Conrad Sallian's community posts

Hi, Drideanu

Here is how you can help us fix the false positive in Microsoft. Simply try to download the Host file by following this link in Edge:

https://www.remoteutilities.com/download/host-7.2.2.0.exe

And then, if Edge says that the file was blocked because it's unsafe, click the '...' icon and select 'Report this file as safe'. Here it is with screenshots https://www.remoteutilities.com/support/forums/forum5/2664-microsoft-defender-smartscreen

Thank you.

Hello Drideanu ,

Thank you for your message.

There is nothing wrong with the code of the application. There's definitely something wrong with how modern antivirus software work. They no longer even analyze the file  - they use "artificial intelligence" systems to do the hard lifiting. And those systems are extremely error-prone.

If there's something wrong with Remote Utilities 7.2.2.0 why would about 66 antivirus solutions (according to VirusTotal data) classify the software as clean? Whereas only 7-10 of them mistakely detect it as a threat and remove the classification with apologies when we submit a false positive? This is the same story with each new release :)

As for Microsoft - they added Remote Utilities 7.2.2.0 in Microsoft Store. So it's ridiculous that they mark as unsafe the very software they accepted in the store. See the MS Store download links on the download page https://www.remoteutilities.com/download/  . If you don't trust our website you can download the program from there (these are the same distributables).

Hello Josh,

Sorry for misleading a bit. The version on MS Store is a regular desktop app, the same Host .msi that you can download from our website. Our only purpose of putting it there (as well as the Viewer) was widening our distribution and getting rid of pesky MS Windows Defender false positives, assuming that the apps that passed certification for MS Store are less likely to be falsely detected as a threat.

Answering your question, it's a regular msi file and you can use the standard msi parameters for its deployment.

Version 7.2.2.0 has been released. The bulk log off has been fixed, as well as MS Windows Defender false detection (although we do not guarantee anything with today's dismal state of 'antivirus' software industry :)  ).

We have updated Remote Utilities to version 7.2.2.0. There are no more false detections by Microsoft. Besides, Viewer and Host have been added to Microsoft Store - the links are available on the download page.

You are encourated to update your installations.

Thanks, everyone. Mysteriously, the host-7.2.1.0.msi is perfectly ok with Microsoft. It's only the .exe version that Microsoft isn't happy about.

As of 23 Oct 2023, if you are trying to download the host-7.2.1.0.exe file from our website, Microsoft Edge blocks it with a message saying that the file was blocked as unsafe. We have already sent a false positive submission to Microsoft but we will appreciate it if our users also report the file as safe because this detection is 'reputation-based' and the SmartScreen simply blocks a previously unknown file.

Here are the steps to do that:

1. First, try to download the host-7.2.1.0.exe in Edge.

2. When the file is blocked, click on the Download icon, then click on the three dots icon and select 'Report this file as safe'.



3. A new tab will open with a feedback form. Fill in the details and click Submit.




Note: This issue is only with Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. The Windows Defender desktop client treats the file as clean.

Hello Gary,

Thank you for your message.

We have sent several false positive reports to Microsoft and are still waiting for them to remove the detections. We are sorry that Microsoft Windows Defender is incapable of distinguishing legitimate and digitally signed software from malware.

As for connectivity issues - you may find the following troubleshooting guides useful:
https://www.remoteutilities.com/support/kb/cannot-connect-using-internet-id-connection/
https://www.remoteutilities.com/support/kb/cannot-connect-using-direct-connection/

Depending on which connection method you use.

Hope that helps.

Hello Mike,

Thanks for the update. So the version you are rolling out sets the recovery option in the host service to run the exe with the -restart flag (like what is configured by your CMD file?

Not only that. The bulk logoff bug will also be fixed.

As for AV false detections, it seems Google or Windows Security is blocking my current custom EXE installer v7.1.7.0. Does the code signing certificate expire?

The expiration date for the certificate only matters for signing. The expiration of the certificate does not invalidate the signature for the files already signed.

If this is Microsoft detection, I recommend that you send a false positive report on this page https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/filesubmission

Hi Mike,

Actually we are ready to release, we are just waiting for some test results on this issue.

Also, given how intolerant and indiscriminate antiviruses have become, this time we'll have to first initiate the virus checks and  make sure that at least the most critical false detections are removed before we make the version public. This may delay the release from a few days to a week, but this is a necessary evil.