SmartScreen blocks the app

What you see

On first launch, Windows shows a blue SmartScreen dialog: “Windows protected your PC. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting.”

Why it happens

The PowerToolBox 1.2.0 build is not code-signed. SmartScreen flags unsigned executables until they build reputation, so a warning on a new download is expected behavior and not, by itself, a sign of malware.

What to do

1. Confirm you downloaded the zip from the install page on this site, not from a link in an email or a third-party mirror.
2. Verify the zip’s SHA-256 hash against the value shown on the install page. Open PowerShell in your Downloads folder and run:

Get-FileHash .\PowerToolBox-1.2.0-win-x64.zip -Algorithm SHA256

The Hash value must match the checksum published on /install/ exactly. If it does not, delete the file and download it again.

3. If the hash matches, click More info in the SmartScreen dialog, then Run anyway. Windows remembers your choice and will not ask again for this file.

Do not turn SmartScreen off to get around this. Verifying the hash takes under a minute and gives you a stronger guarantee than disabling the protection.

If it still fails

If the dialog mentions a different publisher or file name than you expect, or the hash never matches after a fresh download, do not run the file. Open a ticket on the support page with the file name, its size, and the hash you computed.

Last updated: July 27, 2026