Introduction

This page provides information about:

  • Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warnings shown when launching CIMCO installers
  • Microsoft Edge download warnings related to recently updated CIMCO code-signing certificates

These warnings may appear temporarily after CIMCO updates or certificate renewals and do not necessarily indicate that the installer is unsafe.

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warning when running CIMCO installers

CIMCO installers are digitally signed to ensure authenticity and integrity.

After a recent update to our code signing certificate, you may see a Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warning when downloading or running a CIMCO installer.

This warning typically appears as:

“Microsoft Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting. Running this app might put your PC at risk.”

This behavior is expected and does not indicate that the installer is unsafe.



Why this warning appears

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen uses reputation-based protection.

When software is signed with a new certificate, it initially has little or no reputation. As a result, SmartScreen may flag the installer as unrecognized, even though it is properly signed.

Over time, as more users download and run the installer, the certificate builds reputation and the warning will no longer appear.

This is a common situation when software vendors update their signing certificates.

How to proceed

If you see the SmartScreen warning, first verify that the publisher is listed as “CIMCO A/S”. You can then proceed as follows:

  1. Click More info
  2. Confirm that the publisher is CIMCO A/S
  3. Click Run anyway

This will start the installer normally.

If “Run anyway” is not available

In some environments, especially on company-managed computers, the Run anyway option may be disabled by group policy.

In this case, you can unblock the installer manually (see image below):

  1. Right-click the downloaded installer file
  2. Select Properties
  3. In the General tab, locate the Security section
  4. Check Unblock
  5. Click Apply, then OK
  6. Run the installer again

Microsoft Edge blocks CIMCO installer downloads after certificate changes

Microsoft Edge may display a Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warning when downloading CIMCO installer files after the application signing certificate has been renewed or replaced.

This happens because Microsoft Defender SmartScreen reputation is partially tied to the code-signing certificate. When a new certificate is introduced, the installer may temporarily have low reputation until enough users have downloaded and trusted the file.

As shown in the steps below, depending on the organization’s security policy, users may either:

  • be prevented from bypassing the warning, or
  • be allowed to explicitly keep and run the installer anyway.

    Step 1 – Download starts

    The CIMCO installer download is detected and evaluated by Microsoft Defender SmartScreen.


    Step 2 – Warning is displayed

    Microsoft Edge displays a warning because the installer is signed with a new or recently changed certificate that has not yet established reputation. The user opens the download actions menu to view available options.


    Step 3 – Download options depend on policy

    The download options menu reflects the organization’s Microsoft Edge security policy. As shown in the image below, the “Keep” option may either be disabled (left) and managed by the organization, or available (right) to allow the user to keep the installer anyway.


    Step 4 – User keeps the installer

    If the “Keep” option is available, the organization allows users to bypass the SmartScreen warning and explicitly keep the installer download.