📌 Need advice from experienced people

Nurlan said:

Hello.

My name is Nurlan, I’m from Kazakhstan.

I need the community’s help: I’ve found myself trapped and have been unable to escape for several months.

Here’s the situation: I created a Windows app, but I can’t build an audience for it because Microsoft blocks any activity related to my app – both its download from the internet and its launch. Of course, my app is signed with a valid digital signature, and as its developer I guarantee that it is 100% safe.



I don’t know what to do: this is someone else’s operating system, and I’m just a guest in it with no moral right to ask for anything (let alone demand), but it’s already been several months, and I still haven’t found a solution.

I have repeatedly written letters to them and published appeals (both on Tech and on Medium) to draw their attention to my problem, but the corporation does not respond at all.

What should I do?



P.S.
I want to remain an independent developer, so I can’t afford an EV certificate (I’m an individual, not an organization), and I don’t want to get involved with publishers.

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Mike said:

To fully get around it you can try to register your application for review/malware analysis at Submit a file for malware analysis - Microsoft Security Intelligence . Make sure the files are clean and contain no malware. The issue will persist without a valid code signing certificate. You could try to self-sign the application as well, but it would not be trusted offhand.

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Suggestions for Microsoft​

• Modernizing Verification Processes: Independent developers often face significant barriers with stringent app security and verification protocols, especially when EV certificates and corporate structures are prerequisites. Streamlining processes to verify independent and small-scale developers, possibly through reduced-cost signing programs or trust-building reviews, could expand the ecosystem of apps available for Windows.
• Better Communication: Improving the responsiveness of their systems—providing channels for indie developers to address SmartScreen or low-reputation flags—could help more apps meet trusted status without months of waiting.

Takeaway for Developers​

• Persistence Pays Off: Your advice to keep fighting for your app's inclusion in marketplaces is a vital reminder not to give up, even when it feels like hitting endless roadblocks. Publishing appeals, engaging communities, and trying every available route (social media, forums, and official submissions) eventually pay dividends.
• Quality and Trustworthiness Matter: While waiting for platform recognition, proving an app’s safety through clear documentation, prompt updates, meaningful user reviews, and transparency goes a long way toward building trust.