Fix This app has been blocked for your protection in Windows 11

There are a few reasons for the message This app has been blocked for your protection in Windows 11 to show. Similar to Windows 10, Windows 11 shows this message when an application is executed with an invalid digital certificate. Invalid can mean it is not trusted, or it could be expired or revoked.

Example of user trying to open the Device Manager in Windows 11.

But the message also shows if your user account does not have sufficient privileges to run the application. In that case, this additional message will also be shown: An administrator has blocked you from running this app.

Use the hidden administrator account

In the case of an administrator blocking access to the app, the solution to the problem is to use the hidden administrator account. Here are the steps to enable that account and use it for running the blocked app.

1. Click the Start button on the Taskbar.
2. In the Search box, type command prompt.
3. Select the Run as administrator
   
   
4. If the User Account Control window opens, click the Yes button.
5. In the Administrator Command Prompt windows, type:
   

   net user administrator /active:yes

   After pressing Enter, the response should be The command completed successfully. The administrator account is now enabled.
   
6. Type exit and press Enter. This will close the command prompt window.
7. Next, sign out of your current Windows 11 user account.
8. In the Sign-in screen, you will now see the Administrator account under your regular user account. Click it, and then click the Sign in button to sign in as the administrator.
   
9. Once the sign-in process completes, execute the app that you could not execute in the regular user account.
10. When done, sign out from the Administrator account and sign in again using the regular user account.
11. Although you can leave the hidden administrator account enabled, it is recommended to disable it again. Follow the steps from the start, but now use the command:
    

    net user administrator /active:no

    This will disable the administrator account again.

Disable the security software

If the application is blocked as a result of an invalid digital certificate, you can try running it with the security software disabled. Only do this if you are absolutely certain the app can be trusted!

Unless the app needs Internet access, I would recommend you disable the Internet connection for this process. That ensures the computer is not exposed to any external threads while the security software is disabled and the app is installed or executed.

If you have 3^rd party security software installed, simply open it and select the option to disable it. Most Anti-Virus and similar programs have an option to disable it for a specific amount of time (e.g. 15 minutes).

When the Windows 11 internal security option is used, follow these instructions to disable app protection in Windows Security.

1. Click the Start button on the Taskbar.
2. Click the Settings option.
3. In the Settings window, click Privacy and security.
4. Next, click Windows Security.
5. Under Protection areas, click the App & browser control link. This will open a new window.
6. Under Reputation-based protection, click the link Reputation-based protection settings.
7. Here you want to disable most options, turn off Check apps and files, turn off Potentially unwanted app blocking, and turn off SmartScreen for Microsoft Store apps.
   
8. After this, navigate to the app, or app installer, and run it again.

Note: if the app was downloaded from the Internet, you might still need to unblock it. Simply right-click the app file (or installer file), and click Properties. Next, select the Unblock option.

Once the app is installed, or you are done using the app, don’t forget to enable the SmartScreen options again in the Windows 11 security settings. And re-enable the Internet connection if you disabled it.