Windows Blocking the Sewers Installer? Here's How to Fix It

Some customers have recently reported that Windows 10 and Windows 11 are blocking the Sewers installer (Sewers2_HTTp_setup.exe), showing a warning like “Windows protected your PC” or flagging the file as unsafe. This is a false alarm. Sewers is a legitimate, commercial application that has been distributed to contractors for many years. Nothing about the installer has changed — we recently moved our download server to a new host, and that appears to have reset the “reputation” Windows tracks for the file.

We have reported the false positive to Microsoft and expect it to be cleared within a few days. In the meantime, here is how to install Sewers past the warning. Pick the section that matches what you are seeing.

1. “Windows protected your PC” (blue SmartScreen dialog)

1. When the blue dialog appears, click More info. It is a small link under the warning text — easy to miss, and it is not one of the buttons.
2. A new button will appear: Run anyway. Click it.
3. The installer will launch normally.

2. The download disappeared, or your browser says “virus detected”

Your browser’s built-in protection deleted the file before you could run it. To get it back:

1. Open Windows Security (Start menu → type “Windows Security” → Enter).
2. Click Virus & threat protection.
3. Under “Current threats,” click Protection history.
4. Find the entry for Sewers2_HTTp_setup.exe — it will say “Threat quarantined” or similar.
5. Click it, then click Actions → Allow on device.
6. Re-download the installer from the link we sent you. This time it will not be blocked.

3. “This file came from another computer and might be blocked”

1. Locate the downloaded Sewers2_HTTp_setup.exe file (usually in your Downloads folder).
2. Right-click it and choose Properties.
3. At the bottom of the General tab, check the Unblock box.
4. Click OK.
5. Double-click the installer to run it.

4. I am still stuck

If none of the above works, contact BJ Software support and we will walk you through it or provide an alternative download.

Why does this happen?

Windows Defender and other antivirus products use machine-learning heuristics — educated guesses — to flag unfamiliar installers they have not seen before. Our installer downloads its components from our server at install time, which is a common pattern for legitimate software but is also used by some malware, so the heuristics occasionally flag it as suspicious. It is not actually detecting any malicious code — just a pattern that looks unfamiliar.

If you would like to verify the file yourself, you can upload it to VirusTotal. The results will show only heuristic and machine-learning flags from a handful of engines, with no signature-based detections from any of the major antivirus vendors — the telltale signature of a false positive on an unsigned installer.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience while Microsoft updates their database.