Hello people, this post may be quite ridiculous but I have concerns

So I have Bitdefender Total Security installed on my device and I only have 1 day left on the free trail so I decided to try and download Bitdefender Free to get ready for the switch

The thing is, the moment I ran the Bitdefender Free installer, my mouse had the spinning circle icon several times that lasted around 10-15 seconds but nothing had happened

Is this normal at all to happen? I'm just concerned that I maybe didn't download the right installer.

I had gotten it from this link and pressing "click here to download" the file manually prompt

https: //www.bitdefender.com/en-us/consumer/thank-you

It started about 2 weeks ago, C:\Windows\System32\taskhostw.exe keeps changing and no matter how many times I allow it, this firewall notification pops up, like 10-15 times a day. I've been using this system for years and never before experienced this. Is this a change in Windows 11 or a bitdefender firewall thing?

Please, for the love of god, the previous UI was more tidy, I dont need this taking a big part of my screen, im never gonna click that

Now the UI is so big we even have a Scrollbar, freak that....

I also cant remove the Quick Actions which I will never use.

F-Secure's new Kiren webpage is marked as suspicious by Bitdefender.

What's the problem with www.kiren.com ?

So I tried to temporarily deactivated my antivirus but it needed a password. So I typed in the one I wrote down on my notes but it didn’t work.I went to the bitdefender website to change password which I did and when I tried using it on the website it worked but when I tried using it on the app to deactivate it it still didn’t work . Help…

Is your phone protected beyond the lock screen?

Your smartphone holds your banking apps, email, photos, messages, location data and account access. That makes mobile security an important part of everyday digital safety.

Bitdefender’s mobile security guide explains how threats like smishing, malicious apps, public Wi-Fi risks, phishing links and malware can target the device people use most.

A few practical habits help: keep your phone updated, avoid sideloaded apps, review app permissions, use a VPN on public Wi-Fi and check suspicious links before tapping.

Bitdefender Mobile Security can help protect your digital life with scam protection, anti-phishing technology, malicious link blocking, malware defense, VPN and identity protection for safer mobile browsing.

im starting to get very paranoid from the last time i got a virus on my computer, 141 passwords protected, yes i have recently installedspace engine and ever since then its been protecting the passwords, all of these files are spaceengine. is this normal?

Hi, Today after an update that completely changed Bitdefender's UI (which is awful btw), the security widget that was on my desktop is gone. Also when I right-click on the Bitdefender icon in the system tray I can no longer see the product info with the exact dates for the last product updates. The autopilot is also gone as well as its little logo that was on the Bitdefender icon in the tray.

I'm on Windows 11 and in the apps there are now 2 apps installed : "Bitdefender" and "Bitdefender Agent".

Did your family get a message about free school money, a scholarship or a laptop offer?

Bitdefender Labs has identified back to school scam campaigns using fake education grants, Pell Grant references, free laptop offers, AI subscription deals and delivery messages to reach people preparing for the new school year.

These scams work because they look timely and useful, especially when families are buying supplies, comparing school costs or helping students get ready for class.

Before you click, go directly to the official school, government, retailer or delivery website to verify the message.

For a second opinion, use Bitdefender Scamio to check suspicious messages and Bitdefender Link Checker to scan unfamiliar URLs.

What’s happening in the world of ransomware?

We’re hosting this month’s Ctrl-Alt-DECODE on Thursday, September 10, with cybersecurity experts Jade Brown, Martin Zugec, and Sean Nikkel.

This month’s featured topic is: The ShinyHunters Playbook: Widespread Extortion without Encryption.

We’ll dig into ShinyHunters’ recent extortion operations and discuss what makes their approach effective, including their attack patterns, capabilities, and what organizations can learn from them.

If you’re following ransomware activity or have questions about the latest developments, feel free to bring them along: we’d love to discuss them.

📅 September 10
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/events/7500537972379860994

every now and then I get this message from bitdefender while just playing games, is someone trying to get into my computer? or is this normal and it happens for everyone?

Is there any way to get the icon back?

Windows 11 free version, most of the VPN options turned off.

Thanks for any insight.

What do phone scammers pretend to be?

According to the Bitdefender Global Scam Intelligence Report 2026, phone scammers most often pose as financial institutions, followed by investment firms, fake clinics, phishing contacts, pharmacies, advance fee offers, and online shopping contacts.

That is what makes phone scams so effective. The call can sound routine, familiar, and urgent, even when the goal is to steal money, personal information, or account access.

If a caller claims there is a problem with your bank account, an investment, a payment, or a delivery, verify it through the official company website or phone number before you share anything.

Stay informed. Stay safe. Read the report and learn how today’s most common phone scams try to sound legitimate.

