Windows Defender Blocking Installations of Downloaded Apps

Question

I recently installed Windows 10 Fall Creators Edition...Did it by making a dvd iso using the Media Creation Tool and did a clean install...

Ever since, when I download a program (ex: VLC MEDIA PLAYER or GOOGLE CHROME) as soon as I double click it, this message pops up:

"YOUR ORGANIZATION USED WINDOWS DEFENDER CONTROL TO BLOCK THIS APP"

I have Windows 10 home edition installed...How can I get it to stop blocking these legitimate apps?

Answer 1

In my case, i was able to resolve it by following someone's suggestion here that you turn off secure boot in your bios...that got rid of the bug (after re-starting) and once the bug was gone, i was able to turn secure boot back on, and the bug remained gone...That worked for many people here too...

Answer 2

Hi Craig,

There's a possibility that the SmartScreen option is on that's why you're unable to install downloaded apps. Let's try to turn it off and see if it helps. See the steps below:

1. Open Windows Defender Security Center from your Start menu, desktop, or taskbar.
2. Click on the App and browser control button on the left side of the window.
3. Click on Off in the Check apps and files section.

Let us know if the suggestion helps you out.

Answer 3

Hi Malcolm,

We'd like to know more about what happened after you performed the steps you quoted. Did you encounter any error messages? What have you tried so far to resolve the issue? Have you tried the other troubleshooting steps available on this thread as well?

We look forward to your response.

Answer 4

I have a permanent fix for this....lo and behold it works. Thank me later. No need to disable secure boot or format HDD or reinstall OS.

Here is how to go about it.

On windows defender, go to apps and browser control, scroll down to exploit protection.

click on exploit protection settings, and then program setting

click on the programs affected, in my case winword.exe and click edit/remove . either "edit or remove" works.

scroll down to force randomization for images and uncheck it.

close windows defender and restart your pc. it should work now

Answer 5

I also recently bought windows 10 and defender is on a rampage blocking anything from being installed. I've tried to disable the smart screen options and anything else that I can think of and no luck. The only fix is the temporary workaround mentioned. 

Any word on a permanent solution? This is a huge pain in the ass. My welcome to windows 10 experience has been absolutely brutal.

NOTE - I am not an employee of MS.

You may or may not be seeing the same issue that's being discussed in this thread.

If it happens every time you try to download anything and you receive a message that the download contained a virus or that the requested resource is in use then you possibly have a malware issue - perhaps a variant of the SmartService Trojan.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-tprdpw32.exe-and-smartservice-rootkit

If the issue remains recommend you scan with the Emsisoft Emergency Kit (a free program): http://blog.emsisoft.com/2015/06/09/how-to-find-and-clean-malware-infections-with-emsisoft-emergency-kit/ If necessary boot into Safe Mode/Safe Mode with Networking to download and run the scanner or use another computer, put the EEK file on a flash drive and insert the flash drive in the infected computer...you can run the scanner from the flash drive.  Other scanners (some of which may be run in Safe Mode or from a flash drive) that may help with this issue are listed in List of Malware Removal Tools

Or you may have a “Poweliks” infection. See the replies of  quietman7 - MVP  in https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/forum/protect_defender-protect_scanning-windows_10/windows-defender-cannot-remove-trojanbatpoweliksa/aeb7ece9-c7f2-40d0-b9d4-20a20821d56d

Some users report a reset or clean install is required to eliminate the issue.

.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12415/windows-10-recovery-options

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-windows_install/clean-install-windows-10/1c426bdf-79b1-4d42-be93-17378d93e587

Regards...

http://blog.emsisoft.com/2015/01/27/top-10-ways-pups-sneak-onto-your-computer-and-how-to-avoid-them/