SmartScreen is not Windows Defender, the latter is the antivirus with its own regularly updated database, firewall, etc.
SmartScreen basically sends your files to Microsoft, for "enhanced security" or something.
FWIW I put Defender on notification only mode because Microsoft ever so helpfully removed the actual quarantine directory and now files dumped into quarantine are basically unrecoverable.
I just use the firewall with a third party interactive GUI and block anything that I can't identify.
I know what SmartScreen is. It's also useful to keep on as it's a cloud anti-malware service. It does not send your personal files to MS. Stop with the lies, please.
No they haven't removed the quarantine restoration option. You can mark any file it quarantines as safe, and it gets restored and never flagged again.
This does not send personal files to MS, no. It sends executables that have been already flagged as a virus through other methods (e.g. heuristics). Also this is part of Defender, not of SmartScreen.
Files or hashes, I don't care. It's a dumb idea when Defender already exists.
Yes, the quarantine is still there. But if Defender can't pull the file out, you can't just open the folder manually and cut-paste anymore. Your file for all intents and purposes is gone.
Granted most people will never have to worry about this.
SmartScreen basically sends your files to Microsoft, for "enhanced security" or something.
FWIW I put Defender on notification only mode because Microsoft ever so helpfully removed the actual quarantine directory and now files dumped into quarantine are basically unrecoverable.
I just use the firewall with a third party interactive GUI and block anything that I can't identify.