Why Windows Shows a Warning

When you run one of our Windows installers for the first time, you may see a blue screen titled "Windows protected your PC" with an "Unknown publisher" warning. This is expected, and it doesn't mean anything is wrong with the software — here's exactly why it happens and how to get past it.

This warning is Windows SmartScreen, and it's about reputation, not safety scanning. Every independent developer's installer starts out flagged this way until it either builds up enough downloads for Microsoft to "recognize" it, or the developer purchases a commercial code-signing certificate (a separate, ongoing paid service, typically several hundred dollars a year) to sign every release.

We're a small business, and that certificate isn't in the budget right now — so our Windows installers are currently unsigned. This is purely a cost decision, not a reflection of the software itself. (Our Mac apps, by contrast, are signed and notarized by Apple, since that program is a much smaller yearly fee.)

1. Download and run the installer as normal.
2. When the blue "Windows protected your PC" screen appears, click More info.
3. A new button will appear — click Run anyway.
4. The installer will continue normally from there.

If Microsoft Defender or another antivirus flags the file directly (rather than the SmartScreen screen above), you can allow it from that program's own "allow" or "restore from quarantine" option — this is the same unsigned-publisher flag, just surfaced by a different tool.

We get it — "run anyway" isn't a button you should click blindly. A few ways to double-check before you do:

• Only download our installers from pages on codecraftednexusllc.com or the download link in your purchase confirmation email — never from a third-party mirror.
• You're welcome to scan the downloaded file with your own antivirus, or upload it to a service like VirusTotal before running it.
• Every purchase is covered by our Refund Policy, and we're a real, registered LLC — reach out any time with questions before or after you buy.