Are exe files safe to download

It is no good to me as it is now and it was working ok until the last update so they need to fix it right This is crazy it will not even let me post the comment. Quick Summary show. Maham Mukhtar. Share on:. What can i do Reply. One of the ways Windows Defender keeps your computer safe from internet evils is by employing its SmartScreen tool to keep you from downloading potentially harmful files or visiting malicious sites.

On some occasions, however, you may find SmartScreen overstepping its bounds and blocking you from downloading a file you know to be safe. I don't recommend turning SmartScreen off completely because it is helpful in preventing you from downloading a malicious file or app, but you can disable it in Microsoft's Edge browser if you want to override its protection and go ahead and download a file it doesn't recognize.

You can disable SmartScreen in the Windows Defender Security Center app in total or just for Edge, but for the latter it's faster to do so right within Edge itself, particularly if you are already using Edge. Method 1: I suggest you to boot the computer to Safe Mode and check if the issue occurs or not. If not, I would suggest you to set the computer in a clean boot state and check if it helps. Step 1: Boot the computer to Safe Mode. In Safe Mode computer starts with minimal set of drivers and files.

Step 2: If the issue do not occur in Safe Mode, perform a clean boot and check. Setting the system in a clean boot state will help to identify if any third party applications or startup items are causing the issue. Warning: After clean boot troubleshooting steps, refer to the section ' How to reset the computer to start as usual after troubleshooting with clean boot ' in the provided link to return your computer to Normal startup mode. SFC scan will scan for corrupt system files on the computer and replace them.

Hope this information helps. Reply to the post with updated status of the issue so that we can assist you further. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article Steps. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Assess what you're downloading. Are you downloading pornography or a warez cracked program? Or are you downloading an add-on to help improve your Mozilla Firefox experience?

There's a much greater chance that the pornography and warez software is going to contain a virus hidden in the download. What's the file? That's your first clue. If it is illegal or suspicious looking, it's probably dangerous. Look over the site. It may seem superficial, but if you're downloading a file from a very basic site there's a higher chance that the site will have a virus hidden in its downloadable files than from a site that looks like it's been made from years of dedicated web designers.

Consider who you are downloading the file from. Think about it logically, if you're downloading something from Microsoft, it's not likely that you're downloading a virus. What's the context? That's the key. Are there other people that have downloaded the file? If there's a forum attached to the site that has people saying they've downloaded said file and have not experienced any problems, chances are, you aren't going to be downloading a Trojan or worm.

Look at the size of the file. If it's too small for what it is, it's junk. Watch out for executable files, such as '. If you download one of these you are, potentially, opening yourself up to anything on that file once you activate it. Try scanning it with a virus checker or any other software that is like it - just to be on the safe side. One common trick used by crackers is to have a 'double extension' such as '.