TOTAL WIPEOUT Microsoft warns new Windows update will force you to WIPE your entire PC if you want the Smart App Control feature enabled

ThrashZone · Apr 7, 2022

Hi,
Just another popup message to pester people with.

GCG1000 · Apr 7, 2022

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
Just another popup message to pester people with.

Agreed! Another reason to enjoy a nice glass of your favorite Scotch while thrashing with Windows 11 updates! LOL!

jvickers · Apr 8, 2022

I'll just have to be vulnerable. Except for my other protections.

spapakons · Apr 8, 2022

No matter how much protection you have, you remain vulnerable if you just click anything you see without using common sense. Human factor is the greatest vulnerability of any security system.

spapakons · Apr 8, 2022

The thread title is not accurate. As I understand you have to clean install Windows 11 only if you want the Smart App Control feature enabled. If you don't care, there is no reason to reinstall. Just ignore it.

Winuser · Apr 8, 2022

Bastet said:
As it’s reported in the Sun I wouldn’t believe it at all.
The official link on the site doesn’t seem to mention needing to clean install Windows.

The Smart App Control itself mentions the need to reinstall Windows to turn it back on.

GCG1000 · Apr 8, 2022

jvickers said:
I'll just have to be vulnerable. Except for my other protections.

Yup, there's no such thing as being "totally invulnerable", while surfing the internet; doing a "fresh" install of Win 11 for this arcane feature does NOT make sense! Rather, I agree with jvickers (who has clearly stated the case for most of us, who are regular Windows users)! MS' solution is a P.I.T.A.!

Porthos · Apr 9, 2022

spapakons said:
The thread title is not accurate.

Fixed it for ya.

TairikuOkami · Apr 9, 2022

I am pretty sure it will be possible to bypass it and enable it without reinstall. It says that it is a standalone app, so if it is like smartscreen.exe, it might be possible to remove and to restore it without touching the setting. The way it is described, it sounds like it just checks, if the exe is digitally signed by a trusted certificate. I already have that enabled by default along with virustotal check.

Atomic77 · Apr 10, 2022

I personally think this is a really weird thing for Microsoft to do.

RFS · Apr 11, 2022

I suspect this is more aimed at business users, whereby IT support teams can roll out PCs with the feature enabled, and with users not able to turn it off.

spapakons · Apr 11, 2022

RFS said:
I suspect this is more aimed at business users, whereby IT support teams can roll out PCs with the feature enabled, and with users not able to turn it off.

Yet another reason to ignore it. An average home user doesn't need it.

Squirrel · Apr 11, 2022

I did a clean install of windows last night and still don't have the option to turn on "smart app control"

RFS · Apr 11, 2022

Squirrel said:
I did a clean install of windows last night and still don't have the option to turn on "smart app control"

Which version of Windows? It's a new feature in the latest Dev/Beta build.

Squirrel · Apr 11, 2022

RFS said:
Which version of Windows? It's a new feature in the latest Dev/Beta build.

RFS · Apr 11, 2022

This is what I see in Windows Security. I haven't tried a clean install yet which I'd need to do to enable it. I thought it was going to be enabled by default on a new build but perhaps that hasn't happened yet in this version.