Microsoft Protector and Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 will automatically block probably unwanted applications (PUAs) by default starting this month.

Initializing with the Windows 10 2004, the May 2020 update, Microsoft added an advanced ‘Potentially unwanted app blocking’ setting in Windows security that causes Microsoft Defender to block these types of applications. This feature has been disabling by default since its release, but initializing this month, Microsoft will start to block PUAs when analysis on a computer automatically.

“Initializing in early August 2021 we will start turning it on by default to make it easier for you to preserve your systems executing at their best,” Microsoft declared in a short support bulletin today. Windows 10 users who do not wish to block PUAs by default can turn the functionalize off by launching the Windows Security setting screen, clicking on App & browser control, and choosing Reputation-based security settings.

At the Reputation-based protection settings screen, you can disable the ‘Probable unwanted app blocking’ setting.

The ‘Block Applications’ option will enable Microsoft Defender’s built-in PUA scanning and blocking feature. The ‘Block downloads’ will control whether the ‘Block potentially unwanted applications’ setting is enabled in the new Microsoft Edge browser. When allowed, SmartScreen will block PUAs and PUPs as they are downloaded.

This modified to automatic blocking is advantageous for all users of Microsoft Defender as our experts have found over the years that functionalities are marked as PUAs or PUPs should be classified as Trojan as they perform malicious behavior on the system.

Moreover, due to some legal issues, many associations do not block them automatically or ignore them.

Microsoft automatically blocking PUAs, it could boost the security industry to do a good job at blocking these unwanted applications.

What are the Probable Unwanted Applications?

All the probable unwanted applications, otherwise known as PUAs or PUPs, are not quite Trojan but pretty close.

They are usually designed by advantageous legal entities that bound the boundaries of what would be considered “respectable” software, and in most cases, perform unwanted behavior on a computer.

All these programs range from browser extensions, adware, programs that transmit usage information without permission, Windows system cleaners and antivirus programs that use wrong positives, and programs that do not give any promised feature.

What are the Criteria for designating unwanted Applications?         

• Torrent Software (Enterprise only): Software that is utilized to create or download torrents or other files specially used with peer-to-peer-sharing technologies.
• Bundling Software: Software that lets you install other software that is not set up by the same city or not needed for the software to execute. Also, software that offers to install other software that enables PUA based on the criteria highlighted in this document.
• Poor Corporation Reputation: Software that trusted protected providers analyze with their security products. The security sector is dedicated to providing security to its customers and enhancing their experiences. Microsoft and various organizations in the security industry constantly exchange information about files we have examined to give users the best possible protection.
• Escaping Software: Software that currently tries to avoid detection by security products, consisting of software that behaves differently in the presence of existence of security products.  
• Torrent Software (Enterprise only): Software that is utilized to create or download torrents or various files especially utilized with peer-to-peer file-sharing technologies.
• Marketing Software: It monitors and transmits the entire activities of users to applications or services other than itself for marketing research.

Unluckily, some appropriate software may be bumped in with these criteria and detected by Microsoft Defender’s PUA blocking feature.

Such as, crypto mining applications and torrent software mostly have an appropriate purpose but may be analyzed by Microsoft Defender and removed.    

In all those scenarios it is advised that you generate exclusive in Microsoft Defender to avoid those files from being quarantined rather than disabling the whole feature.