Bitcoin Forum

I downloaded Sparrow wallet from this site: https://sparrowwallet.com/download/ which I think it is the Sparrow wallet official site.

I downloaded the Windows Installer (7+) Sparrow-1.7.7.exe

When I want to install it, my computer showed this:

https://talkimg.com/images/2023/07/18/ZiaGC.jpeg

Is it save to install it?

The last time I installed an app with this warning, my computer started to malfunction. I am using Windows 10.

One of Sparrow developer said it's normal thing[1], so yes it's safe to install. Although if you want to be extra secure, perform PGP verification and ask around whether other people hold same public PGP key for Craig Raw (the one who sign Sparrow download files).

[1] https://github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow/issues/447#issuecomment-1057942802 (https://github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow/issues/447#issuecomment-1057942802)

Thanks you very much. There can be some phishing site these days. I went to that site through search engine and it looks original but there can be fake ones too which is the reason I ask the question on this forum. Which means that is a correct Sparrow wallet site not a fake site.

The fingerprint for the PGP key I hold for Craig Raw is below:


I have verified multiple versions of Sparrow successfully using this key.

Take into account that Windows Defender does this quite often, because its algorithm involves checking similarities in code structure as with known malwares. It has done it to one my applications, which I had written Visual Studio, and involved Bitcoin libraries (which I suppose are used in lots of malwares).

I confirm I have the same fingerprint as o_e_l_e_o, which expires in 2023-10-03.

That might be a false positive. I often see this warning when I installed the application. because it's quite annoying to me, I shut down it in settings > Windows security > Off check application and file (or set value to 0 in EnableSmartScreen > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System.). I brave to do this because the PC i used is not installed application with regarding to money

I would say that OP has a lot of bigger problems considering the protection it uses than the fact that this protection is causing him such problems. If you're already using W10 or any other version of that OS, at least buy yourself some respectable protection when it comes to AV or firewall.

Just like the notification says, Windows Defender is only informing you that you are running a piece of software it doesn't recognize. That doesn't make the app safe nor unsafe to run. I have seen this with work-related apps I run on my end - no issues with them.

What you should concentrate on is downloading, verifying, and only then installing crypto-related software from official websites. In that order. Don't trust Google to point you in the right direction because they couldn't care less about you.

Even the best anti-virus and firewall software won't be of help if you don't know what you are doing and you are gullible to fall for various social engineering tricks. It's better to be cautious and look at everything as a possible threat than to click, download, and accept everything without thinking about it. Or simply get a cheap device for some of your more dangerous online habits, and don't use your main computer for such things.