How to Whitelist the Workstatus App in Windows Defender

Overview

If Windows Defender is blocking or terminating the Workstatus application, adding the Workstatus installation folder or executable to the Microsoft Defender Antivirus exclusion list can help prevent the application from being blocked.

Note: Antivirus exclusions reduce protection for the excluded files or folders. Add an exclusion only when you are confident that the Workstatus application is trusted.

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 or Windows 11
• Administrator access to the system
• Workstatus application installed on the system

Method 1: Add the Workstatus Folder to Windows Defender

Step 1: Open Windows Security

• Click Start.
• Search for Windows Security.
• Open Windows Security.

Step 2: Open Virus & Threat Protection

• Select Virus & threat protection.
• Under Virus & threat protection settings, click Manage settings.

Step 3: Open Exclusions

• Scroll down to the Exclusions section.
• Click Add or remove exclusions.
• Click + Add an exclusion.
• Select Folder.

Step 4: Select the Workstatus Folder

Select the Workstatus installation folder.

Example:

C:\Users<username>\AppData\Roaming\Workstatus

Click Select Folder to add the exclusion.
Note : Use the actual Workstatus installation path present on the user's system.

Method 2: Exclude the Workstatus Executable

If a specific Workstatus executable is being blocked, you can add the executable as an exclusion instead of excluding the complete folder.

• Open Windows Security.
• Go to Virus & threat protection → Manage settings.
• Select Add or remove exclusions.
• Click + Add an exclusion.
• Select File.
• Select the Workstatus executable.

Microsoft recommends using the full path when configuring a process exclusion where possible.

Method 3: Add Exclusion Using PowerShell

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

• Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\Users\AppData\Roaming\Workstatus"

To exclude a specific executable:

• Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "C:\Path\To\Workstatus.exe"

Microsoft documents Add-MpPreference for adding Defender exclusions without overwriting existing exclusions.

Verify the Exclusion

Run the following command in PowerShell as Administrator:

• Get-MpPreference | Select-Object -ExpandProperty ExclusionPath

For process exclusions:

• Get-MpPreference | Select-Object -ExpandProperty ExclusionProcess

Confirm that the Workstatus path or executable is listed.

After Adding the Exclusion

• Restart the Workstatus application.
• Start the timer.
• Verify that the application remains running.
• Verify that activity/screenshots are being captured.
• Verify that data is syncing correctly with the Workstatus server.

If the issue continues, check Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Protection history to determine whether Windows Defender is still blocking or terminating Workstatus.

• Important

If the device is managed through Microsoft Intune, Group Policy, or another enterprise management solution, locally added exclusions may be overridden or managed centrally. In such cases, configure the Workstatus exclusion through the organization's security-management policy.

Updated on: 03/09/2026