RightFax AV and Security Exclusions Before Installation

Installation KB-001

AV and Security Exclusions Before Installation

Antivirus and endpoint security software must be configured with RightFax-specific exclusions before the installer is run, not after. Installing without exclusions in place results in broken services, incomplete configuration, and corrupted registry keys that are difficult to remediate without a clean reinstall.

Indicators

RightFax services install but fail to start or enter a stopped state immediately
Admin console cannot connect to or configure installed services
Service configuration screens are inaccessible or return errors
Windows Event Log shows access denied or file-locked errors tied to RightFax executables
Registry entries for RightFax service dependencies are missing, incomplete, or show corruption
AV quarantine log shows RightFax executables or config files flagged during install

Resolution Steps

Configure Folder Exclusions Before Installation

Add path-based exclusions to your AV/EDR platform prior to running the RightFax installer. These must cover the full installation directory, the application data directory, and the configured RightFax shared data folder.

Common paths to exclude:

C:\Program Files\Open Text\RightFax\
C:\ProgramData\Open Text\RightFax\
Your configured RightFax shared data folder (e.g. D:\RightFaxData\ or \server\RightFax\)
SQL Server data directory if SQL is co-located on the same server

Applies to: Windows Defender, CrowdStrike Falcon, Symantec, Trellix/McAfee, and any other EDR or real-time scanning engine deployed in the environment.

Add Process Exclusions for Key Executables

In addition to folder exclusions, add process-level exclusions for the core RightFax executables. Real-time scanning against these during startup causes service initialization to fail. Key processes include the RightFax Server service, Router service, Worker processes, and Fax Worker processes. Your AV platform's documentation will distinguish between path-based and process-based exclusions, and both are required.

Verify Exclusions Are Applied and Active

Confirm the exclusions are active in the policy pushed to the target server before proceeding. In managed environments (CrowdStrike, Defender for Endpoint), check that the exclusion policy has synchronized to the endpoint. There can be a delay. On-console verification of local policy is not sufficient if a centralized management layer controls the effective policy.

Run the Installer and Validate Services

With exclusions in place, run the RightFax installer. After installation completes, verify each service starts successfully in the Windows Services console and that the RightFax admin console can connect and fully enumerate the server configuration. Check the AV quarantine log to confirm no files were flagged during the install process.

If Installing Without Exclusions: Clean Reinstall Required

If RightFax was installed without exclusions and services are broken, the most reliable path is an uninstall and clean reinstall after exclusions are configured. Registry remnants from a corrupted install can cause services to fail even after AV is remediated. Use the Windows installer cleanup if a standard uninstall leaves residual components, and verify registry keys for RightFax service dependencies are clean before reinstalling.

Field Note

This requirement is documented in OpenText's RightFax implementation guides but is frequently skipped in environments where the IT team coordinates the install without looping in the security team first. Make AV exclusion confirmation a formal pre-installation checklist item and get written confirmation from the security team that the exclusions are active on the target host, not just submitted to policy.

Installation Antivirus EDR Windows Defender CrowdStrike Registry Service Failure

AV and Security ExclusionsBefore Installation

AV and Security Exclusions Before Installation

AV and Security Exclusions
Before Installation