RunBySmartScreen

The Windows SmartScreen is an extra security shield the operating system employs to protect the entire system from malware.   Working alongside full-featured antivirus software or security tools, the SmartScreen’s job is to filter the files you open and notify you when suspicious executables or documents are about to be opened, blocking the attempt from the start. It does so by checking the “Mark of the Web” for each downloaded file. While fully adopted in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise editions, the Smart Screen is not fully implemented in Windows Home.

As its name suggests, RunBySmartScreen is designed to help you send any file on your computer to the Windows’ Smart Screen directly from the context menu, which is quite convenient. Checking to see if files that end up on your computer are secure becomes much easier and faster.

To add RunBySmartScreen to the context menu, simply double-click on the app’s executable file. A prompt is immediately shown, asking you for confirmation to enable RunBySmartScreen, meaning to add it to Explorer’s context menu. Once you agree, the new option is instantly enabled. In other words, you can find it in the context menu of Windows and submit any file for analysis to the Smart Screen.

Executable files should always be sent to SmartScreen and, with RunBySmartScreen installed, your PC is a bit more secure. Vulnerable files are opened with a warning, while files that are considered dangerous are automatically blocked. On the other hand, safe files are opened and launched without a warning. If you are an experienced user, you can force SmartScreen checking for EXE or MSI installers.

RunBySmartScreen practically adds an option to send a file to the Windows’ SmartScreen for further verification before executing it. While SmartScreen is active in Windows by default, having an on-demand call of this built-in security tool might come in handy at times.