Windows SmartScreen

[fillup]

I tried to install some programs I had on my external HD and a big green banner popped up across the screen saying: "Check your Internet connetion. Windows SmartScreen is unreachable and can't help you decide if this program is okay to run."

I finally figured out I had to click on 'more info', then select "Run Anyway" to get anything to install. Who would have known you had to click more info to get the option to install!?

Anyway, I tried to disable SmartScreen, but it won't let me. There are 3 options to choose from. I select the 3rd option to disable it, but it keeps going back to option 2. How are you suppose to turn this thing off?

 

[Bill2]

Ok, I did some research into this. Smartscreen, as you would have guessed is a new security feature (not talking about the IE smartscreen filter, thats different) that acts as a file reputation filter. Its supposed to protect you from dangerous downloads and such like and in fact is the new killer feature in windows security (like the inbuilt AV and the enhanced UAC).

You cant disable smartscreen as of now. After repeatedly trying and failing, I poked around in the gp editor and found a smartscreen setting but it is labeled "Placeholder". One can make a change there but again the setting goes back to disabled. In short, smartscreen appears to be a work in progress which we'll see in action in future builds.

 

[fillup]

Ok, I did some research into this. Smartscreen, as you would have guessed is a new security feature (not talking about the IE smartscreen filter, thats different) that acts as a file reputation filter. Its supposed to protect you from dangerous downloads and such like and in fact is the new killer feature in windows security (like the inbuilt AV and the enhanced UAC).

You cant disable smartscreen as of now. After repeatedly trying and failing, I poked around in the gp editor and found a smartscreen setting but it is labeled "Placeholder". One can make a change there but again the setting goes back to disabled. In short, smartscreen appears to be a work in progress which we'll see in action in future builds.

Oh, ok. Thanks.

So is the built-in AV any good? I tried to install Avast but was told it had compatibility issues.

 

[mikedl]

Oh, ok. Thanks.

So is the built-in AV any good? I tried to install Avast but was told it had compatibility issues.

Yeah, it's fine. It's MSE and Defender combined, renamed "Defender" only. For now, no need for anything else.

 

[Bill2]

Builtin AV seems to be fine though its really hard to tell right now. Theres been no benchmarking done and win8 being a "new" OS... So the same old strategy- keep your data backed up. Am using only the builtin one right now.