Windows defender smartscreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting

TL;DR

This warning is shown if your app doesn’t have enough reputation with Microsoft SmartScreen yet. In order to gain reputation, you can either

• submit your app for malware analysis to Microsoft,
• buy an «Extended Validation» code signing certificate,
• buy a standard code signing certificate, or
• just wait for a long time.

Read on for the details about these different options.

Option 1: Submit your app for malware analysis to Microsoft

Microsoft allows software developers to submit a file for malware analysis. According to Microsoft, this will help developers to «validate detection of their products». If the review was successful, the Microsoft SmartScreen warnings will go away faster, or sometimes even instantly (it worked instantly for one of my own apps). You need to have a Microsoft account to submit your app for review.

However, note that if you release an updated version of your app, then you’ll also have to request a new review again. To overcome this problem, you’ll either have to use an «Extended Validation» or a standard code signing certificate (see below).

Option 2: Buy an «Extended Validation» code signing certificate

A guaranteed way to immediately and permanently get rid of the Microsoft SmartScreen warnings is to buy an «Extended Validation» (EV) code signing certificate from one of the Microsoft-approved certificate authorities (CA’s), and to sign your app with that EV certificate.

Such an EV certificate will cost you somewhere between 250 and 700 USD per year, and will only be issued to registered businesses. If you’re a single developer, you must be a sole proprietor and have an active business license. You can read more about the formal requirements for EV code signing certificates in the EV Code Signing Certificate Guidelines.

An EV certificate will typically be shipped to you by physical delivery on a hardware token.

Option 3: Buy a standard code signing certificate

You can also buy a cheaper «standard» (i.e. non-EV) code signing certificate, and sign your app with that certificate. This will also permanently, but not instantly, make the Microsoft SmartScreen warnings disappear. Standard code signing certificates will cost you between 100 and 500 USD per year, and can also be issued to private developers without an active business license. Some CA’s also offer discounts for open source projects.

No instant solution

The problem with standard code signing certificates is that they do not instantly silence Microsoft SmartScreen. Instead, some time will be needed for your certificate to build reputation before the warning will go away. However, once your certificate has built enough reputation, all applications signed with that certificate will be permanently trusted by Microsoft SmartScreen and won’t trigger the warning anymore.

How long will it take?

So, how long will it take until the Microsoft SmartScreen warning will disappear when using a standard code signing certificate? Unfortunately, this is difficult to answer, since Microsoft itself refuses to publish any details about this. According to inofficial numbers reported by various sources (see below), it usually takes between 2 and 8 weeks until the warning will permanently go away. It seems that the exact duration also depends on the reputation of the website from which your app is downloaded.

The inofficial numbers are:

• 18 days and about 430 app installs. Source: one of my own certificates (Dec 2022)
• 42 days and about 1.400 app installs. Source: one of my own certificates (Feb 2021)
• 16 days and about 2.000 app installs. Source: one of my own certificates (May 2020)
• One month and more than 10.000 downloads. Source: here (Jan 2020)
• Between a few weeks and a month. Source: here (Dec 2019)
• About 2-3 weeks. Source: here (Dec 2019)
• About 3.000 downloads. Source: here (Dec 2013)

The problem of certificate rollover

Certificate rollover occurs when your old certificate expires and you begin signing your code with a renewed certificate.

It’s a good idea to buy your standard code signing certificate with the longest possible validity period because when you renew your certificate, the reputation will unfortunately not automatically carry over to the renewed certificate (not even if it’s signed against the same private key as the old certificate).

However, you can mitigate the rollover problem by getting your renewed code signing certificate before your old certificate expires, and then using both the old (but not yet expired!) and the renewed certificate to sign your code, resulting in two signatures. The signature from your old certificate will continue to bypass SmartScreen and, at the same time, the new signature will help the new certificate to build up trust. So, the idea is that your new certificate becomes trusted before your old certificate expires.

If your old certificate should already have expired, then you can (and should!) still add the signature from your renewed certificate to an already released version of your app, in order to gain reputation for the renewed certificate.

To correctly dual-sign your app, first sign your code with the old certificate, and then sign it again with the renewed certificate, using the /as command line option of Microsoft’s SignTool to append an additional signature to the first one (instead of replacing it).