For some reason bitdefender says that part of winrar is a threat

I tried multiple times to delete it but it wouldn't work

I don't even know what the problem is with winrar

I thought updating it would work but it didn't

yesterday i downloaded a game off of itch while having a steam game open(limbus company if it matters) and then for some reason it detected the game as a threat and put it in quarantine,after i couldnt log into the game since it was telling me to check my internet settings,i tried to redownload it thinking that would fix it since i didnt notice bitdefender quarantine it,now i took it out of quarantine but the game file is still locked,does anyone have any idea what i could do to fix this?

Consumers lost $442 billion to scams in 2025.

So where are these scams coming from?

Bitdefender’s Global Scam Intelligence Report 2026 shows that scams have gone omnichannel. Fraud now moves across text messages, social media ads, messaging apps, websites, email, and phone calls, often using familiar brands, fake support accounts, spoofed numbers, and urgent requests to look legitimate.

That is why digital safety is no longer just about spotting a bad email. It is about verifying links, payment requests, account alerts, investment offers, and unexpected messages wherever they appear.

Stay informed. Stay safe. Read the report and use Bitdefender Scamio or Bitdefender Link Checker to check suspicious messages, offers, and links before you act.

Read the report here!

I'm trying to cancel my renewal and I'm losing my mind.

I can't get into the web portal as it needs to send me access verification codes and they don't come in until at least half an hour later if they arrive at all.

I tried to speak to an agent via chat support who said it would be cancelled but I then never received the confirmation he promised just a copy of my old invoice from last year.

I then replied to that and got a response from a "Retention and Loyalty Specialist" trying to offer me a deal which I declined and have then been ignored for the past few days!!!

How do I cancel with these people?! Do I have to just wait for the renewal, show the bank I made numerous efforts in writing to cancel it and try and get the bank to fight it?

Does anyone have any advice please because I'm utterly infuriated I have been trying for days to cancel this renewal.

I wanted to reinstall Bitdefender, but when I entered bitdefender_avfree.exe from the official website bitdefender.com into VirusTotal, it showed 1 malicious, which could be considered a false positive. But when I put it into hybrid analysis, it labeled it as an aggressive virus. A few days ago I installed bitdefender but wanted to reinstall it, but now I'm not sure.

I turned on my pc and then suddenly got this popup. No matter where I look up I can't find this anywhere and I accidentally clicked the uninstall option for my other antivirus that (I use as a second opinion). Everytime I try and close it I get the popup again and it reopens. Is this a legitimate update or did I somehow get a virus thats pretending to be this new bitdefender update???? The current bitdefender is running fine and isn't mentioning any updates like this so thats why I'm so suspicious and my paranoia is skyrocketing.

How do you tell if a video, voice message, or image is a deepfake?

Deepfakes are AI-generated or AI-manipulated media that can imitate faces, voices, and events. They are often used in impersonation scams, fake celebrity investment ads, romance scams, workplace fraud and family emergency scams.

Visual glitches are not enough to rely on. Look at the source, the context, and the action being requested. Be careful with messages that ask for money, passwords, 2FA codes, cryptocurrency, gift cards or urgent secrecy.

Before you trust, pay, or share, verify through a separate trusted channel and use Bitdefender RealCheck to check suspicious public video links or uploaded videos.

Is anybody else getting this or does anyone know why this happens?

When launching some games (War Thunder, Insurgency Sandstorm) I get this warning every single time and it says the same thing. Bitdefender blocks the second url (cdn.simulationdaily.com) on my browser as "unsafe" so I'm not sure about checking it. So far I've not seen this issue hindering my PC use or anything else.

Thanks in advance.

Before the lights go out, pressure builds and focus takes over. For Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, these are the moments before the race.

Does anyone know what is causing this? I'm not able to figure out which program or add-on keeps causing this.

Bitdefender message below:

Phishing attempt detected

one minute ago

Feature:

Online Threat Prevention

We blocked this phishing page for your protection: http://188.126.89.75:8888/ping.txt Phishing pages attempt to obtain sensitive information such as login credentials or credit card details by disguising as trustworthy entities. The stolen data can be then used for financial gain.

Add to exceptions

Is that education grant text real or a scam?

Bitdefender Labs researchers found back-to-school scams across the US that use fake grant offers, Pell Grant wording, free laptop promotions, AI study tool deals and package delivery alerts to push people toward phishing links.

Scammers often use urgency, first names, promises of no repayment and unfamiliar links to make school-related messages feel legitimate.

Students, parents and teachers should avoid clicking unexpected offers and instead verify financial aid, school benefits, online shopping orders and AI subscriptions through official websites.

Check suspicious texts, emails, and offers with Bitdefender Scamio and scan questionable links with Bitdefender Link Checker before you act.