AVG 2017 Ransomware Protection blocks ability to save

[Franpa]

AVG Internet Security 2017 includes a Ransomware component by default and it will prevent Dolphin from being able to write to the save file for... some reason. It is possible to create an exception for Dolphin within the Ransomware component.

Symptom: When saving in Paper Mario: TTYD Dolphin will display a popup box stating that it can not write to the Save File. Subsequent attempts at saving your progress in the current game session will NOT trigger this prompt, even though the emulator will still fail to write to the file. The only indication of it continuing to fail to write to the save file is the lack of an OSD message mentioning that the emulator has written to the file.

It took numerous attempts at saving my progress in Super paper Mario: TTYD before AVG finally decided to display a popup that explained that it was responsible and provide an easy means of setting up an exception for Dolphin (I chose to disable/remove the Ransomware protection component, since I can't turn off heuristic detection for that component).

This post serves to make devs and other people aware of the problem and that Dolphin could probably be more consistent in its warning of an inability to write to the Save File (it shouldn't stop displaying the popup box for subsequent attempts to write to the file).

Dolphin 5.0-5169

[Fog]

This isn't really an issue on Dolphin's end. As you identified, it's an issue on the anti-virus's end and must be resolved with them.

[JMC47]

Tell AVG to stop fucking with emulators.

[matheusstaffa]

Unfortunaly, that happened with Avast 2017 too. But i found a way to disable it. In the meantime, it's good to make some save states just to ensure the safety of your save files and then, save in the memory card.

[JosJuice]

This post serves to make devs and other people aware of the problem and that Dolphin could probably be more consistent in its warning of an inability to write to the Save File (it shouldn't stop displaying the popup box for subsequent attempts to write to the file).

If Dolphin displayed an error message for every write failure, it would become impossible to stop Dolphin if the game constantly tries to write. So that might not be a good idea.

In the meantime, it's good to make some save states just to ensure the safety of your save files and then, save in the memory card.

There's nothing wrong with making both savestates and regular saves, but the regular saves should be seen as the safety option, not the savestates

[Helios]

You're on Windows 10 so:

1. Keep windows 10 up to date with patches

2. Keep your web browser up to date with patches

3. Install an adblocker for your web browser. uBlock origin is fine

4. Uninstall AVG

5. Enable Windows Defender.

Windows Defender is sufficient in win10.

[seoulgamer]

This happens with Bitdefender too and is caused by Dolphin trying to write to the Documents folder, since that's where its save files are stored. Most antivirus programs will try to stop this as they presume that Dolphin is encrypting your files for ransomware purposes.

[JMC47]

That's literally their problem, not ours.

[AnyOldName3]

Most antivirus packages allow you to submit false positive reports. Do that whenever you get wound up by them, and hopefully, they'll eventually figure out the cause and resolve it.

[MayImilae]

This happens with Bitdefender too and is caused by Dolphin trying to write to the Documents folder, since that's where its save files are stored.

Writing to the user folder instead of program files or whatever is literally what we're *supposed* to do according to Windows guidelines! And tons of games and programs do this accordingly. It's just antiviruses being dumb.

And as Helios said, in 2017 on an up to date operating system, there isn't really a reason to use AV software. If anything, these days AV software is likely to make your system less secure!