How to Fix a Missing Run Anyway Option in Windows 10 SmartScreen

If Windows 10 shows “Windows protected your PC” but no Run anyway button, SmartScreen may be set by policy to warn and prevent bypass. On a personal PC with Local Group Policy Editor, change the Microsoft Defender SmartScreen policy to Warn. That keeps the warning on while allowing you to continue after reviewing it. If a work or school administrator manages the PC, ask them to review the policy instead of trying to override it.

SmartScreen checks downloaded app and file reputation. A warning is not proof of malware, but it is not proof of safety either. Bypass it only for a file from a developer you have verified.

Confirm that SmartScreen is the blocker

The missing button applies to the Windows SmartScreen dialog, commonly headed “Windows protected your PC.” Select More info (some older Windows 10 builds use See more) to expand the app name and publisher details. If the expanded dialog still has no Run anyway option, a policy may be preventing the override.

Check the message first. “Threat found” or “Threat detected” is a Microsoft Defender Antivirus alert, not the SmartScreen reputation warning. Do not disable antivirus to bypass it. If a potentially unwanted app was flagged by mistake, review it in Windows Security Protection history; Microsoft documents an Allow action for certain SmartScreen blocks, followed by downloading the file again. Use that only after you have verified the file and its source.

Check the SmartScreen app setting

1. Open Start, search for Windows Security, and open it.
2. Select App & browser control, then open Reputation-based protection settings.
3. Find Check apps and files. Keep this protection turned on. Depending on your Windows 10 build, the control may appear as an On/Off switch or an older Block/Warn choice. If your version offers Warn, choose it when you intentionally need to review and possibly continue past reputation warnings. Do not turn the protection Off just to reveal a button.

Microsoft’s current Windows Security guide describes Check apps and files as the SmartScreen control for evaluating apps and files downloaded from the web. Older Windows 10 versions expose additional Block and Warn choices. If the page says settings are managed by your organization, or controls are unavailable, a local change will not override the administrator’s policy.

Change the policy that hides Run anyway

Use this step only on a PC you administer that includes Local Group Policy Editor. If the editor is unavailable or the PC is managed, contact the administrator rather than using registry edits from an unofficial guide.

1. Press Windows key + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. In Local Group Policy Editor, go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender SmartScreen > Explorer.
3. Open Configure Windows Defender SmartScreen. If it is enabled with Warn and prevent bypass, the policy intentionally removes the option to run an unrecognized app.
4. To keep SmartScreen active while allowing a user override, select Enabled, choose Warn in the options list, then select Apply and OK. Do not choose Warn and prevent bypass.

Microsoft says Warn and prevent bypass suppresses the option to run the app, while Warn leaves the warning in place. This is a security tradeoff; use Warn only if you accept the risk of running an unrecognized file. Close the editor and try again; restart Windows if the old policy remains.

Review the file before choosing Run anyway

Return to the warning and select More info. Check the app name and publisher. “Unknown publisher” means Windows cannot verify who signed the program, so confirm the download came directly from the developer and check its signature or checksum if the developer provides one. You can also scan the downloaded file with Windows Security. If the signature is invalid, the download source is questionable, or Defender reports malware, choose Don’t run and delete the file.

If the option is still missing

Check whether the device is managed by work or school, and whether Windows Security reports that its settings are controlled by an administrator. Group Policy or mobile-device management can enforce a no-bypass rule. Third-party security software can also show its own block screen; follow that product’s guidance instead of changing SmartScreen. If Protection history reports a malware detection, do not treat the missing Run anyway button as a glitch.

If you believe Microsoft Defender SmartScreen has incorrectly flagged a legitimate download, submit it for review using Microsoft’s SmartScreen file-submission guidance. Keep SmartScreen enabled after troubleshooting. Also note that Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025; Microsoft recommends moving to a supported Windows version or enrolling eligible devices in its Extended Security Updates program. See Microsoft’s Windows 10 support notice.

For the current settings and policy details, see Microsoft’s Windows Security App & browser control guide and available Microsoft Defender SmartScreen settings.