🛡️ Antivirus & EVSpark

Why your antivirus may block EVSpark and how to fix it

⚠️ Why does my antivirus block EVSpark?

EVSpark is a free and safe software, but it is not digitally signed. Code signing certificates cost several hundred euros per year, and this cost would make the software paid — which goes against the community spirit of the project.

Antivirus software often flags unsigned executables as "suspicious" with generic alerts such as Win32:Malware-gen, Trojan.Gen or PUA. These are false positives — the antivirus is not detecting an actual virus, it is simply flagging the absence of a digital signature.

Additionally, EVSpark is compiled with PyInstaller, a tool that packages a Python application into a single executable. This type of packaging is notoriously known for triggering false positives in most antivirus software, even for perfectly safe applications.

Why no code signing?

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High cost: A certificate costs between €200 and €500 per year. For free software aimed at a small community, this cost is not justifiable without making the application paid.
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Complex whitelisting: Registering with each antivirus vendor is extremely time-consuming and must be redone with every new EVSpark release. If users wish to submit EVSpark for whitelisting to antivirus vendors, they are welcome to do so.
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Niche software: EVSpark targets a small community of Mia Electric enthusiasts. The investment in code signing is disproportionate to the number of users.

How to verify that EVSpark is safe?

💡 Tip: You can check the downloaded file on VirusTotal.com. This free service scans the file with over 70 antivirus engines simultaneously. If only a few engines flag the file (with generic names like "Malware-gen" or "Trojan.Gen"), it is very likely a false positive. Real malware would be detected by most engines.

⚠️ Important: Always download EVSpark only from the official website evspark.fr. Do not trust any other download source.

Add an exception by antivirus

Click on your antivirus to see detailed instructions:

🪟 Windows Defender (Windows Security)

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Method 1 — Upon detection:

1
When Windows Defender blocks the file, click the notification or open Windows Security
2
Go to Virus & threat protection → Protection history
3
Find the entry for EVSpark_Portable.exe
4
Click on it, then select Actions → Allow on device

Method 2 — Add a permanent exclusion:

1
Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection
2
Under "Virus & threat protection settings", click Manage settings
3
Scroll down to Exclusions and click Add or remove exclusions
4
Click Add an exclusion → File, then select EVSpark_Portable.exe

💡 You can also exclude the entire folder containing EVSpark for simplicity.

🔴 Avira

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1
Open Avira and click the ⚙ Settings (gear icon)
2
Go to Security → Real-Time Protection
3
Click on Exceptions (or Exclusions)
4
Click Add and select the file EVSpark_Portable.exe or its folder
5
Confirm and re-download the file if it was deleted

If Avira quarantined the file: go to Security → Quarantine, select the file and choose Restore.

🟠 Avast / AVG

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1
Open Avast (or AVG) and go to Menu → Settings
2
Go to General → Exceptions
3
Click Add exception
4
Click Browse and select EVSpark_Portable.exe
5
Click Confirm

If the file is quarantined: Menu → Quarantine, right-click the file → Restore and add exception.

🔵 Bitdefender

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1
Open Bitdefender and go to Protection
2
Click Settings (⚙ icon) under "Antivirus"
3
Go to the Exceptions tab
4
Click Add, navigate to EVSpark_Portable.exe and confirm
5
Check boxes to exclude from on-access scanning and on-demand scanning

🟢 Kaspersky

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1
Open Kaspersky and click ⚙ Settings (bottom left icon)
2
Go to Security → Exclusions and actions on detected objects
3
Click Manage exclusions → Add
4
In the File or folder field, click Browse and select EVSpark_Portable.exe
5
Click Add to confirm the exclusion

🟡 Norton

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1
Open Norton and go to Settings
2
Click Antivirus → Scans and Risks tab
3
Under Items to Exclude from Scans, click Configure
4
Click Add Folders or Add Files
5
Select EVSpark_Portable.exe and click OK

If Norton SONAR blocked the file: go to Security History, find the entry and click Restore.

🟦 ESET NOD32

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1
Open ESET and press F5 to access Advanced setup
2
Go to Detection Engine → Exclusions
3
Under Performance exclusions, click Edit
4
Click Add and navigate to EVSpark_Portable.exe
5
Click OK to save

🔶 McAfee

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1
Open McAfee and click ⚙ Settings
2
Go to Real-Time Scanning
3
Click Excluded Files → Add a file
4
Select EVSpark_Portable.exe
5
Click Apply to save

If the file was quarantined: go to Quarantined items and click Restore.

General advice

If your antivirus is not listed above, the procedure is generally similar: open your antivirus settings, look for the "Exceptions", "Exclusions" or "Whitelist" section, and add the file EVSpark_Portable.exe or the folder containing it.

If the file was already deleted or quarantined after adding the exception, you will need to either restore it from your antivirus quarantine, or re-download it from the download page.

⬅ Back to EVSpark home