Windows Defender SmartScreen identifies the current 64-bit beta as unsafe and the download is blocked. Clearing the block allows the exe file to be downloaded, but the install is blocked. Clearing that requires the user to click on further information, and from there to authorise the install.
I have reported this to Microsoft as a false positive, but I doubt many will jump through so many hoops to install the software.
And yet there have been multiple threads here about this, including screenshots and clickstreams…
Windows defender smart screen is dumb. If it does not know a program, then it is labeled as unsafe. Once it learns about the program, it is re-categorized as safe. Therefore, most software is labeled as unsafe when updated if you are one of the first dozen?? or so (who knows the real number) of installers.
Stop using Edge and remember that if you get the program from L&L and download from their site or update, it is just MS being MS.
Those of us who use a few different programs that aren’t used by millions (like a beta test of windows scrivener), run into the issue if we are one of the first updaters. It goes away in a couple of days.
If you read my post, I installed the software and reported the issue to Microsoft. We are all doing what we can to improve all the software we use.
I think we should leave each of us choose our own browsers.
Best wishes
Same thing happens regardless of the browser, Steve. Edge is a perfectly good Chromium-based browser for those of us who are plugged into the MS ecosystem and don’t want Google having all of our browsing data.
Under settings and Windows 10 security there is App & Browser control. Under that Check apps and files there you have the choice of warn, block or off. This is your Smart screen settings. I suggest Warn so its mistakes do not cripple you, but you get the advantage of its advice.
You are right. I thought it was just for Edge. Better than choosing between MS tracking you and Google, you can use either Brave (easy simple privacy respecting) or Vivaldi (fabulous, customizable, lots of options, great, privacy respecting.)
Again, for some of us, the integration with Microsoft’s cloud services is a feature. I seamlessly sync things between all of my devices and computers now. I’ve done enough work with Microsoft behind the scenes that I’ve seen firsthand the transformation from Evil Empire to what they are today. I’ve had to sit through some of the training they got on security and privacy issues. They’re not perfect, but they have made some core changes to how they approach developing software and collecting data – and they are nowhere near as bad as Google, who has yet to crash fully into the US and EU legal systems and learn that same lesson.