Why Windows shows a security prompt for Ascendara
Windows SmartScreen may warn you when you first run Ascendara. Here's why it appears, how the community has come to trust Ascendara, and how to check your download before continuing.
When you first run Ascendara, Windows may show a blue Windows Defender SmartScreen warning. SmartScreen is a built-in Windows feature that helps protect you from software it does not recognize. Seeing the warning is not, by itself, proof that a file is malicious.
Why does the warning appear?
Ascendara's installer is not signed with a Microsoft code-signing certificate. Those certificates can cost more than $300 per year, and we have chosen not to add that expense so Ascendara can remain free. The installer source code is public, and Ascendara has earned recognition from community-maintained lists that vet tools, including The Megathread and FMHY.
Community trust, and checking your download
The Megathread lists Ascendara first among its three GOAT picks, and FMHY marks it as one of six starred game launchers. That recognition reflects community trust, but it is not a scan or a guarantee about an individual download. Only continue if you got the installer from the official website or Ascendara's GitHub releases. You can also review the public installer source code. If the download came from somewhere else or anything looks unexpected, do not run it.
OPEN SOURCEReview the Ascendara installerInspect the installer code on GitHub.View on GitHub COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONTrusted by communities that checkSee Ascendara's recognition on The Megathread and FMHY.See who trusts AscendaraIf you decide to continue
After confirming that your installer came from an official source, click More info in the SmartScreen prompt, then choose Run anyway. If you cannot verify where the file came from, cancel instead. The prompt is a standard consequence of running an unsigned installer, but you should still check the source before proceeding.