Getting Started · Setup
Install Cuisson on Windows
Cuisson for Windows is available in the private beta from version 0.26.0 onwards. You’ll need the beta licence code from your acceptance email.
1. Choose the right Windows download
Open the Cuisson releases page and choose:
- Download for Windows (Intel/AMD) for most Windows PCs.
- Download for Windows (ARM64) for a Windows on Arm PC, such as a Snapdragon laptop.
If you’re unsure, open Settings → System → About in Windows and look at System type. An x64-based processor uses the Intel/AMD download; an ARM-based processor uses ARM64.
The file name ends in x64-setup.exe or arm64-setup.exe. Download it through the Cuisson website or your beta acceptance email; the file itself is hosted in our mcha4452/black-book-releases repository on GitHub.
2. If Microsoft Edge warns about the download
Edge may say that the installer isn’t commonly downloaded. The Windows beta is new and its installer is not yet code-signed.
- Open Edge’s Downloads panel.
- Select the … menu beside the Cuisson installer.
- Choose Keep.
- If another prompt appears, choose Show more, then Keep anyway.
If the download completes without a warning, go straight to the next step. Microsoft documents these download choices in its SmartScreen guide for Edge.
Why does SmartScreen show a warning?
SmartScreen is a Windows safety check. Before opening a downloaded app, it looks at who published it and whether that particular file has an established history of downloads without reported problems.
The Cuisson Windows beta is new and its installer does not yet have a Windows code-signing certificate. This certificate is a digital proof of the publisher’s identity. Without one, Windows shows Unknown publisher, and each new unsigned release starts building its download reputation from scratch. That is why you may see Windows protected your PC or a message that the download is uncommon.
An unrecognised-app warning means Windows does not yet have enough information to trust the installer automatically; it does not, by itself, mean that Windows has detected a virus. Only continue with the Cuisson installer you chose from our website or beta acceptance email. A warning naming a specific virus or threat needs checking separately.
Microsoft explains these checks in its SmartScreen reputation guide.
3. If Windows says “Windows protected your PC”
- Open Downloads and double-click the Cuisson setup.exe file.
- If Windows protected your PC appears, select More info.
- Check that the app name is the Cuisson installer you downloaded. Unknown publisher is expected for this unsigned beta installer.
- Select Run anyway to open the installer.
These steps let you continue past the warning for this installer. You can leave SmartScreen and your antivirus protection switched on. Microsoft explains why unsigned installers show this warning in its SmartScreen reputation guide.
4. Install and activate Cuisson
- Follow the Cuisson installer’s on-screen steps to complete installation.
- Open Cuisson from the Windows Start menu.
- Copy the complete code from Your beta licence in your acceptance email.
- Paste it into Cuisson’s Beta code field and choose Continue.
Keep the whole code together, including the separators. Cuisson remembers it once accepted. Follow the on-screen options to get started or restore an existing Cuisson backup.
If “Run anyway” is missing
A work-managed PC may prevent unsigned apps from running. Windows 11’s Smart App Control can also block unsigned apps and does not provide an exception for an individual app.
If you see a Smart App Control or organisation-policy block, ask the person who manages the PC or email beta@kitchendocs.co.uk with the exact message or a screenshot. Microsoft’s Smart App Control FAQ explains this difference.
These instructions cover unknown-app and low-reputation warnings. If your security software reports a named virus or threat, leave the file blocked and send us the detection details.
Need a hand?
Email beta@kitchendocs.co.uk with the version you downloaded, whether you chose Intel/AMD or ARM64, and the exact message you see. You can also reply to your beta acceptance email.