TripleA being blocked by Microsoft Windows SAC

cowey

Hi,
New User here. I'm posting for a friend who's a long time fan of TripleA. He's older, and not too tech savvy, so I decided to register an account and ask about this on his behalf.

He recently tried to play TripleA, and MS windows11 Smart App Control is officially blocking him from playing the game, saying the game files are not digitally registered with Microsoft, and they consider them a risk. The only workaround is to permanently disable SAC (which he doesn't want to do). Has anyone else been experiencing this recently, and does anyone have a workaround?

Also mentioning this to make the app developers aware that this just started happening (within the past week, as of 10/13/2026).

Thanks!

RogerCooper

@cowey There are some workarounds, be he should turn Smart App Control off. The program lacks fundamental features such as white list.

beelee

@cowey

oh what a bummer. I remember a while back windows was treating triplea as some sorta malware type thing or untrusted because it doesn't get a lot of downloads and you had to override it or tell it was ok to use it.

Idk the specifics. I will ping @panther for you

cowey

@beelee
Thanks guys -- wouldn't you know it, he just contacted me, and now MS SAC is saying "it's ok" and lets him play now. I guess it was a false alarm?

TheDog

@cowey
Do you get this screen

If so click on more info
and click on Run anyway

Try this link, it has over 1000 downloads and maybe Microsoft will allow it.
https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/releases/tag/2026-10.16.15815

or this one, it has 130K downloads
https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/releases/tag/2.5.22294

cowey

@TheDog Thanks -- it's not Defender that's the issue, it's Windows 11's new "Smart App Control", which is an additional defense mechanism that has no "run anyway" feature -- it just triggers when Windows doesn't recognize an app's files as being 'registered' and safe. It can automatically flag older or hobbyist-made independent apps (like TripleA) as malware and refuse to run them, unless to permanently turn on "SAC". Frustratingly, It won't give you any specifics as to why the file is on Microsoft's "naughty list".

My friend just contacted me and told me he's now getting an "OK" message, and Windows will run it now, so...problem solved?

Panther

@beelee @thedog @cowey
Windows SAC is a cloud based Microsoft service that tries to identify potential malicious software and tries to predict its security.

I don't have it activated as I frequently use open source software that usually does not have the signatures required by Microsoft.

The fact that the installation now went flawlessly shows, that the MS service behind is 'learning'.

So this is by far not a TripleA bug, but a 'feature' of Microsoft Windows 11.

TheDog

@panther said

The fact that the installation now went flawlessly shows, that the MS service behind is 'learning'.

I agree.

I am inclined to think that it is based on the number of downloads Microsoft has in its SAC database, too few and it is a risk, enough and it passes.

So from our point of view, we will need to keep a SAC viable downloads list

@cowey
To confirm, please find out your friends TripleA version, I will guess it is
2026-10.16.15815 ?

Just need the last 5 digits, so its probably 15815