CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#google-chromebrowserwarnings
FunLovinCoder
FunLovinCoder

Reputation: 7877

How do I clear this browser warning when users download my app?

I have a c# app that users download from a website. I bundle the .exe and some other files in a zip file. The problem is that the Chrome browser has suddenly started showing the following warning when users download my zip file:

"flc-app.zip is not commonly downloaded and could be dangerous"

Here's somebody reporting the same problem.

What do I need to do so Chrome doesn't put up this warning when users download the zip file? Do I need to sign the app? How do I do that and how much does it cost?

While looking at this, I think I found some apps delivered as zips that weren't signed and didn't cause Chrome to put up the warning. This pop3 utility is provided as an exe rather than a zip. It doesn't appear to be signed and Chrome doesn't warn about it when I download it.

I have seen suggestions elsewhere that registering with Google's WebMaster Tools may fix the problem. That doesn't apply in this case as the website has been registered with Google WebMaster Tools for years.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 1942

Answers (2)

andrew
andrew

Reputation: 9583

I was able to get around this issue by posting the zip file on my Microsoft skydrive

Its possible to direct link to sky drive files as explained in this guide, the main points are outlined below.

  • Upload your zip file to your Microsoft skydrive.
  • Right click on the file and select share.
  • Click on get a link.
  • Select the view only option.
  • Now copy the link and replace 'redir' with 'download' to create a direct link as shown.

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=xxxxxxxxxx&authkey=!xxxxxxxxxx

https://skydrive.live.com/download?resid=xxxxxxxxxx&authkey=!xxxxxxxxxx

I was able to download the file in chrome without it complaining provided that I linked to the file from a https location.

Upvotes: 2

dsgriffin
dsgriffin

Reputation: 68596

The best resources are this blog post and this blog post.

To sum up:

  1. Sign you package with an authenticode signature.
  2. Don't be malware (I'm sure you got that covered).
  3. Logo your software (if it's not a browser plug-in).

This can be a frustrating process, so hang in there. Microsoft has not disclosed how many downloads one needs to build a reputation, but in practice once you stop changing the package (the hash is part of the reputation) then you can get past this fairly quickly.

Upvotes: 3

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