Software safety & installation

Every Xardas product is a genuine desktop application, built and tested by us. We care about your safety, and we'd rather over-explain than leave you guessing — so here's exactly what to expect when you download and install, and how to confirm the file you received is the real, untampered one.

Why Windows may show a warning the first time

When you run a newly released app, Windows may show a blue “Windows protected your PC” message from Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. This is Windows being cautious about an app it hasn't seen many times yet — it is not a virus alert, and it does not mean anything is wrong with the software. Apps from independent makers start out “unrecognized” and earn Windows' trust as more people run them; the message then goes away on its own.

The message appears first with a More info link. After you click it, the Run anyway button appears.

How to install — about a minute

1. Download the product's ZIP file, right-click it, and choose Extract All… (pick any folder you like — Documents works fine).
2. Open the extracted folder and double-click the app (for example, VaultView.exe).
3. If the blue SmartScreen message appears, click More info, then Run anyway. That's it — the app runs normally from then on.

If you never see the message, even better — just proceed as usual. To “uninstall,” simply delete the folder. (A one-click installer with a Start-menu shortcut is coming; your download link will get it automatically when it ships.)

Verify your download (optional, for peace of mind)

Every download lists a SHA-256 checksum — a unique fingerprint of the exact file we released. To confirm your copy is genuine and unaltered, open PowerShell and run:

Get-FileHash .\YourDownload.zip -Algorithm SHA256

Compare the result to the checksum shown on the product's page. If it matches character-for-character, your file is authentic. If it doesn't, don't run it — re-download, or email [email protected].

Our commitments to you

• No spying. Our apps are built local-first — no telemetry, no analytics, and no account required, unless a product's page explicitly says otherwise.
• Honest advertising. We never fabricate reviews, ratings, or claims. What we say a product does is what it actually does.
• Real products. Every screenshot and demo on this site shows the actual application.

A note on code signing — straight with you

You may be used to seeing a verified publisher name on installers. Publicly-trusted code-signing certificates are costly and, frankly, gatekeep brand-new independent businesses like ours. Rather than pass that cost on to you or delay getting useful, honest software into your hands, some of our early releases ship unsigned while we work toward signing. In the meantime we give you what actually protects you: a published checksum to verify every file, a clear refund policy, and full transparency about what our software does. Thank you for supporting an independent maker.