Running my C++ code gives me a blank console

Question

I'm trying to run some C++ code in Visual Studio 2015. When I build it I get no errors, but once I run it, all I get is an empty console. I don't think it froze, because I can see a flashing underscore. Also if I run it in debug mode Visual Studio just freezes.

I used a simple "hello world" code:

#include <iostream>
int main()
{
    std::cout << "hello world!\n";
    return 0;
}

What I tried:

I tried reinstalling Visual Studio, but it didn't fix anything. I also tried running some Python and C# code and both worked without problems.

Answer 1

Note: this issue is also being reported by gcc/mingw/cygwin users.

Do you use Avast antivirus? If so, try disabling it and then test your program. There have been several similar questions on SO recently and Avast was the problem.

If that fixes the problem I suggest you add an exclusion for your "\Visual Studio 2015\Projects" directory instead of completely disabling your antivirus. You could also file a bug report with Avast or try a different antivirus.