"Windows protected your PC": should I click Run anyway?
Usually no. The blue "Windows protected your PC" screen means Microsoft Defender SmartScreen doesn't recognize the app. Only choose More info, then Run anyway, if you downloaded it yourself from the maker's official website and you know exactly what it is.
SmartScreen is a safety check built into Windows. It compares each app you download against what Microsoft knows about it. An unrecognized app is not always harmful. Small or brand new programs often trigger the warning simply because few people have run them yet.
The danger is that scammers count on you clicking past it. If the file came from an email, a pop-up, a stranger on the phone or a site you landed on by accident, close the warning and delete the file. When in doubt, don't run it.
- Ask where the file came from. If you aren't sure, click Don't run
- If you meant to get it, download it again from the maker's official site
- Choose More info to see the publisher's name, and only continue if it matches the company you expect
- Delete any file you decided not to run
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SmartScreen and Reputation Checks
From the The Windows Security App course. How Windows judges a download, and what a publisher's signature tells you.