Self Protection Failed Error Code 4 X360ce 2021 Link Jun 2026

Windows Defender or third-party antivirus software flags x360ce's hardware hooking behavior as malicious activity.

This specific error is almost always triggered by a security conflict on your Windows operating system. When x360ce launches, it attempts to hook into system processes or access specific game directories to emulate the Xbox 360 controller interface. The primary culprits behind Error Code 4 include:

Click the Windows Start menu, type , and open it.

If the application is in a protected folder like C:\Program Files , move the entire x360ce folder to a non-restricted location (e.g., C:\x360ce ). 3. Resolve Software Conflicts

Because x360ce acts as a wrapper and injects code to trick games into recognizing your controller, antivirus programs frequently trigger false positives.

Select the entire folder where your x360ce.exe and game files are located.

The error is rarely triggered by a hardware failure. Instead, it is a software conflict caused by three main factors:

An outdated, corrupted, or missing ViGEmBus driver.

Windows Defender or third-party antivirus software flags the x360ce virtual device driver injection as a threat.

If all else fails, the beta nature of version 4.x might be the issue. The older, more stable version 3.x works differently (using .dll files in the game folder) and can be a reliable fallback.

If you are still experiencing issues with your setup, please share you are trying to configure or what model of controller you are using so we can find a solution tailored to your specific hardware. Share public link