How to exclude NovaBACKUP from Windows Defender Antivirus to speed up backups

NovaBACKUP

Occasionally, certain Anti-Virus software may incorrectly flag or interfere with your NovaBACKUP software from properly running. This can result in a failed backup job, unusually slow backup speed (transfer rate), failure for the application to start entirely, or the inability to see destinations to backup your files to. Please also confirm no files shown here have been quarantined by your Antivirus software if you cannot find the file in the listed location.

This guide discusses how to exclude NovaBACKUP processes, file types, and program folders from Windows Defender Antivirus, to speed up backups. We have an alternate guide on the subject of how to exclude the required items from other anti-virus software here.

Please see the files below and add the following folders to your Antivirus exception lists if you are experiencing any of these issues and are running an Antivirus Software on your machine.

Note: NovaBACKUP 19 software currently only supports Windows 7 and above for Workstation OS and Windows Server 2008 and above for Server OS.

File Types to Exclude: (File Extensions)

.NBD
.NDD
.NDF
.NDI

Files to Exclude: (Processes or Executables)

NovaBackX.exe
nsCtrl.exe
nsService.exe
DRBackup.exe

AND
For a x64 (64-bit) OS: C:\Program Files\NovaStor\NovaStor NovaBACKUP\DR\x64\drdiag.exe

Or
For a x86 (32-bit) OS: C:\Program Files\NovaStor\NovaStor NovaBACKUP\DR\Win32\drdiag.exe

Folders to Exclude (Program Folders):

C:\ProgramData\NovaStor\NovaStor NovaBACKUP\

AND
C:\Program Files\NovaStor\

OR
C:\Program Files (x86)\NovaStor\

plus the Temporary Files directory, if not the default of
C:\ProgramData\NovaStor\NovaStor NovaBACKUP\Temp\

FYI: The Temporary Files directory can be set to a custom folder in the Default Settings -> Advanced Options -> "Temporary Files directory:" option setting, inside NovaBACKUP software, this folder will also need to be added to your exclusions.

How to configure Windows Defender exclusions:

The instructions for Windows Defender are shown below to add the exclusions. You can see the highlighted sections shows what to click on to get the various methods of exclusions that can be added to Windows Defender.

First of all, load up Windows Defender (Windows Defender Security Center) and then click on the shield icon in the Windows Defender toolbar on the left of the screen, highlighted in the screenshot, then click on "Virus & threat protection settings", highlighted near the bottom:

You should see the "Virus & threat protection settings" screen, click on "Add or remove exclusions".

On the next screen click the "+" button, to the left of "Add an exclusion", and then choose "Process" and add all of the Processes mentioned in this article, when done adding the Processes click on the "+ Add an exclusion" button and continue adding the other two methods of exclusions described in this article after the Processes section. You will be using three methods of exclusions, those are File type, Process, and Folder. An example of what this would look like at this stage is shown in the screenshot below: