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Disable SmartScreen

Overview​

About this category

This category contains privacy scripts for Windows.

These changes use Windows system commands to update your settings.

This category focuses on disabling the SmartScreen and its features and components.

SmartScreen is known also as "Windows SmartScreen" 1, "Windows Defender SmartScreen" 2, "Microsoft Defender SmartScreen" 3, "Phishing Filter" 4, and "SmartScreen Filter" 4.

It protects users from phishing attacks, malware websites, and potentially harmful downloads by assessing webpage safety and comparing sites and downloads against lists of known threats 3. However, it also sends URLs and file information to Microsoft servers 4, which raises significant privacy concerns.

Disabling SmartScreen through this category can enhance your privacy by stopping these data transmissions 5. However, be aware that this action may compromise your security by removing the protections that SmartScreen provides against malicious sites and downloads.

Caution

Disabling SmartScreen may reduce your protection against phishing and malware.

Caution: Mixed Risk Levels

Be careful running these scripts. This category includes scripts with high impact:

  • 🔴 Some not recommended scripts. They should only be used by advanced users. They may break important functionality.
  • 🟡 Some recommended scripts only if you understand its implications. Some non-critical or features may no longer function correctly after running this this category.
Implementation Details

  • Language: batch

  • Scripts Count: 28 scripts

  • Subcategories: 5

  • Required Privileges: Administrator rights

  • Compatibility: Windows only

  • Reversibility: All changes can be reverted

Apply now​

These scripts are written using Batch (batchfile) scripting language.

Choose one of two ways to apply:

  1. Automatically via privacy.sexy: The easiest and safest option.
  2. Manually by downloading: Requires downloading a file.

Alternative 1. Apply with Privacy.sexy​

privacy.sexy is free and open-source application that lets securely apply this action easily.

Open privacy.sexy

It allows selectively choose parts of this action to conduct. You can fully restore this action (revert back to the original behavior) using the application. Additionally, you can apply only the recommended scripts, instead of applying all of the scripts.

privacy.sexy instructions
  1. Open or download the desktop application
  2. Search for the category name: Disable SmartScreen.
  3. Check the category by clicking on the checkbox of the category.
  4. Click on Run button at the bottom of the page.

Alternative 2. Download​

You can choose to apply only scripts with less impact or also those with higher impact:

Strict

Recommended if you understand its implications. It may cause some non-critical features to no longer function correctly.

Scroll

All

Not recommended for daily use as it breaks important functionality. It provides military-grade privacy, for special use-cases. Do not run it without having backups and system snapshots.

Scroll

Consider restarting your computer for all changes to take affect.

Reversible

This action is completely reversible, you can restore your changes to the initial/default state. The restore/revert methods provided here can help you fix issues.

If something goes wrong, use the Revert script provided above.

Strict​

This script includes Standard and Strict recommendation levels.

Use with Caution

This script is only recommended if you understand their implications of every single change. Some non-critical or features may no longer function correctly after running this script.

Download Strict scripts:

Download script

Restore these changes if you decide to revert them by downloading the restore script:

Download restore script

All​

This script includes Standard, Strict recommendation levels along with unrecommended scripts.

Not Advised

This script should only be used by advanced users. Some of these changes are NOT recommended for daily use as it breaks important functionality. Do not run it without having backups and system snapshots.

Download all scripts:

Download script

Restore these changes if you decide to revert them by downloading the restore script:

Download restore script

Explore further​

This category includes total of 28 scripts and 5 subcategories.

Explore its 1 subscripts and 4 subcategories:

Disable SmartScreen for apps and files

This category includes scripts to disable SmartScreen for apps and files. SmartScreen is a security feature that checks the reputation of apps and files you download or run. It's part of Windows' reputation-based protection system. Key points about SmartScreen for apps and files: It blocks unrecognized apps and files that may be potentially harmful. • It performs reputation checks on downloaded programs and their digital signatures. • If an app, file, or digital signature has an established good...

Disable SmartScreen in Microsoft browsers

This category provides scripts to disable SmartScreen in Microsoft browsers. SmartScreen is a security feature in Edge. When you visit websites or download files, SmartScreen checks the reputation of the URL or file. If SmartScreen determines that the site or file is malicious, it blocks access or download. SmartScreen is enabled by default in Microsoft Edge. SmartScreen feature raises privacy concerns because it sends unhashed URLs, downloaded files, applications being run, IP addresses, and th...

Disable SmartScreen system components

This category includes scripts that disable SmartScreen system components. SmartScreen is a security feature in Windows that helps protect your device from potentially harmful applications, files, and websites. Its components run in the background as part of the operating system. Disabling these components may: Improve privacy by reducing data collection used for SmartScreen functionality. • Increase system performance by eliminating background processes. • Enhance security by removing potential...

Disable SmartScreen Enhanced Phishing Protection

This category contains scripts to disable SmartScreen's Enhanced Phishing Protection feature, which monitors password usage and sends data to Microsoft. This feature collects information from suspicious websites or apps to identify security threats when users enter their passwords. It was introduced in Windows 11, version 22H2, and is technically identified as "webthreatdefense" (Web Threat Defense). This feature raises several privacy concerns, including: Monitoring of password entries acro...

Disable outdated SmartScreen settings interface

This script disables the SmartScreen settings interface in older Windows versions. It specifically targets and soft-deletes the "SmartScreenSettings.exe" file. Found only in older Windows versions, including Windows 8. Based on tests, this file does not exist in newer versions such as Windows 11 Pro (23H2) or Windows 10 Pro (22H2) and beyond. The "SmartScreenSettings.exe" is a user interface component that displays settings for the SmartScreen filter. Removing this component may enhance privacy ...

Explore Categories​

This action belongs to Disable Defender category. This category offers scripts to disable Windows security components related to Defender. Defender is also referred to as Microsoft Defender or Windows Defender. Although designed to protect you, its features may compromise your privacy and decrease computer performance. Privacy concerns... Read more on category page ▶

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