Explorer Patcher (EP) Not downloading due to "Virus detected by Windows Defender (Microsoft Defender)"

[0s9df8c0sdfd0]

When i was downloading Explorer Patcher again for a YouTube video on how to make Windows 11 look like Windows 10 Google Chrome says that its a virus and I pressed keep dangerous file. Once I did that Microsoft Defender was freaking out so I could not download Explorer Patcher. When I download it again it does the same thing.

[pyrates999]

duplicate of: #2873

This is a false positive.

Update your windows defender signatures by going to settings -> updates & security -> windows security
Then click on virus & threat protection
Under virus & threat protection updates, click on check for updates
Then click on the button named check for updates

Then if it is still being detected as malicious, submit it as a false positive to Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/filesubmission

[phoenX80]

I bypassed this via adding folder exclusion
C:\Users"USERNAMEHERE"\AppData\Roaming\ExplorerPatcher

[vvirtues]

What windows version? might wanna check this out btw https://www.xda-developers.com/microsoft-wont-update-windows-11-these-apps/

[Amrsatrio]

45bd735

This new commit by Valinet that is included into 64.3 prerelease seems to be causing the detections...

[Amrsatrio]

@pyrates999 I cannot recommend the "submit to MS as false positive" anymore. The humans in their threat response department seem to be clueless about this and would mark this as a malware anyway if it contains certain patterns of system calls.

[pyrates999]

Ah ok. I'll stop recommending that.

Will there be a new pre-release with that commit removed?

[Amrsatrio]

I need to have some talks with Valinet beforehand.

[phoenX80]

On 10.0.22000.2899 for the love of god wasn't able to run RDPWrapper/SuperRDP anymore. Even after doing exclusions. Whatever MS is doing, it is more than adding recognition to Defender. Gladly explorerpatcher is fine for me (with exclusions). Because of RDP I had to roll back my Windows version anyway.

[pyrates999]

You must be running windows 11 21h2 enterprise as the pro and home versions were end of life on October 10, 2023.

[phoenX80]

I wasn't updating further because of unsupported processor for now.

[pyrates999]

Ok, well windows 11 21h2 enterprise end of life is Oct 8, 2024: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-11-enterprise-and-education

So be aware of that.

[Amrsatrio]

You can do an in place upgrade manually using an ISO of 22/23H2 and some registry tweaks.

[Siderite]

I've seen a worrisome video that Windows now treats Explorer Patcher and other software like this as blockers to updates. In the sense that they actually check for the filename and specifically do things to stop you from using it. I've delayed all my Windows updates since then.

Can someone tell me if ExplorerPatcher still works for all versions of Win11?

Thanks!

[pyrates999]

It is only happening in Canary and Dev builds because Microsoft wants you to test windows without it being modified. Installing EP on them would invalidate the testing environment that you as a tester would be testing on.

If you don't want to submit bug reports and help test windows, then you shouldn't be installing Canary and Dev builds in the first place.

[Amrsatrio]

@pyrates999 No. It's because they don't want anyone to continue using the 10 taskbar anymore.

@Siderite Should be safe as long as you stay on 22H2/23H2. You can force yourself using the "target feature version" policy in gpedit or registry.

[Siderite]

I've run Windows Update with no incident. Thanks!

[Amrsatrio]

Closing as 64.3 has been superseded and the code that might have caused the antivirus has been commented out. Feel free to reopen if 65.1 is detected.