Wednesday 5 February 2014

// // Leave a Comment

How to Disable SmartScreen Filter in Windows 8?

"SmartScreen" filter was introduced by Microsoft in Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) web browser. It was developed to provide better security to IE users. SmartScreen filter automatically checks websites and files for malicious content and warns you if it finds something suspicious. SmartScreen filter is also present in IE9 and IE10 versions.

Microsoft has implemented the same mechanism in its latest OS Windows 8. Windows 8 comes with SmartScreen filter enabled by default. If you try to run a downloaded program from Internet, it checks the file and if it finds an unrecognized app, it blocks the program and shows following message on screen:

Windows protected your PC


Windows SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting. Running this app might put your PC at risk.


If you click on OK button, the program execution is terminated. If you are sure that the program is safe, you can click on "More info" link given in the message and it'll provide 2 buttons: "Run anyway" and "Don't run".



You can click on "Run anyway" button to launch the program.

Although its a good security feature in Windows 8 but many times you might find it a little annoying. SmartScreen filter shows the same warning message for almost all 3rd party programs which are downloaded from Internet.

If you have a good antivirus program and if you think the downloaded programs are safe, you can disable this SmartScreen feature in Windows 8 to remove these irritating warning messages.

Just follow these simple steps to turn off SmartScreen filter in Windows 8:

1. Open Control Panel and click on Action Center icon. Alternatively you can open it by typing Action Center at Start Screen and it'll show it in Settings section of search results page.

2. Now click on "Change Windows SmartScreen settings" link given in left sidebar.



3. It'll open SmartScreen settings window. Now you can select "Don't do anything (turn off Windows SmartScreen)" option and click on OK button.



4.That's it. It'll immediately turn off SmartScreen feature and you'll no longer get the warning message in Windows 8.

0 comments:

Post a Comment