Built into Windows 10 and 11, the SmartScreen feature acts as a security sentinel, ensuring your computer remains shielded from potential threats. Its primary role is to scrutinize applications you attempt to run, flagging those it doesn’t recognize and prompting a warning to avoid potential malware infections. When triggered, you’d encounter messages such as “Windows Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting. Running this app could put your computer at risk.” While this feature is undeniably advantageous for a vast majority, offering an additional layer of defense against malicious software, it’s not without its shortcomings. There are instances where SmartScreen can be overly cautious, falsely flagging benign applications, thereby disrupting workflow. This overly protective nature can sometimes prove to be a hurdle, especially for users who often deal with a variety of applications not mainstream enough for SmartScreen to recognize. For such users, or those who simply prefer not to use this feature, disabling SmartScreen might be the solution. This risewindows tutorial is aimed at guiding those users on how to switch off Windows Defender SmartScreen in both Windows 11 and 10.
How to Disable the Windows Defender SmartScreen via Windows Security?
Follow the below-described steps to turn off the Windows Defender SmartScreen using Windows Security:-
Step 1. Firstly, click the Start/Search button on the Taskbar and type Windows Security.
Step 2. Then, click Windows Security to open it in the search results.
Step 3. Next, select App & browser control in the left sidebar of Windows Security.
Step 4. Then, on the right side, click the link Reputation-based protection settings under the Reputation-based Protection section.
Step 5. Under this screen, toggle Off the Check apps and files option to disable Windows Defender SmartScreen.
To enable the Windows Defender SmartScreen, turn On the toggle switch “Check apps and files” in the last step.
Click the Yes button if UAC prompts.
How to Disable the Windows Defender SmartScreen using Local Group Policy Editor?
To disable the Windows Defender SmartScreen using Local Group Policy Editor, do the following steps:-
Step 1. Firstly, press Windows + R hotkey to open the Run command box.
Step 2. Next, type gpedit.msc in the Run box and press Enter key on the keyboard.
Step 3. Under the Local Group Policy Editor window, navigate to the following path in the left sidebar:-
Computer Configuration > Administrative templates > Windows Components > File Explorer
Step 4. Then, double-click the policy name on the right-hand side; configure Windows Defender SmartScreen.
Step 5. Select Disabled.
Step 6. Click Apply.
Step 7. Click OK.
Step 8. At last, reboot your computer. You can see the effect.
How to Disable the Windows Defender SmartScreen via Registry Editor?
To turn off the Windows Defender SmartScreen via Registry Editor, do the following steps:-
Step 1. Firstly, open the Registry Editor.
Step 2. Under the Registry Editor window, copy and paste the following path in the address bar and hit Enter key to reach the System registry key:-
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System
Step 3. After that, right-click on the System folder and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value in the context menu.
Step 4. Then, name the newly created REG_DWORD as EnableSmartScreen.
Step 5. Next, double-click on the EnableSmartScreen REG_DWORD and set its “Value data” to 0.
Step 6. At last, reboot your computer.
To enable the Windows Defender SmartScreen in Windows 11 or 10 again, right-click on the EnableSmartScreen REG_DWORD and select the Delete option. When prompted, click the Yes button.
How to Disable SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge?
If you want, you can disable Windows SmartScreen only for Microsoft Edge. To disable Windows SmartScreen in Microsoft Edge, do the following steps:-
Step 1. Firstly, Click the Start/Search button on the Taskbar and type Windows Security.
Step 2. Then, click Windows Security to open it in the search results.
Step 3. Next, select App & browser control in the left sidebar of Windows Security.
Step 4. After that, on the right side, click the link Reputation-based protection settings under the Reputation-based Protection section.
Step 5. Under this screen, toggle Off the SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge option to disable SmartScreen for Edge.
How to Disable SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge using Registry Editor?
To turn off SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge using Registry Editor, do the following steps:-
Step 1. Firstly, open the Registry Editor.
Step 2. Under the Registry Editor window, copy and paste the following path in the address bar and hit Enter key to reach the SmartScreenEnabled registry key:-
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Edge\SmartScreenEnabled
Step 3. Then, on the right side of the window, double-click the (Default) and change its “Value data” from 1 to 0.
Step 4. At last, restart your computer.
Conclusion
Windows Defender SmartScreen acts as a critical defense layer, preventing potential malicious applications from running on your system. While its protective functionalities are commendable, they can occasionally act as an impediment, especially when the system flags harmless applications. Disabling the SmartScreen feature can be a valid course of action in such cases. Whether you’re using the Windows Security settings, the Local Group Policy Editor, the Registry Editor, or managing the SmartScreen settings specifically for Microsoft Edge, this guide offers detailed steps for each method. Remember, while disabling this feature might seem convenient, it’s crucial to ensure you have other security measures in place to protect your system.
