Windows Defender can flag BlockTheSpot's DLL because the patch replaces another application's files, a behaviour some malware also shows. The official README says false positives can happen and tells users to verify the code. Do not turn off Defender. Compare the file's SHA-256 hash with the official release, read the public source if you can, and allow only the verified file if you choose to proceed.
If Windows Defender, or another antivirus, flags chrome_elf.dll or blockthespot.dll, or removes one of them after you copy it into the Spotify folder, it is responding to a pattern rather than a confirmed threat. The warning says the file behaves in a way the software considers suspicious. That is not the same as proof that the file is malicious, and it is not proof that it is safe. The right response is to investigate, not to ignore the warning or to disable protection.
Security software looks for several signals. A program that replaces another application's files, changes its library loading, or modifies its code is doing something that some malware also does. That is the reason BlockTheSpot is flagged as a false positive in many places. It is also the reason a flag deserves a proper check rather than an automatic dismissal.
The official README has a section about a virus warning from Windows Defender. It makes three points. The code is on GitHub, so everyone can check it. A false positive can happen. And users should try to verify the files by compiling their own copy and comparing it with the release, rather than trusting the maintainer's word. That last point is the important one. An honest response to a security warning is to verify, not to rely on reassurance from any single source, including us.
We have not run an independent malware analysis of the release files, and we cannot give you a certified verdict. What we can say is that the project publishes its source, its releases, and their hashes, which makes independent checking possible. That is a much better position than a closed tool, and it is the reason we recommend verification over a yes-or-no answer.
Get-FileHash in PowerShell and compare it with the values on our install page. A match means the file is byte-identical to the one GitHub recorded for that release.Windows Security lets you add an exclusion for a specific file or folder. Use the narrowest option you can, which is a single file, not the whole Spotify folder or the whole drive. Remove the exclusion when you no longer need it. Keeping broad exclusions in place is a common way people weaken their own protection without noticing.
Any of these is a reason to stop. Official releases contain the two DLLs described in the README, and nothing more.
If you choose not to use BlockTheSpot, remove its files and restore the original Spotify files using our uninstall guide. If you keep it, check the status page from time to time, since a changed release or a new Spotify build can change the picture.
A Defender flag on BlockTheSpot is a prompt to verify, not an automatic verdict. Do not disable protection. Compare the hash with the official release, read the code if you can, and allow only a verified file, and only if you accept the remaining risk.
Windows Security can quarantine a file, which holds it in a safe place, or delete it outright. If a file was quarantined, you may be able to restore it from the security history. Before you restore anything, verify its hash against the published value. Restoring a file you cannot verify puts the question back to where it started, and it leaves a risk on your computer.
If you decide not to use the file, leave it removed and restore the original Spotify files. If you decide to proceed with a verified file, make an exclusion only for that one verified file, and remove it later if you no longer need it. Either choice is legitimate. The mistake to avoid is turning protection off for the whole computer to solve a single warning.
Security software updates its detection rules regularly. Keeping it current helps it recognise real threats, and it reduces the number of false alarms you have to investigate. Updating first is a simple step before any decision about a flagged file.
The official README says false positives can happen and encourages users to verify the code. We have not run an independent malware analysis of the release files, so we cannot say the files are clean. What we can do is show how to verify them against published hashes and the public source.
Security software often flags a program that replaces another application's files, because that behaviour is also used by some malware. The flag can be a false positive, but it can also be a warning worth investigating. Check the file against the published hashes before you restore or allow it.
We do not recommend it. Turning off protection to make a file run removes a safety layer for everything on your computer. If a file is flagged, verify it and read the project's source, then decide whether to allow that single file.