[SOLVED] mmc.exe "This app has been blocked for your protection."

[baileyboy125]

For some reason I now get a User Account Control block when I try to run any kind of application related to mmc (drive management, disk management, repair network problems, etc...)
I am the administrator and I have no idea why this has just started happening. I've tried resetting policies, disabling SmartScreen settings, checking integrity of mmc.exe, making myself owner of mmc.exe and giving myself full control, changing when being notified about settings, enabling the Administrator user and trying everything from there too. Nothing seems to work.

And also when making any kind of changes I get a warning message come up like this:

Not sure what else to try because I have no idea what caused this. I did already check and my account does have administrator privileges.
I've looked up so many tutorials, threads, suggestions, comments, forums but found nothing.
I can access these msc apps if I open a powershell as administrator and type in the corresponding app msc (eg diskmgmt.msc).

 

[Wolfshadw]

Can you navigate to C:\Windows\System32, right-click on diskmgmt.msc and choose Run as Administrator?

-Wolf sends

 

[baileyboy125]

Can you navigate to C:\Windows\System32, right-click on diskmgmt.msc and choose Run as Administrator?

-Wolf sends

Nope, get the same blocked message

 

[USAFRet]

Where did your OS come from? How was it installed?

 

[britechguy]

My standard advice, in virtually all cases, (and presuming any potential infection has already been addressed, first) is trying the following, in the order specified. If the issue is fixed by option one then there's no need to go further. Stop whenever your issue is fixed:

1. Using SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management) to Repair Windows 8 & 10


2. Doing a Windows 10 Repair Install or Feature Update Using the Windows 10 ISO file


3. Doing a completely clean reinstall (options a & b are downloadable PDF files):

a) Completely Clean Win10 (Re)install Using MCT to Download Win10 ISO File

b) Completely Clean Win10 (Re)install Using MCT to Create a Bootable USB Drive

c) How to do a CLEAN Installation of Windows 10 (Tom’s Hardware Forums, with screen shots)

I never choose the “thermonuclear option,” the completely clean reinstall, until it's clear that this is the only viable option. I hate having to go through all the work of reconfiguring a machine from scratch if that can reasonably and safely be avoided.

If this is a legit installation of Windows 10, I suspect you won't have to go any further than Option 2 above.

 

[baileyboy125]

Where did your OS come from? How was it installed?

It was originally Windows 7 on a different SSD, which I then upgraded to Windows 10 and now have put onto an NVMe SSD. Never had this problem before now.

 

[baileyboy125]

My standard advice, in virtually all cases, (and presuming any potential infection has already been addressed, first) is trying the following, in the order specified. If the issue is fixed by option one then there's no need to go further. Stop whenever your issue is fixed:

1. Using SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management) to Repair Windows 8 & 10


2. Doing a Windows 10 Repair Install or Feature Update Using the Windows 10 ISO file


3. Doing a completely clean reinstall (options a & b are downloadable PDF files):

a) Completely Clean Win10 (Re)install Using MCT to Download Win10 ISO File

b) Completely Clean Win10 (Re)install Using MCT to Create a Bootable USB Drive

c) How to do a CLEAN Installation of Windows 10 (Tom’s Hardware Forums, with screen shots)

I never choose the “thermonuclear option,” the completely clean reinstall, until it's clear that this is the only viable option. I hate having to go through all the work of reconfiguring a machine from scratch if that can reasonably and safely be avoided.

If this is a legit installation of Windows 10, I suspect you won't have to go any further than Option 2 above.

Thanks, I will try this.

 

[USAFRet]

It was originally Windows 7 on a different SSD, which I then upgraded to Windows 10 and now have put onto an NVMe SSD. Never had this problem before now.

Was the move to the NVMe a clone or a clean install?

 

[baileyboy125]

Was the move to the NVMe a clone or a clean install?

It was a clone, but as I was having other issues I did a reinstall of the OS keeping data, apps and settings.

 

[baileyboy125]

My standard advice, in virtually all cases, (and presuming any potential infection has already been addressed, first) is trying the following, in the order specified. If the issue is fixed by option one then there's no need to go further. Stop whenever your issue is fixed:

1. Using SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management) to Repair Windows 8 & 10


2. Doing a Windows 10 Repair Install or Feature Update Using the Windows 10 ISO file


3. Doing a completely clean reinstall (options a & b are downloadable PDF files):

a) Completely Clean Win10 (Re)install Using MCT to Download Win10 ISO File

b) Completely Clean Win10 (Re)install Using MCT to Create a Bootable USB Drive

c) How to do a CLEAN Installation of Windows 10 (Tom’s Hardware Forums, with screen shots)

I never choose the “thermonuclear option,” the completely clean reinstall, until it's clear that this is the only viable option. I hate having to go through all the work of reconfiguring a machine from scratch if that can reasonably and safely be avoided.

If this is a legit installation of Windows 10, I suspect you won't have to go any further than Option 2 above.

Thanks! Option 2 seems to have fixed it. Very strange though as I already did a windows 10 repair install not long after migrating over to this ssd.

 

[britechguy]

Thanks for reporting back. Glad the issue is solved.