💥 New Security Certificate. Need some help 💥

[Yincognito]

Strange how each of us has a slightly different experience with this. Microsoft Edge barks and requires the "Keep" step each time I do it.

Must be the "AI" in Edge adapting to our personalities... seems like it identified that barking is a suited way to get your attention, while playing nice is a suited way to survive on my system. Joking aside, we do have different configurations and MS products are known for their wide range of reactions, so... Me, I'll try the process tomorrow and the following days too, and see how it goes. Hopefully, each time will count, but apparently there's no guarantee, judging from what I got till now.

[Mordasius]

I just download the Rainmeter 4.5.18.3742 with three browsers:

Brave Version 1.62.165 Chromium 121.0.6167.184 (64-bit)
Mozilla Firefox 123.0 (64-bit)
Pale Moon Version 33.0.0 (64 bit)

No complaints or messages from any of them. Installed it on Windows Version 10.0.19045 and got the Defender Smartscreen pop-up.

defender.png

Clicked on Run anyway and Rainmeter installed without a hitch.

[jsmorley]

I just download the Rainmeter 4.5.18.3742 with three browsers:

Brave Version 1.62.165 Chromium 121.0.6167.184 (64-bit)
Mozilla Firefox 123.0 (64-bit)
Pale Moon Version 33.0.0 (64 bit)

No complaints or messages from any of them. Installed it on Windows Version 10.0.19045 and got the Defender Smartscreen pop-up.
defender.png
Clicked on Run anyway and Rainmeter installed without a hitch.

Excellent. Thanks!

[tass_co]

I did not receive any errors when downloading via the browsers.

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[Yincognito]

I did not receive any errors when downloading via the browsers.

22.02.2024 - 08.00.07-Window.png
22.02.2024 - 07.59.56-Window.png

I think you need to try this in Edge instead. Didn't test with Firefox, but Chrome allows the download without opposition for me too (I don't normally use Windows Defender, Smart Screen and such, but a 3rd party security system).

If by any chance Edge doesn't show the pop-up either, see:
https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?t=43654&start=20#p221679
In my case, to make Edge react and produce the pop-up where I could click Keep to help this version's "reputation" go up, I had to:
- go to Virus & Threat Protection > Microsoft Defender Antivirus Options and temporarily enable Periodic Scanning
- come back to App & Browser Control > Reputation Based Protection Settings and enable any disabled option there
- open Edge and try to download this Rainmeter version via the browser (i.e. without a download manager, if any)
- click Keep when prompted to allow the download
- install the downloaded executable as usual
- go back to Virus & Threat Protection and App & Browser Control > Reputation Based Protection Settings to restore those settings as they were before, if desired (I did that, since I don't normally want these things to happen, given that I use other security approaches)

This will, of course, depend on how those settings look for you and if your case is similar to mine, but should allow one to get that pop-up and click Keep even if by default Edge allowed the download without the pop-up previously.

[Jeff]

Windows Defender is quarantining this even though it was mark to "keep" and reported "safe" to M$.
virus.jpg
SkinPath: C:\Users\xxxx\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\

Just a small heads-up, you censored your username in the Text but not in the Image

The .exe is "built" using https://www.appveyor.com/, and then automatically sent to https://about.signpath.io/ to be given the certificate. Then I download it from there for posting as a "release" on GitHub.

Oh boy, this sounds like a nightmare if you somehow manage to get a virus that infects installers, I hope the process is safe with scans regularly or that it could be externalized to a VM (the part where the downloaded .exe is drag and dropped onto the site) where there's a tiny lil less risk.
Anyways, installed with the latest version of Firefox, didn't get any warning when downloading, ran the file, clicked Run Anyways and installed with no problem.

[Yincognito]

Me, I'll try the process tomorrow and the following days too, and see how it goes.

Quick update: like promised, I did try the above process again today, so I could click on Keep and be counted as adding to the "reputation" of this prerelease version, but just like the last times yesterday, Edge didn't felt like showing the Keep pop-up anymore, it just downloaded without any objection. In total, I only managed to give about 3 or 4 Keep clicks yesterday, and none today.

