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Stop Windows 10 From Asking For Admin Rights To Run Unknown Apps

Windows has always featured a filter for apps that you install duly warning you whenever you were about to install an app from an unknown developer. That feature has duly carried through to Windows 10 where by default, you need admin rights to run an unrecognized app from the internet. If the option is bothering you and you feel you don’t need it, there’s a simple way to turn it off from the Control Panel desktop app. Here’s how.

Open the Control Panel. The quickest way to do it if you haven’t customized Windows 10 much after upgrading is to simply type Control Panel in the new search bar and launch the desktop app. Go to the System and Security group of settings, click Security & Maintenance and expand the options under Security.

win10-control-panel

Scroll down until you see the Windows SmartScreen section. Click ‘Change settings’ under it. You will need admin rights to make these changes.

win10-smartscreen

By default, it is set to asking for administrator approval when running unrecognized apps. You can set it to simply warn a user when running an unrecognized app but not require admin approval, or to turn this feature off altogether.

win10-smartscreen-options

When changing these options, make sure you take into consideration any guest accounts that are running on the system as well as any parental controls you might have applied. It may not be dangerous if you yourself are allowing all apps to run but anyone who uses the same system and doesn’t know any better might put the system at risk.

16 Comments

  1. I don’t want to disable Windows security features for all Apps, just 1. Super easy in Mac OS, this sucks! Any better solutions out there?

  2. I seen that internet thingy once, It comes on an AOL Floppy disk.
    I had to shield my eyes kuz I dint want one of them there viruses.

  3. I’m looking for a solution where every time i open up a program (The ones that have that shield) it asks for admin password . even-though im an admin myself but there are 2 admin accounts in my PC
    then i ran “net user” and the account that is asking for the password is underneath DefaultAccount
    and i’m under Administrator. Plz help THX

  4. I’m trying to turn off the smart screen but need to sign into admin to do it.
    I’ve never signed in as admin so how do I know the password???

  5. I can’t understand Microsoft. If we wanted to restrict apps, we would set an user just as an “user” and not an “administrator”. If we have chosen that some account is “administrator” so doesn’t make any sense Windows keep asking for “administrator” rights. The only reason I don’t have a Mac it’s because Apple products in Brazil have a ridiculous higher price, but on the other hand…

  6. But still some stuff asks for doing the Right click->Run as Admin to work, and i’d like to alwas run everything as admin by double clicking on it instead of the right click method

    For example, some “games” requires right click then Run as Admin to work, else it gives me an error

    How do you solve that?…

    • I my system i don’t have permission to click on anything and change setting.
      I want to change this to require admin permission

    • Create a shortcut to that app..
      Right-click the shortcut & go to its properties,
      check the Run as Administrator checkbox
      & click Apply
      Now, just run the shortcut instead of the app directly

  7. Yeah, the security built into the operating system is so inconvenient just turn it off. Your computer will be owned shortly from the myriad of garbage web sites and trash in them. Admin rights are not needed ecxept to install software and this security should NEVER be disabled. Use a separate password and admin account or suffer the consequences. Don’t blame Microsoft for your stupidity when this happens.

    • With all of the information Microsoft harvests from Windows 10 users, forced updates and updates being distributed by other Windows 10 PCs, any thought of security with that OS is a joke.

    • The Security whit a bult in system is a Joke
      The first thng hacker brake is that and they are always a step ahed of MS

    • @Bill yeah really? how about when I run the native ASUS AI suite (native motherboard app), samsung Magician (native SSD management app) and among other “known trust worthy apps” microsoft still require confirmation if they are authorized each time? do they endanger me? really? I mean do you even know what really endangers a user? (yeah I realize I am responding to a 2 yrs old response)

    • I agree with you even 3 months later. Bill prolly has way too many people accessing his computer… I am here because I created a second user account or never would have noticed the annoying authorization thing.

    • no it won’t happen: I don’t go to that Internet. In fact I keep hearing about it but I really don’t know what you are talking about.
      Can you give me examples?