A real basic question: How does one avoid the “unknown publisher” warnings on installing Windows apps? I assume I have to register somewhere.
I can’t answer your question, but i i LOVE the wording: “A real basic question” 
(Mind the history of Xojo) 
You need to digitally sign your program with a certificate.
Personally, I have been using Comodo certificates for years from http://codesigning.ksoftware.net/
Basically, you build your program, and when you are ready, they provide a free utility called KSign which signs the program for you.
If you use an installer, sign the program first, package it in the installer, then sign the installer EXE as well. After that no more yellow box warning, just a nice blue box asking if you want to install.
You do not have to register. You have to purchase a Code Signing Certificate from a known and trusted SSL certificate vendor. You then sign your binaries with that certificate. As long as Windows trusts that certificate provider, then your app will no longer throw the “Unknown Publisher” dialog.
Now, about signing once you get that cert, not sure yet.
Every time I see that “unknown publisher” I curse MS for being wets and control-freaks. Stuff them.
As a user, I think it’s a good thing, especially in today’s age. As someone who has to support computers their mom, grandma, etc… uses, I think it’s a terrific thing. They do not even sell certs, all they do is validate that the app has been signed by a trusted certificate, the same way https:// works. That’s all.
Thanks Michael and Jeremy. Just discussed with client. We’ll be getting one when we’re done with the next round of testing.
But it seems a totally random thing. Vast numbers of executables on my PCs have no signatures and/or just run. Windows complains about some that do - including VirtualBox installer signed by Oracle! At work my accounting program gets the whine EVERY FRIGGIN MORNING - can’t this dumb-OS learn? And I get moaned at about it being dangerous to run or open things downloaded from the internet - INCLUDING .jpg files. I mean really. Of course it is dangerous - like the morning the MS servers had updated overnight and could not reboot next morning.
It is like getting in your car to go to work and having a voice informing you that going out in the traffic is dangerous. Hell, breathing is dangerous.
Wets!
I have seen that, usually with older programs, asking at every start if I want to install. It seems to be because the program uses an outdated header à la Windows 3.2. I have a couple like this in my machine. I don’t know if it is Windows fault or my twisted habit of keeping 25+ years old programs.