Antivirus or SmartScreen is blocking BuzzRelay
SmartScreen's "Windows protected your PC" warning appears for newly published software — click More info, then Run anyway. If antivirus quarantines the app or blocks the browser download, add the BuzzRelay install folder and %LOCALAPPDATA%\BuzzRelay\browsers\ to its exclusions. Browser automation looks unusual to security software, which is why this happens.
Why this happens
Two things about BuzzRelay look unusual to security software:
- It is independently published. SmartScreen warns about executables it has not seen enough of yet, regardless of what they do.
- It automates a browser. Launching Chromium and driving it programmatically is a pattern shared with genuinely malicious tools, so heuristic scanners flag the behaviour rather than the file.
These are false positives, but they are predictable ones, so it is worth setting the exclusions up front rather than after something fails halfway through.
SmartScreen: "Windows protected your PC"
Appears when you run the installer:
- Click More info.
- Click Run anyway.
There is no "Run anyway" without clicking "More info" first, which is where most people get stuck.
Antivirus quarantines BuzzRelay
Symptoms: the app vanishes after installing, the window flashes and closes, or a scan reports a threat.
- Open your antivirus's quarantine or protection history.
- Find the BuzzRelay entry and restore it.
- Add an exclusion for the BuzzRelay install folder so it does not happen again.
Restoring without adding the exclusion usually means it is quarantined again on the next scan.
The exclusions to add
| Path | Why |
|---|---|
| The BuzzRelay install folder | The executable itself |
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BuzzRelay\browsers\ | The bundled Chromium that gets launched |
%APPDATA%\BuzzRelay\ | Database, device profiles and media |
In Windows Security: Virus & threat protection → Manage settings → Add or remove exclusions → Add an exclusion → Folder. Third-party products have an equivalent, usually under Exceptions or Allowed items.
Exclude only these folders. Do not disable your antivirus entirely, and do not exclude your whole user profile.
The browser download is blocked
If the splash screen sits on "Checking browser installation…", a filtering antivirus or firewall is often intercepting the download. Allow outbound access to playwright.azureedge.net, then restart BuzzRelay to resume — see BuzzRelay does not start or the splash screen freezes.
Windows Firewall blocks the connection
Symptoms: activation times out, or the browser cannot reach WhatsApp Web.
- Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall.
- Click Change settings.
- Find
BuzzRelay.exeand tick both Private and Public. - If it is not listed, use Allow another app and browse to it in the install folder.
"Access denied" writing data
BuzzRelay stores everything in %APPDATA%\BuzzRelay\. If a group policy or a third-party security tool restricts that folder, grant your user account write permission to it.
On a managed work computer
If your machine is administered by an IT department, you may not be able to set exclusions yourself. What they need:
- Allow the BuzzRelay executable and its install folder.
- Allow outbound HTTPS to
playwright.azureedge.netfor the one-time browser download. - Allow outbound HTTPS to
web.whatsapp.com. - Allow write access to
%APPDATA%\BuzzRelay\.
Reporting a false positive helps. Most antivirus vendors accept submissions, and these reports are how detections eventually get corrected. It does not fix your machine today — use the exclusion for that — but it helps the next person.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Windows say "Windows protected your PC" when I install BuzzRelay?
SmartScreen warns about newly published software it has not seen widely yet. Click More info, then Run anyway. The "Run anyway" button only appears after clicking "More info".
Why does my antivirus flag BuzzRelay?
BuzzRelay launches and automates a Chromium browser, a pattern that heuristic scanners associate with malicious tools. It is a false positive on the behaviour rather than the file. Restore it from quarantine and add the install folder to your exclusions.
Which folders should I exclude from antivirus scanning?
The BuzzRelay install folder, %LOCALAPPDATA%\BuzzRelay\browsers\ which holds the bundled Chromium, and %APPDATA%\BuzzRelay\ which holds your database and device profiles. Do not disable antivirus entirely or exclude your whole user profile.
What does my IT department need to allow?
The BuzzRelay executable and install folder, outbound HTTPS to playwright.azureedge.net for the one-time browser download, outbound HTTPS to web.whatsapp.com, and write access to %APPDATA%\BuzzRelay\.
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