Option 4: Just wait for a long time

If you don’t take any measures at all, the Microsoft SmartScreen warning will also go away eventually. This might however take a ridiculous amount of time (months) and / or downloads (tens of thousands). Another big problem is that each time you’ll release an updated version of your app, the waiting period will start all over again. So, this probably isn’t the solution you’re looking for.

If you run a program, Windows 10 may give you a pop-up window saying “Windows protected your PC”. This message may appear when you are in a browser. The former is the warning given by Microsoft and the latter is a tech support scam. In this post, you can know how to disable the SmartScreen protection and remove the scam, as well as data protection offered by MiniTool Software.

Now, let’s see two cases on the “Windows protected your PC” pop-up window.

In Windows 10, there are some built-in security features designed to protect your PC from a number of malicious apps and criminal websites. Among these features, the Windows Defender SmartScreen feature is representative.

It is enabled by default and runs in the background to prevent you from running certain apps that are unrecognized by the Windows software database or known to be malicious. This could be a good protective measure for your PC.

Usually, you will receive a popup if you attempt to run or install an application that Windows doesn’t recognize. The warning is “Windows protected your PC. Windows SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting…”

However, this warning sometimes is annoying. For example, you know this app is secure, obtained from a trustworthy source and won’t damage your system. Besides, it seems to show an only option – Don’t run. What should you do? Now, let’s go to the following part.

Things to Do When “Windows Protected Your PC” Appears in Windows 10

Allow App to Bypass the Windows Defender SmartScreen Message

When receiving the above warning screen, please make sure the app is absolutely safe. To know some new information and options, you can click the More info link that is displayed beneath the warning message.

In the pop-up window, you can know the app name and publisher. You may note that the publisher is unknown. Don’t panic since not every developer registers with Microsoft and the absence of this field information doesn’t imply the application is risky.

Of course, you can check again carefully and make sure the app comes from the correct source. Then, click the Run anyway button to bypass the Windows Defender SmartScreen warning and continue using the app.

Disable Windows SmartScreen

Some of you may don’t like the protection features offered by Windows SmartScreen since they are not as excellent as expected. According to reports, it could slow down your system greatly and cannot offer any additional security possibly if you run a professional antivirus program. Additionally, Windows SmartScreen can collect your private data.

Of course, disabling the SmartScreen feature can avoid the “Windows protected your PC” warning in Windows 10.

Method 1: Disable Windows Defender SmartScreen Security Software

1. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security.
2. Navigate to Windows Defender and click Open Windows Defender Security Center.
3. Click the App & browser control section, scroll down, find Check apps and files and turn it off.

Now, you won’t receive the “Windows protected your PC” message when running an unrecognized app in Windows 10.

Method 2: Use Registry Editor to Disable Windows SmartScreen

If you are a home computer user, you can turn off SmartScreen via Registry Editor in Windows 10 to remove the message – Windows SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting.

1. Input regedit.exe in the Windows 10’s search box and click the exact result to launch Registry Editor.
2. Head to the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSystem.
3. Double-click on EnableSmartScreen and set its value to 0 (disabled).
4. Exit the tool and restart your computer.

Method 3: Use Group Policy to Disable SmartScreen

If you are a Pro user, you can turn off the feature to remove the “Windows protected your PC” message. Here is how to do it:

1. Search for gpedit.msc in the search bar and click Edit group policy.
2. Head to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.
3. Double-click Configure Windows Defender SmartScreen and set it to Disabled.
4. Click OK to save the change.

Disable SmartScreen Filter in IE and Edge

Sometimes, the warning may appear in Internet Explorer (IE) or Microsoft Edge. To remove it, you should open IE, go to Settings > Safety and turn Windows Defender SmartScreen off. In Edge, go to Settings > View advanced settings > Privacy and services to turn off the toggle – Help protect me from malicious sites and downloads with Windows Defender SmartScreen.

Case 2: Windows Protected Your PC Virus Scam

The above paragraphs show you the actual SmartScreen protection on the desktop screen in Windows 10. Actually, you may also receive the “Windows protected your PC” warning when using a browser. The warning is not real but only a tech support scam.

