Disabling Webroot SecureAnywhere

[Nightwalker]

I don't appreciate the fact that OBS now requires you to disable Webroot SecureAnywhere in order to stream. I haven't had any issues streaming with OBS with Webroot SecureAnywhere enabled, and to force it upon users is ridiculous. I'd rather not turn off a program that's protecting my computer. "Identity Shield" in Webroot SecureAnywhere is the source of the issues, so instead to forcing users to turn off the entire program it would be nice to just display a notice about it instead. Please add an option to either disable the message, or make it a notice instead.

 

[Lain]

You are correct about the fact that it should be a warning rather than something that prevents you from actually streaming. I apologize if that's the case. I will make sure it's adjusted if it's preventing you from streaming with it active.

I would like to state specifically why this happened though: that application prevents web browsers from being visible on stream. When in use, it literally blocks out web browsers and such on stream. Sometimes it blocks everything. A fair amount of people were complaining about it, seems they didn't understand that this application was the cause. This is a design they chose to do I guess. I suppose I can understand why to some extent, but it can prevent you from streaming in some cases. We just added code for our "bad modules" list and that's how this ended up happening, when it should have been just a warning.

 

[R1CH]

Try adding OBS to your webroot exceptions list.

https://detail.webrootanywhere.com/agen ... _detection

 

[Muf]

If I understand the way the bad modules list works, it should first be checking if Webroot SecureAnywhere is causing problems before popping up the notice. If you haven't had any issues, you probably haven't tried to capture web browsers. I would suggest to try the exceptions list thing that R1CH mentioned, because if Webroot SecureAnywhere is running but not interfering with OBS, the notice shouldn't pop up at all.

 

[R1CH]

Well OBS can't really tell 100% if it's interfering since it doesn't actually break anything, it just returns a black region - which could be what the user was intending to capture. The best way to check is to see if the process is hooked by webroot which is what we do now.

 

[Nightwalker]

Apparently even if you have Identity Shield off, the message still displays. I used to just disable Identity Shield and the blacked out browsers have always been a non-issue. Adding it to the list of Allowed applications does indeed fix the issue. I assumed that if Identity Shield was already off, then the list would have no effect. I'm not sure why Webroot still loads their hooks if Identity Shield is turned off.

Edit: Nevermind, as that appeared to work only once. Maybe the module was loaded after I opened OBS, since had just restarted my computer.

I allowed OBS in two places, and it doesn't work:

It would appear that you can't just search for the Webroot hook and require the user to disable it. The module is always loaded it appears, but it is dynamically applied by Webroot depending on its' settings.

 

[Lain]

The fix on OBS' side will be in the upcoming test version

 

[R1CH]

Also make sure you're adding both 32 and 64 bit versions to the exceptions list.

 

[Nightwalker]

Also make sure you're adding both 32 and 64 bit versions to the exceptions list.

I added 64-bit as well to no avail.

 

[Nightwalker]

Any updates to this? The exceptions list suggestion does not work.

 

[R1CH]

You may want to contact Webroot if the exceptions list is not working, there's nothing we can do in OBS about that.

 

[Nightwalker]

there's nothing we can do in OBS about that.

Or you could make it a notification instead, like I asked the first time.

 

[R1CH]

As evidenced by numerous threads here, novice users tend to ignore notifications and then question why things aren't working.

 

[Blindfolded]

You may want to contact Webroot if the exceptions list is not working, there's nothing we can do in OBS about that.

Let me be clear, I would love to use your product over Xsplit, but I will not risk my identity to use a free software. I'd rather use a garbage program like Xsplit than to give some child the ability to "potentially" mess with my livelihood. This is irresponsible, as a whole, to force someone to disable their firewall.

Nightwalker said it best,

I don't appreciate the fact that OBS now requires you to disable Webroot SecureAnywhere in order to stream. I haven't had any issues streaming with OBS with Webroot SecureAnywhere enabled, and to force it upon users is ridiculous. I'd rather not turn off a program that's protecting my computer. "Identity Shield" in Webroot SecureAnywhere is the source of the issues, so instead to forcing users to turn off the entire program it would be nice to just display a notice about it instead. Please add an option to either disable the message, or make it a notice instead.

