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Disable SmartScreen for apps and files

Overview​

About this category

This category contains privacy scripts for Windows.

These changes use Windows system commands to update your settings.

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 1 2. It's part of Windows' reputation-based protection system 1 2 3.

Key points about SmartScreen for apps and files:

  • It blocks unrecognized apps and files that may be potentially harmful 2 3.
  • It performs reputation checks on downloaded programs and their digital signatures 1.
  • If an app, file, or digital signature has an established good reputation, users don't see warnings 1.
  • Items without a reputation are flagged as higher risk, prompting a warning to the user 1.

Disabling this feature can:

  • Enhance privacy by reducing data sent to Microsoft for reputation checks 4.
  • Improve system performance by eliminating background scanning and processing.
  • Give users more freedom to run apps and files without interference.

However, disabling SmartScreen may also:

  • Reduce protection against malware, potentially harmful applications, and suspicious files.
  • Increase the risk of running malicious software unknowingly.
Caution

Disabling SmartScreen may reduce your protection against phishing and malware.

Not Advised

This category should only be used by advanced users. None of its scripts are recommended for daily use as it breaks important functionality. Do not run it without having backups and system snapshots.

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.

privacy.sexy instructions
  1. Open or download the desktop application
  2. Search for the category name: Disable SmartScreen for apps and files.
  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​

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.

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 5 scripts and 1 subcategories.

Explore its 2 subscripts and 1 subcategories:

Disable SmartScreen for Store apps

This category includes scripts to disable SmartScreen for Microsoft Store apps. SmartScreen for Microsoft Store apps is a security feature that: Checks content used by Microsoft Store apps. • Can restrict app installations to only those from the Microsoft Store. • Scans web content (URLs) accessed by Microsoft Store apps. It's part of Windows' broader Reputation-based protection system. Disabling this feature can: Enhance privacy by reducing data sent to Microsoft for content and app checks....

Disable SmartScreen checks for apps and files

This script disables the SmartScreen checks for apps and files. SmartScreen protects users by warning them before running potentially malicious programs downloaded from the internet. This warning appears as a dialog box before you run an unrecognized or known malicious app downloaded from the internet. These checks are part of SmartScreen's reputation-based protection. This feature is enabled by default. Microsoft collects data about the files and programs you run when this feature is enabled....

Enable SmartScreen warning dismissal for apps

This script disables SmartScreen app blocking, allowing apps to bypass its warnings. SmartScreen is a security feature that protects users by displaying warnings before running potentially harmful programs. These warnings help prevent the execution of suspicious applications. This feature is enabled by default on Windows. SmartScreen sends data to Microsoft about the files and applications run on the system. This raises privacy concerns because it involves collecting user behavior data. The Cent...

Explore Categories​

This action belongs to Disable SmartScreen category. This category focuses on disabling the SmartScreen and its features and components. SmartScreen is known also as "Windows SmartScreen", "Windows Defender SmartScreen", "Microsoft Defender SmartScreen", "Phishing Filter", and "SmartScreen Filter". It protects users from phishing attacks, malware... Read more on category page ▶

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