[SilverAzide]

For me, on my main PC, Edge is still flat-out refusing to download the file, but Chrome has no problems. As soon as I save the file, Windows immediately quarantines and/or deletes it. On my other machine, I was able to save multiple copies of the files OK last night, but when I checked this morning, Windows had quarantined them all overnight. This is with a fully patched and updated Win11 23H2 machine.

[eclectic-tech]

@Jeff Just call me "papab", or "ET", or "xxxxx" ... I answer to most anything.

I think you need to try this in Edge instead. Didn't test with Firefox, but Chrome allows the download without opposition for me too (I don't normally use Windows Defender, Smart Screen and such, but a 3rd party security system).

If by any chance Edge doesn't show the pop-up either, see:
https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?t=43654&start=20#p221679
In my case, to make Edge react and produce the pop-up where I could click Keep to help this version's "reputation" go up, I had to:
- go to Virus & Threat Protection > Microsoft Defender Antivirus Options and temporarily enable Periodic Scanning
- come back to App & Browser Control > Reputation Based Protection Settings and enable any disabled option there
- open Edge and try to download this Rainmeter version via the browser (i.e. without a download manager, if any)
- click Keep when prompted to allow the download
- install the downloaded executable as usual
- go back to Virus & Threat Protection and App & Browser Control > Reputation Based Protection Settings to restore those settings as they were before, if desired (I did that, since I don't normally want these things to happen, given that I use other security approaches)

This will, of course, depend on how those settings look for you and if your case is similar to mine, but should allow one to get that pop-up and click Keep even if by default Edge allowed the download without the pop-up previously.

Sorry but changing those settings did not help in my case.

virusoverride.jpg

The file is still being "blocked" by Edge, SmartScreen, or Defender. Which means the file is not listed in downloads and is not able to be opened. This is what appears in Edge's download window even with those protections turned off when attempting to download.

virusblocked.jpg

I still have the 2 virus variants "allowed" in my allowed threats, but today I cannot download a usable file.

virusallowed.jpg

---

EDIT: If I look "Manage settings" in Virus & threat protection settings and TURN OFF "Real-time protection", I can download the file without any problem.

virusrealtimeoff.jpg

Then turn it back on.

BUT then the file will not install, blocked with a message that it contains a virus...

viruscontained.jpg

[Yincognito]

@Jeff Just call me "papab", or "ET", or "xxxxx" ... I answer to most anything.

Sorry but changing those settings did not help in my case.
virusoverride.jpg



The file is still being "blocked" by Edge, SmartScreen, or Defender. Which means the file is not listed in downloads and is not able to be opened. This is what appears in Edge's download window even with those protections turned off when attempting to download.
virusblocked.jpg



I still have the 2 virus variants "allowed" in my allowed threats, but today I cannot download a usable file.
virusallowed.jpg

---

EDIT: If I look "Manage settings" in Virus & threat protection settings and TURN OFF "Real-time protection", I can download the file without any problem. virusrealtimeoff.jpg
Then turn it back on.

BUT then the file will not install, blocked with a message that it contains a virus...viruscontained.jpg

I think there's been a misunderstanding: I posted those settings for cases where the alert about downloading is not shown and you want it to be shown (well, at least initially, since lately my Edge accepts the download anyway). On the other hand, you describe a situation where, regardless of whether the alert about downloading is shown or not, the download is not allowed at all (similar to what SilverAzide described as well). This can happen either because of some other setting permitting this rejection, Microsoft overriding your own setting (through hidden / nightly updating, resetting your setting, calling home, other services or apps, cloud security, etc. - basically whatever they advertise as "best for you because we decided so"), or both.

Generally speaking, I could be able to help on this, but to do this via a "how to" posted here would mean that I have to reproduce the behavior you get, in other words let these utilities do things I don't want them to do on my system. Usually, such issues are dealt by trying to add an "exception" for the downloaded file / download folder in Windows Defender (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection > Virus & Threat Protection Settings > Manage Settings > Exclusions > Add An Exclusion). However, with Microsoft this might not be enough, you must ensure that other "helpful" parts of the Windows security system are not interfering with that (see some of the things between brackets above, and also related Windows Security settings). If done correctly, they should work, and allow to both download and install things. If that doesn't happen and it's certain that the relevant settings are correct, then some other app or service is working behind your back to override them, obviously "in your best interest" (sorry if this sounds exaggerated, but sometimes it's the unspoken truth).