also really do not like antivirus software for good reasons.

Spine does not contain a virus or any other harmful software. That is guaranteed in our license agreement and we put our reputation on it. Our software is signed, meaning that if it has been modified by anyone else, the signature would not match and Windows would not allow you to run it. Microsoft's SmartScreen filtering provides warnings for unknown software and disallows known software that has been manipulated. When you install the legit Spine, there are no such warnings from SmartScreen.

You may not realize this, but the way antivirus software works (on Windows) is that it injects code into ALL running processes. This code then does varying degrees of mucking around with the internals of other software. Some examples: It replaces Windows system calls which can cause errors and incompatibilities when software expects the standard, documented behavior. It can overwrite memory within other software, causing all kinds of crazy problems, including crashes and data corruption. It can bloat memory, reducing what Windows makes available for the software, even when the system otherwise has sufficient memory. It can block legitimate operations seemingly randomly, resulting in errors and instability that would never occur normally. It can partially quarantine files and other resources, preventing normal operation of other software. It is the worst.

I only mentioned some of the things that directly and negatively affect the experience and stability of Spine. Antivirus software does other terrible things, like file and network scanning that slows the entire computer and increases CPU usage.

Ironically antivirus software does just about everything an actual virus does. In fact, some really blur the line. For example, "Comodo Internet Security" continues to inject itself into every process even when you have told it to disable all antivirus activity. The only way to make it stop is to uninstall it. That is just crazy.

Other antivirus is not as crazy. I can't say if there are actually any out there that are good, but it is very unlikely, even in 2023. The reason is that it's an impossible battle. No antivirus software is going to catch a virus of even moderate sophistication. Bad actors constantly find ways around them. Users who want to install a virus will find a way. The real solution to the problem is simply 1) to not download and run a virus, and 2) use a software firewall to control what software can communicate over the network.

I highly suggest the free Windows Firewall Control (but only WFC, not the full Malwarebytes suite of antivirus junk). It is not actually a firewall, instead it is just a UI that helps you manage rules for Windows' built-in firewall. Configure it to show a popup when any software tries to communicate over the network for the first time, then you click allow or deny. Besides the popup, it has a list of firewall rules and a log, so you can see what has been blocked/allowed. That is all it does! No antivirus, no interfering with other software. It just makes the built-in Windows firewall that you probably already have enabled actually usable, giving you easy control over what is accessing the internet. Plus if you ever do install a virus, it will surely try to access the internet and you'll see the pop up.

Sorry I wrote you a book.

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Oh cool, that's good to know. Uninstalling it is even better though.

Not to beat a dead horse, but for those who use Bit Defender, Luke's solution works. You need to add the directories AS WELL as the exe in the Spine directory. Sorry for the necro, just making sure people with BitDefender know what works in 2025.

It's bizzare that a directory exclusion on its own doesn't work. Seems to be "very good" software.