Why you see it
Kyro’s Windows installers are not code-signed yet. A file downloaded by a browser carries a “downloaded from the internet” mark, so SmartScreen shows the warning until that file has built up reputation.
Reputation is tied to the file’s hash. Every release is a new file, so every release starts from zero.
What the warning tells you
It says Windows does not recognise this file yet. It does not say the file is harmful, and clearing it would not prove the file is safe. Your own check is the one that counts.
What to do
- Make sure the file came from GitHub Releases or our download page.
- Verify its SHA-256 against SHA256SUMS.
- Run it. On the blue window, click More info, then Run anyway.
If the hash does not match, delete the file. Do not click through.
How to avoid it
Install with the one-line command. PowerShell does not add the “downloaded from the internet” mark, and the script checks the SHA-256 for you.
Updates applied by Kyro itself never trigger the warning either, and they are signed and verified.
What we do about it
Each release’s Windows installers are submitted to Microsoft for review. Microsoft does not guarantee this clears the warning for home users, since reputation mostly builds with downloads. Code signing is on the roadmap, and the code signing policy sets out the rules.
And macOS?
Same cause, different screen. Gatekeeper blocks the first launch of a downloaded file. See Kyro for macOS.