VLC Media Player Delayed on Windows 11 Due to Microsoft Defender Bug

A recent Windows update has caused an issue with VLC media player on Windows 11, resulting in a delay of up to 33 seconds when playing MP3 files. This problem was highlighted by game developer Jonathan Blow, who criticized open-source software running on Windows.

The developers behind VLC fired back at Blow's criticism, stating that the issue is not with the media player itself but rather due to a Microsoft Defender bug introduced through a Windows 11 update. The bug causes Microsoft Defender to quarantine or block VLC's plugins.dat cache file, leading to a noticeable delay in processing the plugin system before playback begins.

To resolve this issue, users can reinstall VLC or regenerate the plugin cache using a dedicated executable file included with the VLC installer. Alternatively, adding an exception for the VLC installation folder in Microsoft Defender itself is a more reliable solution that should prevent future occurrences of the problem.