Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Installation issues

Installer requires administrator

Soterios needs admin rights for firewall management, Defender controls, and system audits. Right-click the installer and choose Run as administrator.

App won't start after install

1. Try disabling GPU acceleration:

   set SOTERIOS_DISABLE_GPU=1 && "C:\Program Files\Soterios\Soterios.exe"

2. Check %APPDATA%\Soterios\ for corrupt database — rename soterios.db to reset settings (loses history).
3. Reinstall from the latest release.

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Scan problems

Scan fails immediately

• Confirm ClamAV binaries exist in the install directory under assets/clamav/.
• Run npm install again if building from source (triggers the ClamAV download script).
• Check that you have read access to the target paths.

Scan is very slow

Full scans of C:\ can take hours depending on disk size and file count. Use Quick Scan for routine checks and Custom Scan for specific folders.

Threat not detected

Update ClamAV definitions. Zero-day or custom malware may not be in signature databases — Soterios relies on ClamAV signatures, not a proprietary engine.

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ClamAV update issues

Definition update fails

• Verify internet connectivity.
• Corporate proxies may block freshclam — configure proxy settings at the OS level.
• Retry from Dashboard → ClamAV Definitions → Update.

Definitions show as outdated after update

Restart Soterios and check again. If the issue persists, delete the ClamAV database folder in the install directory and re-run update.

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Permission errors

Audit checks return Error

Run Soterios as administrator. Some PowerShell cmdlets (Get-BitLockerVolume, Confirm-SecureBootUEFI) require elevated privileges.

Real-time protection toggle fails

Windows Tamper Protection may block third-party apps from changing Defender settings. Disable Tamper Protection temporarily in Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings.

Firewall changes rejected

Ensure the Windows Firewall service is running and Soterios has admin rights.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Soterios replace Windows Defender?
No. Soterios supplements Defender with ClamAV scanning, audits, and monitoring. Real-time protection toggles Defender itself.

Is my data sent to the cloud?
Not by default. See Privacy and Security.

Can I use Soterios on macOS or Linux?
Not yet. Windows is the primary supported platform.

Where are my scan reports?
%USERPROFILE%\.soterios\scan-reports\ and the in-app Reports page.

How do I report a bug?
Open an issue on GitHub. For security issues, follow SECURITY.md.