ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The October Windows Update disables Smart App Control.
- You cannot disable the feature once it is disabled.
- You can destroy the bug temporarily through a registry hack.
Microsoft’s monthly Windows updates always seem to introduce some new bug that affects an important feature or setting. And that’s the case with this month’s update.
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Rolled out on October 13, the latest Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11 has a bug that disables a security setting for Smart App Control. Added to Windows 11 in 2022, Smart App Control blocks potentially malicious or suspicious apps and files from infecting your computer. Stronger and stricter than some of the other built-in security settings, this one is designed to protect you against new and emerging threats.
If you have already activated the feature, then it is still in effect. But if it’s currently off, the bug in the October update grabs the button to turn it off, so there’s no way to enable it. I have reviewed three Windows 11 PCs on which I have installed this month’s update and one PC that has not yet been updated. The option is grayed out on the three updated computers, but is still available on the one I didn’t update.
How to check if you are affected
Microsoft says it is working on a fix for this bug and will provide an update in a future release. In the meantime, you can get past the glitch by adding two keys to the Windows registry. Microsoft has provided the steps to do so.
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First, though, you’ll want to check if you’re affected. Go to Settings, select Privacy & Security, and then click Windows Security. In the Protection Areas section, select App & Browser Control. In the new window that appears, click on the link for Smart App Control settings. If the option is currently set to Off and the On is grayed out, then you have been hit by the bug.
To get past this, guy cmd in the search box to open a command prompt window. But choose the option to run as administrator; otherwise you cannot edit the registry.
In the command prompt, type the following commands one by one:
reg add “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\Microsoft\FeatureManagement\Overrides” /v 2883193997 /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\Microsoft\FeatureManagement\Overrides” /v 2850574478 /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
After each command, you should receive a confirmation that the operation was completed successfully. In this case, close the command prompt and restart your PC. Log back in and go to the same Smart App Control settings screen. You should now see the On option available once again, allowing you to enable the feature.
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In general, I think it’s a good idea to enable Smart App Control to defend yourself from potentially malicious apps and files. The only downside is that it can come your way if you download or install a lot of files from unknown sources. In that case, you can always turn it off. But try it for a while to see if you can live with it, as it can prevent unknown malware from infecting your system.
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