Usually, the warning message gives you a phone number and tricks you into a call for help. Then, scammers ask for payment to get a purported support service. As it is just a scam, the website doesn’t really know what is running on your computer. So, don’t call any listed phone number.

In fact, Microsoft never sends unsolicited email message giving phone calls to request personal information. Besides, errors from Microsoft also never include a phone number.

When encountering this fake error message, you should try to remove it. Now, let’s go to see the following operations.

Steps to Remove “Windows Protected Your PC” Scam

Step 1: Close the Browser Tab

Firstly, you can try closing the browser tab based tech support scam. Usually, you couldn’t close it directly but you can do this via Task Manager.

1. Right-click the taskbar and choose Task Manager.
2. Find your browser from the Processes tab and click End task after selecting it.

Step 2: Uninstall Malicious Programs from Windows 10

In your computer, some apps are installed without your consent; some are added to the add-ons of your browser or hidden in other installers. Perhaps malicious viruses are included, so you should remove these apps.

1. Search for control panel in the search bar and then click the result.

2. In the Control Panel interface, view items by category and then choose Uninstall a program.

3. Scroll down the app list, find and right-click the malicious program and click Uninstall.

Step 3: Use Anti-Malware to Remove “Windows Protected Your PC” Adware

It is important to use an anti-malware or antivirus program to scan your system and remove malicious programs and viruses. On the market, Malwarebytes can be worthy of being recommended since it is able to destroy many types of malware that other software tends to miss.

Of course, you can try other programs, for example, HitmanPro, AdwCleaner, etc. to scan your computer for badware or remove adware from a computer.

Step 4: Reset Browser Settings to Default

If you have tried the above operations, now you can consider resetting the browser settings to their default configuration to remove the “Windows protected your PC” tech support scam from your Windows 10 computer.

Google Chrome

1. Open Chrome, click on the main menu, represented by three horizontal lines and click Settings.

2. Go to the Advanced link.

3. In the Reset and clean up section and click Restore settings to their original defaults.

4. To complete the reset process, click on the Reset Settings button.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Click the menu and choose Help > Troubleshooting Information.
2. In the pop-up window, click Refresh Firefox to remove add-ons, customizations and restore the browser settings to defaults to remove “Windows protected your PC” fake error message.

Internet Explorer

1. Click the gear icon and choose Internet options.

2. Under the Advanced tab, click Reset.

3. In the pop-up window, check the Delete personal settings option and click Reset.

4. Click Close finally.

Now, after doing the above operations, your computer should be free of the “Windows protected your PC” fake error message.

“Here is all the information on the Windows protected your PC warning on a computer. You can share these two cases on Twitter to let more people know.”Click to Tweet

Back up Your PC to Avoid Data Loss

Viruses, malware, malicious adware, spyware, etc are always ubiquitous. To keep your computer protected really, you should do some things, for example, run a powerful antivirus program or anti-malware, do not install an unrecognized program, don’t open unknown attachment or emails, back up your computer, etc.

Computers are easily attacked by malicious software or viruses, causing data loss. So, the important thing you should do is to make a backup for your important files.

MiniTool ShadowMaker, a third-party free backup software, can be your good assistant since it is designed to back up your operating system, disks, partitions and files & folders within simple clicks. To back up your computer well, you can make an automatic backup. Besides, you can use it to perform a fast disaster recovery.

For file backup, you can also try file sync. Furthermore, this backup program allows you clone disk to another disk. Now, download MiniTool ShadowMaker Free Edition for free and install in on your computer to start file backup.

Free Download

1. Run MiniTool ShadowMaker.

2. Go to the Backup tab, choose the files to back up.

3. Decide which place you want to store the backup to.

4. Finally, click Back Up Now to start the file backup at once.

Bottom Line

Have you got the warning “Windows protected your PC” in Windows 10? If yes, don’t panic and this post gives you two cases. Just do what you should do based on your actual situation by following the steps mentioned above. What’s more, we suggest backing up your files to avoid data loss since viruses and malicious programs are rampant.

As for other suggestions or questions to this post or our software, you can let us know by leaving a comment below or sending an email to our support team: [email protected].

Windows Protected Your PC FAQ