If the Windows Defender folder protection is active, eg under Windows 10/11 problems with the use of WinScan2PDF can occur!Many users do not know that programs written for portable use saver in the working directory to settings. In Windows 10 or Windows 11 and enabled Defender directory protection, this is not possible in certain folders, many user launch the program from the desktop. For this reason, there are two versions from version 4.19 in the download area, once standard and the portable version of Win-Scan-To-PDF! Content: 1.) ... The Portable version of WinScan2PDF!
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| (Image-2) Porttable Win-Scan-2-PDF on Windows-10! |
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2.) The standard version of WinScan2PDF!
In the standard version of Win-Scan-2-PDF stores the program settings in:%appdata%/WinScan2PDF
There are no personal data stored here, only the program-specific, or their personal program settings for the operation of WinScan2PDF!
| (Image-1) Win-Scan-2-PDF and Win-10 protected folders problem! |
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3.) Standard version or portable version of the scanning software which is better!
The choice between the standard (installed) version and the portable version of WinScan2PDF depends on your personal preferences and requirements. Convenience: The standard version is installed into your Windows operating system and is easily accessible via the Start menu or desktop shortcut for faster scanning.
The standard version takes up hardly any hard drive space, and installing the scanning software can take up hardly any space on computers even with limited storage space, you can scan without any problems!
The portable version:
No installation required: The portable version requires no installation and can be launched from a USB stick or external hard drive, which is convenient if you want to use the scanning application on different computers. Since no installation is required, it does not take up disk space on your main computer. You can use the portable version of WinScan2PDF on different Windows computers without having to install it every time and convert scans to PDFs instantly.
Info:
Ultimately, the choice between the standard version and the portable version of WinScan2PDF depends on your personal preferences and requirements. If you only use the application on one computer and prefer integration with the Windows context menu, the standard version might be a better choice. However, if you want the scanning flexibility of using the application on different computers and don't want to take up additional hard drive space, the portable version is a good option.
Ultimately, the choice between the standard version and the portable version of WinScan2PDF depends on your personal preferences and requirements. If you only use the application on one computer and prefer integration with the Windows context menu, the standard version might be a better choice. However, if you want the scanning flexibility of using the application on different computers and don't want to take up additional hard drive space, the portable version is a good option.
User:
It should be emphasized that there is a portable version that does not need to be installed. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to use WinScan2PDF. Unfortunately, my employer no longer grants admin rights for the work laptops. In this respect, PORTABLE is the solution here. Thanks.
FAQ: Problems with protected folders (Windows Defender)
1. What exactly is "Controlled Folder Access"?
2. I keep getting the message "Access to a protected folder is blocked." Why?
3. Should I just turn off the protection completely?
4. How do I allow a specific program access without completely disabling the protection?
5. I see the message, but it doesn't say which folder or app is blocked.
6. Now the protection is suddenly blocking Windows' own programs? Is my PC infected?
7. I marked a folder as "protected" myself, but now I can't access my data.
8. My folders have suddenly become shortcuts! Is this related to the controlled folder?
9. In short: What to do if "Access is blocked"?
1.) What exactly is a "Controlled Folder Access"?
This is a security feature of Windows Defender (available from the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update onwards). It protects your important folders (such as "Documents", "Pictures", "Videos") from unauthorized changes by malicious apps or ransomware. If an app attempts to modify or delete a file in one of these protected folders, Windows blocks it and displays a warning message in the Security Center.
2.) I keep getting the message "Access to protected folder blocked". Why?
This happens when a program tries to access one of the folders protected by default (or one you've added) and Windows Defender doesn't trust that program.
* Common reason 1: You install a new program and it wants to create a shortcut on your desktop or save settings in your user folder.
* Common reason 2: A legitimate program (like a word processor or game) that you've used for a long time is mistakenly flagged as a threat after an update. Microsoft states that it sometimes produces "false positives" as a precaution.
* Less common reason: In some cases, a bug in Windows or a malware infection can even cause Windows system files (from `C:\Windows\System32`) to be blocked.
3.) Should I simply turn off the protection completely?
This is the simplest, but from a security perspective, the worst solution . Protection is an important part of Windows security (especially against ransomware). If you disable it globally, your system becomes more vulnerable.
Better: Leave protection enabled and allow access for individual programs (see next question). Only as a temporary solution, if you install a program that is causing problems, can you briefly disable it and then re-enable it.
4.) How do I allow a specific program access without completely disabling the protection?
You can manually add trusted apps to the "allow list" (whitelist). Here's how:
1. Open Windows Security (from the Start menu or the shield icon in the taskbar).
2. Click on Virus & threat protection .
3. Scroll down to "Virus & threat protection settings" and click on "Manage settings" .
4. Scroll down to "Controlled Folder Access" and click on "Manage Controlled Folder Access" .
5. Under "Allow an app through Controlled Folder Access", click on "Add an allowed app" .
6. Select "Recently blocked apps" (here you'll find the ones that have recently caused problems) or "Browse all apps" to manually select the program's executable file (`.exe`).
5.) I see the message, but it doesn't say which folder or app was blocked?
Yes, the exact method is just a little hidden. The notification in the notification center is vague. You can find the details in the protection history :
1. Open Windows Security .
2. Click on Virus & threat protection .
3. Click on "Protection history" .
4. There you will see a list of all blocked actions. Clicking on an entry will display details:
* Threat: "Access to protected folder blocked"
* Affected items: This shows which app (path to the .exe file) was blocked and which folder it tried to access.
6.) Now the protection is suddenly blocking Windows' own programs? Is my PC infected?
Not necessarily. There are reports that this could be due to a bug or malware attempting to impersonate system files. You should play it safe:
1. Full virus scan: Run a full scan with Windows Defender or another up-to-date antivirus program.
2. Microsoft Safety Scanner: Download and run the Microsoft Safety Scanner – it's a deep, one-time scan tool.
3. If the scan is clean and the problem persists, you can consider temporarily exempting the entire system folders (`C:\Windows\System32` and `C:\Windows\SysWOW64`) from monitoring – but this should really only be a temporary solution.
7.) I marked a folder as "protected" myself, but now I can no longer access my data?
If you've added a folder under "Protected Folders" yourself, the same rules apply: only apps you've authorized can access it. Your regular Windows Explorer and applications should still work, as they are automatically considered trusted unless flagged as malicious.
If you truly can't access your data at all (which is very rare), check the following:
* Are you still the owner of the folder ? (Right-click on the folder > Properties > Security > Advanced > Owner)
* Do you have the correct permissions ? (Right-click on the folder > Properties > Security > Edit)
* Sometimes restarting your PC can work wonders.
8.) My folders suddenly became shortcuts! Is this related to the protected folder?
No, that's a different problem. If folders suddenly appear as `.lnk` files (shortcuts), it's usually the result of a virus (often called a "shortcut virus") on a USB drive or hard drive. The virus hides the actual folders and replaces them with shortcuts of the same name, which execute the virus when clicked. This has nothing to do with Defender's "Controlled Folder Access" feature. Here's what to do:
* Scan with Defender.
Run the command `attrib -h -r -s /s /d drive:\ .*` in the command prompt (as administrator) to make the actual, hidden folders visible again.
* Enable the display of hidden and protected system files.
9.) In short: What to do if "Access blocked"?
1. Don't panic – it's usually a false alarm.
2. Check your protection history to see which app was blocked.
3. Add the trusted app to the allow list (instead of disabling protection). 4. Only perform a full virus scan
if in doubt (especially with system files) .
FAQ 18: Updated on: 6 March 2026 20:20
