GuruWatcher Guides · Windows first run

Windows first run: Keep → Unblock → SmartScreen

Windows only, no code. If you just downloaded GuruWatcher on Windows and the app won't start, you've hit the three normal security prompts. Here's exactly what to click.

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Why you see these three prompts

GuruWatcher is a normal Windows program. It is Authenticode-signed, but the publisher is new, so Windows doesn't know us yet and is extra cautious the first time. That's Windows being safe, not a warning that the file is bad. After the first run these prompts usually go away.

Nothing is being installed silently and nothing is phoning home. These three clicks just tell Windows it's OK to run a file you downloaded yourself.

Step-by-step

  1. 1 In the browser, click Keep.

    When you download GuruWatcher-v0.1.8-win64.zip, your browser may warn that it "isn't commonly downloaded". Click Keep (or Keep anyway) so the file is saved — do not click Discard. The download lands in your Downloads folder.

  2. 2 In File Explorer, Unblock the zip, then extract it.

    Open File Explorer → Downloads → find GuruWatcher-v0.1.8-win64.zip. Right-click it → Properties. At the bottom of the General tab, tick Unblock → click Apply → OK. Now right-click the zip again → Extract All.

    You'll get a folder like GuruWatcher-v0.1.8-win64. Open it — you'll see GuruWatcher.exe and a folder called _internal. Keep _internal right next to the exe. Don't move or delete it — that folder holds the program.

  3. 3 In SmartScreen, click More info → Run anyway.

    Double-click GuruWatcher.exe. Windows SmartScreen may show "Windows protected your PC" — this is the new-publisher warning. Click More info → then click Run anyway. (If you don't see this, skip ahead — it sometimes doesn't appear at all.)

    SmartScreen shows a publisher reputation warning for any newly signed app, not a security flag on GuruWatcher itself. The exe is Authenticode-signed via Azure Artifact Signing. If you want, verify it against SHA256SUMS.

  4. 4 That's it — open the app and try the sample.

    GuruWatcher opens in your browser at the local Control Panel and a small tray icon keeps it running (no terminal window). To prove it works with zero setup: click One-time paste → Load sample → Run once (safe). Nothing posts to Discord yet.

Still stuck?

If the app still won't open, note the exact message and email support@guruwatcher.com — we answer within 1 business day. On a Mac instead of Windows? The packaged app is notarized; the first open may still need a right-click → Open. See the setup guide.

Next

Back to Guides, or the Setup guide. First hour still starts at Open the Control Panel.