================================================================================ SoftEther VPN - Windows Installation Notes ================================================================================ Thank you for installing SoftEther VPN! SoftEther VPN is legitimate, open-source VPN software developed by researchers at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. It has been in active development since 2013 and is used by organizations and individuals worldwide. ================================================================================ IMPORTANT: Antivirus False Positive Warning ================================================================================ Some antivirus software (including Microsoft Defender) may incorrectly flag SoftEther VPN executables as malicious. This is a FALSE POSITIVE detection. WHY THIS HAPPENS: ----------------- VPN software performs operations that can appear suspicious to antivirus programs: - Network tunneling and traffic interception - Low-level network operations - Service installation with elevated privileges - Registry modifications for Windows integration These are NORMAL and NECESSARY operations for any VPN software. IF MICROSOFT DEFENDER QUARANTINES SOFTETHER VPN: ------------------------------------------------ 1. Add Exclusions to Microsoft Defender: a) Open Windows Security (Windows Key + I -> Privacy & Security -> Windows Security -> Virus & threat protection) b) Click "Manage settings" under Virus & threat protection settings c) Scroll down to "Exclusions" and click "Add or remove exclusions" d) Click "Add an exclusion" -> "Folder" and add: C:\Program Files\SoftEther VPN Client C:\Program Files\SoftEther VPN Client Developer Edition C:\Program Files\SoftEther VPN Server C:\Program Files\SoftEther VPN Server Developer Edition (Add only the folders that exist for your installation) 2. Restore Quarantined Files: a) Go to "Virus & threat protection" -> "Protection history" b) Find quarantined SoftEther VPN files c) Click "Actions" -> "Restore" 3. Reinstall if Necessary: If files were deleted, reinstall SoftEther VPN. The exclusions will prevent future detections. REPORT FALSE POSITIVE TO MICROSOFT: ------------------------------------ Help improve Microsoft Defender by reporting the false positive: Visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/filesubmission Submit the flagged file and indicate it's a false positive detection of SoftEther VPN, open-source software from the University of Tsukuba. MORE INFORMATION: ----------------- For detailed documentation about this issue and additional solutions, see: https://github.com/SoftEtherVPN/SoftEtherVPN/blob/master/ANTIVIRUS.md VERIFY AUTHENTICITY: -------------------- SoftEther VPN is open source. You can verify the software by: - Reviewing source code: https://github.com/SoftEtherVPN/SoftEtherVPN - Official website: https://www.softether.org/ - Only download from official sources WARNING: Do not download SoftEther VPN from third-party websites. ================================================================================ Getting Started ================================================================================ After adding antivirus exclusions (if needed): 1. Launch "SoftEther VPN Client Manager" from the Start Menu 2. Configure your VPN connection settings 3. Connect to your VPN server For detailed documentation, visit: https://www.softether.org/ ================================================================================ Support ================================================================================ Official Website: https://www.softether.org/ GitHub Repository: https://github.com/SoftEtherVPN/SoftEtherVPN Security Issues: https://github.com/SoftEtherVPN/SoftEtherVPN/security ================================================================================ SoftEther VPN is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 Copyright (c) SoftEther VPN Project at University of Tsukuba, Japan Thank you for using SoftEther VPN! ================================================================================