{
  "id": 1049189,
  "title": "A Windows Defender bug is making VLC take 30 seconds to open an MP3 file",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/a-windows-defender-bug-is-making-vlc-take-30-seconds-to-open-an-mp3",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-15T14:03:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechSpot",
    "slug": "techspot",
    "url": "https://www.techspot.com/news/113491-windows-defender-bug-making-vlc-take-30-seconds.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent controversy has shed light on the tension between Microsoft and open-source projects like VLC. VLC, a widely-used universal media player, is experiencing delays when opening MP3 files, likely due to a bug in Microsoft Defender, Microsoft's endpoint antivirus software.\n\nJonathan Blow, a renowned game designer, accused the VideoLAN team behind VLC of poor programming, suggesting he would switch to Microsoft Media Player. However, VideoLAN and Blow later clarified that Microsoft Defender is the actual source of the problem. The antivirus software frequently targets VLC's plugin cache, quarantining the cache file and causing delayed loading times.\n\nVideoLAN acknowledged the issue, stating that calling open-source software \"embarrassing\" when a Windows update breaks it is disrespectful. Microsoft Defender is often blamed for false positives and issues with legitimate third-party software. While some users have switched to alternative antivirus software like Bitdefender, others have found success by simply regenerating their VLC plugin cache or reinstalling the player.\n\nBlow's preference for Microsoft Media Player over modern MP3 players like Foobar2000 can be seen as an embarrassment, given the widespread popularity and capabilities of VLC.",
  "summary": "Is VLC media player taking tens of seconds to load an MP3 file just because open-source software development is now in an embarrassing state? Jonathan Blow, designer of puzzle games Braid and The Witness, accused the VideoLAN team of doing a very bad job with VLC programming. The VideoLAN team... Read Entire Article",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Computerworld",
        "title": "Researcher bypasses Microsoft Defender security patch, seizing control",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/researcher-bypasses-microsoft-defender-security-patch-seizing-control",
        "published": "2026-08-12T21:13:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Tom's Hardware",
        "title": "Devs blame Windows for VLC media player bug that causes 33-second delay when playing MP3 files — creators allege Microsoft Defender blocking plugin cache is to blame",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/devs-blame-windows-for-vlc-media-player-bug-that-causes-33-second",
        "published": "2026-08-15T13:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}