As evidenced by numerous threads here, novice users tend to ignore notifications and then question why things aren't working.

Rich, I am disappointed. We should not be trying to compensate for novice users. Look at how that's turned out for video games. Not as a business but the product that the business produces. Developers used to develop excellent games, but now have gone the cheap way out to develop a product that is "easier" for everyone while losing their quality. Is the term "quality assurance" no longer applicable? You guys could have something great here, but please do not design something for someone that's ignorant and/or illiterate.

Kind Regards,
Blind

 

[Grimio]

Blindfolded, I think no one here will try to stop you from using XSplit, so if that's a better trade-off for you then go ahead.
The developers clearly stated that they did what they could, and if webroot doesn't care if OBS is on the exception list, then it's webroot's problem and you as a customer should complain to them.
You are not customers of OBS, so it's not Jim's or R1CH's responsibility that your firewall is not working as it should(or rather it's working too good).

That jab at the gaming industry is also kinda lame. Grass is not greener on the other side and neither was everything better in the past.

 

[Nightwalker]

Blindfolded, I think no one here will try to stop you from using XSplit, so if that's a better trade-off for you then go ahead.
The developers clearly stated that they did what they could, and if webroot doesn't care if OBS is on the exception list, then it's webroot's problem and you as a customer should complain to them.
You are not customers of OBS, so it's not Jim's or R1CH's responsibility that your firewall is not working as it should(or rather it's working too good).

That jab at the gaming industry is also kinda lame. Grass is not greener on the other side and neither was everything better in the past.

The problem is that Webroot is working as it is designed to do: block off screen capture devices to prevent identity theft. Turning off Identity Shield in the settings works like it should, and adding OBS to the exceptions prevents Webroot from blocking out sensitive data. The filter stays loaded even when OBS is in the exceptions list- so what? Webroot works as designed and the developers of OBS are making it incompatible even though Webroot is completely compatible with OBS. The idea that they did what they could is complete nonsense, because they made the choice to add an exception in the code to prevent streaming with Webroot opened. They are making it an incompatibility just because ignorant users can't follow simple instructions.

 

[Grimio]

Let's put it this way.
If you are so afraid of someone spying on your screen, shouldn't streaming the same screen to everyone on the internet be completely terrifying for you?
The chances of you slipping sensitive information accidentally on stream is higher(understatement) than some "hacker" trying to do the same.

 

[Muf]

You know, Microsoft Security Essentials does a pretty good job of securing my PCs, and it doesn't interfere with OBS. And hey, just like OBS, it's free!

 

[Lain]

If you want to stream with it on then that's fine, I'll change the code around to simply pop up a warning instead when the app starts up.

Sadly we were getting a fairly decent number of users that were like "why can't I stream my web browser? it goes black", or in some cases "I can't stream at all, why?", it's like they didn't know what their security software was even designed to do, I mean it is astounding what people install onto their computers without realizing exactly what they're getting into.

I must say it's just fabulous dealing with these sort of things.

 

[Nightwalker]

If you want to stream with it on then that's fine, I'll change the code around to simply pop up a warning instead when the app starts up.

Sadly we were getting a fairly decent number of users that were like "why can't I stream my web browser? it goes black", or in some cases "I can't stream at all, why?", it's like they didn't know what their security software was even designed to do, I mean it is astounding what people install onto their computers without realizing exactly what they're getting into.

I must say it's just fabulous dealing with these sort of things.

The same situation can be observed with toolbars, more-so back when Internet Explorer was more mainstream. Had you ever asked someone who had 5+ toolbars installed how they got them? Chances are, they didn't know.

If someone isn't able to figure out why they are getting a black screen after "reading" a popup about it, maybe they don't deserve to stream at all.

Anyways, it would be much appreciated if the message were simply a warning.