Why is AVG Anti-Virus Preventing Me From Installing or Running Lightning Payroll?

AVG occasionally flags Lightning Payroll as a threat — a false positive caused by the heuristic scanning methods anti-virus software uses. Lightning Payroll is signed with an Extended Validation (EV) Code Signing Certificate to verify its authenticity, but this does not fully prevent false positives from occurring.

The steps below explain how to temporarily disable AVG's real-time shields to complete an installation or update, and how to restore Lightning Payroll if it has already been quarantined.

Temporarily Disable AVG to Allow Installation or Update

1. Open the AVG interface from the system tray icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen (AVG icon is circled in the example below).
2. Select Computer from the protection menu.
3. Click the toggle switch to turn off File Shield.
4. Select Turn off for 10 minutes when prompted.
5. Return to the Computer screen, select Behaviour Shield, and again choose Turn off for 10 minutes.

You should now be able to successfully download and install Lightning Payroll. AVG will re-enable both shields automatically after 10 minutes.

Restore Lightning Payroll From AVG Quarantine

If Lightning Payroll has already been quarantined by AVG, you will see a notification in the lower-right corner of your screen. Click Show Details, then select Open Quarantine.

In the quarantine folder, select the files identified as Lightning Payroll and click Restore and Add Exception in the bottom-right corner. This restores the file and prevents AVG from quarantining it again.

Add a Permanent Exclusion in AVG

To prevent AVG from blocking Lightning Payroll in future, add Lightning Payroll’s folders to AVG’s exceptions list. Add the following paths:

• %localappdata%\Lightning Payroll — machine-specific app data (e.g. C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Lightning Payroll)
• %localappdata%\Intellitron Pty Ltd — update cache folder (e.g. C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Intellitron Pty Ltd)
• %appdata%\Lightning Payroll — roaming app data including your payroll database (e.g. C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Lightning Payroll)
• %appdata%\ATOMAS — ATO machine credentials (e.g. C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\ATOMAS)

Refer to AVG’s help documentation for instructions on adding file and folder exceptions, or contact our support team for further assistance.

For other anti-virus products, see Why Am I Getting An Error After Agreeing To The Update?