Antivirus blocking Webshots

If Webshots cannot reach the internet, says your photo directory is read-only, or behaves strangely, the cause is almost always third-party antivirus software (Avast, McAfee, Norton, AVG, etc.) flagging Webshots as a false positive. Webshots is not the problem — every release is submitted to Microsoft for a safety review before we publish it to the Microsoft Store and our website.

You do not need third-party antivirus on Windows 11

Microsoft's own position is unambiguous: Windows 11 ships with Microsoft Defender Antivirus built in, it runs automatically, and it is all the protection most people need. Microsoft's official guidance lays this out: here →

Microsoft also explicitly warns against running multiple antivirus programs at once — they conflict, slow your PC down, and create exactly the kind of false positive that breaks Webshots: here →

And here is a plain-language explainer on why paying for third-party antivirus is no longer worth it: here →

Easiest fix: uninstall the third-party antivirus

Remove Avast, McAfee, Norton, AVG, or whatever third-party antivirus you have installed. Windows Defender takes over automatically the moment it is gone — you will not be unprotected for a single second. This is what Microsoft itself recommends, and it is the only fix that permanently stops the false positives.

Alternative: install Webshots from the Microsoft Store

If you want to keep your third-party antivirus, install Webshots from the Microsoft Store instead. Antivirus programs automatically trust Store apps because Microsoft has independently verified them as safe: here →

It is the exact same Webshots application — just delivered through a channel your antivirus already trusts.

Alternative: add Webshots to your antivirus allowed list

If you cannot uninstall and do not want the Store version, add Webshots to your antivirus's allowed/whitelist and exclude the Webshots photo directory from real-time scanning. Menus differ by product — search "allow app" or "exclude folder" in your antivirus settings.

Avast: Ransomware Shield (read-only photo directory)

If Webshots says your photo directory is read-only and you are running Avast, Avast Ransomware Shield has marked your Webshots folder as protected. Open Avast Ransomware Shield settings and remove any Webshots directories from the protected list:

Or move your photo directory away from Avast's watched folders: Settings → Application → Change Photo Directory → "Items" (moves photos to C:\WebshotsItems).

McAfee: firewall and scan exclusions

Open McAfee → Firewall → Internet Connections for Programs. Find Webshots and set it to Full Access. If Webshots is not listed, click Add and browse to C:\Program Files\Webshots\Webshots.exe.

To exclude Webshots from scanning: McAfee → Settings → Real-Time Scanning → Excluded Files → Add Folder → your Webshots photo directory (usually C:\Users\[your name]\Documents\Webshots).

Norton: firewall and scan exclusions

Open Norton → Settings → Firewall → Program Control. Find Webshots and set it to Allow. If Webshots is not listed, click Add and browse to C:\Program Files\Webshots\Webshots.exe.

To exclude Webshots from scanning: Norton 360 → Settings → AntiVirus → Scans and Risks → Items to Exclude → Configure → Add Folders → your Webshots photo directory.