Microsoft has built a number of security features into every Windows system to ensure users are protected from threats and malicious actors. From a built-in antivirus to ransomware protection, Windows 10 offers better protection than its previous iterations.
To make your system more secure, it automatically blocks unknown and unrecognized apps from running. This feature is called Windows SmartScreen and it is an important security process on your PC.
This Windows SmartScreen feature is designed to prevent malicious codes or potential threats from entering your system. You can find this feature as smartscreen.exe, which runs in the background of your Windows device. Want to learn more about this feature? Read below.
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What is Windows Smart Screen?
SmartScreen is a built-in security feature of Windows 10 that scans and blocks known malicious programs or unknown apps from running. Apart from that, it also notifies Windows 10 users when they visit suspicious websites or open malicious emails.
By comparing their reliability to Microsoft’s blacklist. In short, this cloud-based tool offers an extra layer of protection against malware and phishing attacks alongside the standard security feature of your Windows system.
How does SmartScreen work?
SmartScreen has been around since Windows 8. As mentioned, it was created to prevent unknown programs from running automatically on your computer. It works by scanning the app and comparing it to Microsoft’s extensive list of databases of known software and services. If the process cannot see it in the list, it restricts its execution.
However, SmartScreen is unlikely to block known programs that it detects, such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. However, if you launch software from unknown third-party developers, it will be careful while opening.
Once it detects that it is a threat or malware, it intervenes and stops running, protecting your system from harm.
In some cases, SmartScreen doesn’t know if the app is trustworthy or not. In this case, you can override the decision.
Be careful with this and only allow software that you are sure is safe. If you doubt the app’s security, you can always run it in Windows 10’s Sandbox mode, an isolated version of Windows where you can test programs you don’t fully trust.
At the same time, SmartScreen is also the program that protects the new Google Chromium-based browser Microsoft Edge from malware and phishing attacks. It is also used to protect files you download from the browser and warn you about blocked websites and downloads that it considers a threat.
As a Windows system feature, the SmartScreen process listed in Task Manager as smartscreen.exe is completely safe. The process is one of the first lines of defense against dangerous files, so it’s best for you and your device to keep this process in the background.
If it blocks some of the apps you use on your computer, you can unblock them to make sure they can still run even when the process is activated.
Why is SmartScreen causing resource issues on a Windows 10 computer?
In some situations, SmartScreen can drain your device’s resources and cause other issues that can affect the overall performance of your computer. While there is no apparent reason why these issues can occur, it is most likely due to a persistent malware infection or corrupted system files and not the smartscreen.exe process itself.
Before you start disabling the Windows SmartScreen process, you should try to repair your system’s files using the System File Checker (SFC) tool. This tool helps solve problems related to your computer’s performance, especially processes like smartscreen.exe. If you are unfamiliar with the SFC, follow these steps to run a scan:
- Right-click on the Start menu and select Windows PowerShell (admin) from the options.
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Then click on Yes from the pop-up window.
- In the Windows Powershell window, type sfc /scan and press Input. This process finds and replaces corrupted files.
SFC is a built-in tool that automatically scans for and repairs broken or corrupted files. While this is not a guaranteed fix, running an SFC scan can ensure that your system is in good shape and free of corrupt files that could cause problems with your computer’s performance.
If the scan didn’t fix the performance issue and there are no malware infections or missing files, you need to look at the computer yourself.
As Microsoft releases new updates, some older PCs will find it more difficult to run Windows. Unfortunately, the only way to fix this problem is to update your computer so that you can keep running Windows 10 without any performance issues.
Disabling the SmartScreen process can also be a temporary fix if you are unable to update your computer yet. While it frees up some resources, it can potentially do more harm than good to your system.
How to disable Windows SmartScreen
SmartScreen is a built-in security feature of Windows that should be left enabled for most computers because it can prevent dangerous apps, files, websites, emails and more from damaging your PC. Although it can sometimes use a lot of resources of your device, it is highly recommended to keep it running for your own protection.
However, if after some troubleshooting you think it is contributing to your computer’s overall problem, you can disable it to confirm your theory. But if it’s not the culprit of the performance issue, make sure to turn it back on immediately. Follow the steps below to disable it on your system and in Microsoft Edge:
- Open settings by pressing and holding victory+ I. Alternatively, you can right-click on the Start menu and select ideas from the menu.
- In the Settings window, click Updates & Security > Windows security > Open Windows Security. This will open Windows Security Settings in a new window.
- In Windows Security, click App and browser control in the left navigation bar.
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Then select the Reputation-based protection settings Opportunity.
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To disable SmartScreen from your system, uncheck the option for Check apps and files.
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If you also want to turn off Microsoft Edge’s SmartScreen feature, turn that off Smart Screen for Microsoft Edge.
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To remove protection from files that Windows does not recognize, such as B. files downloaded online, disable the Potentially unwanted app blocking Opportunity.
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Finally, to turn off SmartScreen protection from Microsoft Store apps, turn off the SmartScreen for Microsoft Store apps Opportunity.
Important reminder: Disabling these options can compromise your system. If you don’t have any other protection for your system, it is best to activate it before surfing the Internet. However, if you are aware of the danger you might bring into your system, you can disable them for as long as you want.
Keep your system safe and secure
The SmartScreen process in your Windows device is a crucial feature that keeps your system running at its best. Aside from being secure, it also ensures that no malicious actors can exploit any vulnerabilities that you and your device might have.
Keeping it enabled is an excellent way to protect your Windows 10 from threats. In addition to this feature, it is best to set a scan schedule in Windows Defender and secure your system in case of malware infection.
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