Troubleshooting VEXcode IQ Opening Slowly on Windows Computers – VEX Library

This article will help explain and troubleshoot issues with VEXcode taking a significant amount of time (greater than 30 seconds) to open on some Microsoft Windows computers.

When launching VEXcode, Microsoft Windows computers need to extract and decompress files in order to run VEXcode. For some users, an installed antivirus program may scan these files as they are being written, which will cause VEXcode to take significantly more time to open.

If you are experiencing that the VEXcode application is launching slowly, it is recommended that you keep the antivirus software from scanning files as they are being read/written. This article will walk you through how to exclude VEXcode from the scans.

How to exclude VEXcode folders in Windows Defender

Windows Settings menu is open and the Update and Security settings option is highlighted.

Open computer settings and select ‘Update & Security.’

Windows Settings menu is open and showing the Update and Security settings. On the left navigation bar, the Windows Security option is highlighted.

Select ‘Windows Security’ from the left panel.

Windows Settings menu opened to the Windows Security page. At the top, a button reading Open Windows Security is highlighted.

Select ‘Open Windows Security.’

Windows Security menu with two options, one reads Virus and Threat Protection and the other option reads Account Protection. The Virus and Threat Protection option is highlighted.

Select ‘Virus & threat protection.’

Windows Security menu with the Virus and Threat Protection page opened. An item in the menu reads Virus and Threat Protection Settings, and below that there is a Manage Settings button which is highlighted.

Under ‘Virus & threat protection settings,’ select ‘Manage settings.’

Windows Security with the Virus and Threat Protection Settings menu opened. Near the bottom of the menu there is an Exclusions category with a highlighted button that reads Add or Remove Exclusions.

Under ‘Exclusions,’ select ‘Add or remove exclusions.’

Windows App Permission prompt that lists Windows Security and reads Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device? Below there are two options, one reads Yes and the other reads No. The Yes option is highlighted.

The following permission prompt will appear. Select ‘Yes.’

Windows Security Exclusions menu with a message that reads Add or remove items that you want to exclude from Microsoft Defender Antivirus scans. Below the message there is a highlighted button that reads Add an Exclusion.

Once permission has been granted, select ‘Add an exclusion.’

Windows Security Exclusions menu after the Add an Exclusion button has been selected. A dropdown menu is open and the Process option is highlighted. Process is the fourth option in the dropdown menu, below File, Folder, and File Type.

Select ‘Process.’

Windows Security Add an Exclusion prompt menu with a message that reads Enter Process Name and a text field below. Below the text field, there is a link to Learn More, a button reading Add, and a button reading Cancel. The text field has been selected.

Type in the path for the version of VEXcode that you are using, then select ‘Add.’

VEXcode IQ

C:\Program Files (x86)\VEX Robotics\VEXcode IQ\VEXcode IQ.exe

Note: Paths are based on installation location and may be different if a non-default location was used during installation.

VEXcode IQ Toolbar with the Feedback icon highlighted to the right of the Share icon.

If you are still experiencing issues with VEXcode, please use the ‘Feedback’ button. For more information, view the following articles:
Feedback for VEXcode IQ

Folder Paths to Exclude for VEXcode (for other Antivirus programs)

To resolve VEXcode opening slowly, prevent the Microsoft Windows computer’s antivirus software from scanning the following folder paths:

VEXcode IQ

%LocalAppData%\VEXcode IQ
%ProgramFiles(X86)%\VEX Robotics\VEXcode IQ
Any folders starting with “nw” in %LocalAppData%\Temp