Download MapMonster

"Microsoft Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting" — is MapMonster safe?

Yes. MapMonster is a portable Electron app distributed without a paid code-signing certificate. Windows SmartScreen warns about any executable whose hash it hasn't seen on enough machines yet — every new build of any indie app starts from zero reputation. The warning is not specific to us and not a malware verdict.

To run: click More info on the SmartScreen dialog, then Run anyway. After a few hundred installs of the same build Windows learns it's safe and stops warning.

My antivirus quarantined the file — should I worry?

False positives are common with obfuscated JavaScript inside Electron — the same engines flag projects like Discord, Slack and VSCode portable builds for similar reasons. Before each release we submit the build to Microsoft Defender, Kaspersky, Avast and Bitdefender so they can update their cloud signatures. The VirusTotal link above shows the live verdict from ~70 engines at once — match it against the SHA-256 you see in your download.

If your AV still blocks it, whitelist the install folder, or write to [email protected] — we'll help.

How can I verify the file myself before running it?

Two checks any user can do without installing anything:

1. Open PowerShell in the download folder and run Get-FileHash .\latest.zip. The output should match the SHA-256 above exactly.
2. Click the View scan button — VirusTotal shows the verdict from ~70 antivirus engines for this exact hash, refreshed in real time.

Will you sign your builds eventually?

Yes — once revenue allows. A code-signing certificate ($200-700 per year depending on level) eliminates SmartScreen warnings for all future builds. Until then we submit every release to the major AV vendors for whitelisting and publish the SHA-256 here so you can verify integrity yourself.