How to download and install Lang Switcher in Chrome

On the download page

1. 1

   Click “Download”

   On the download page, in the “Download the installer” step, click “Download”. This downloads LangSwitcher-setup.exe from this site; “Download from GitHub” is a fallback that gets you the same file.

   1. Click “Download”

In Chrome

2. 2

   Chrome blocks the file

   The “Recent download history” panel opens at the top right, and the file is marked “Suspicious download blocked”. That’s expected: a new release is still rarely downloaded. Click the file.

   1. Click the file

3. 3

   Download the file anyway

   Chrome warns you: “This file isn’t commonly downloaded and it may be dangerous.” Click “Download suspicious file” — the lighter button on the right.

   Once the file has downloaded, open it from Chrome’s downloads panel or from your “Downloads” folder.

   1. Click “Download suspicious file”

In Windows — this part is the same for every browser

4. 4

   Get past “Windows protected your PC”

   Windows shows a blue “Windows protected your PC” window — that’s Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. Click “More info”, and you’ll see the file name, “Unknown publisher” and a “Run anyway” button. Click it.

   Windows won’t let the installer run, and there’s no “Run anyway” button? That means Smart App Control is turned on in Windows 11. It lets a program run if Microsoft considers it safe or if it’s signed with a certificate from a certification authority, and it doesn’t make exceptions for individual programs. Lang Switcher is signed with my own certificate, so with this protection on, Windows may not let it run. You can turn it off in the Windows Security app, under “App & browser control”. If you have the latest Windows 11 updates, you can turn it back on later; without them, only by resetting or reinstalling Windows.

   1. Click “More info”

   2. Click “Run anyway”

5. 5

   Allow the installation

   A yellow prompt asks: “Do you want to allow this app from an unknown publisher to make changes to your device?” The publisher is unknown because the installer is signed with the author’s certificate, not one from a certification authority.

   “No” is selected by default, so pressing Enter cancels the installation. Click “Yes”.

   1. Click “Yes”; “No” is selected by default

6. 6

   Go through the setup wizard

   The setup wizard opens in your Windows language. On the first page, “Ready to Install”, click “Install”. The box on that page says: “Setup will create a certificate on this computer and sign Lang Switcher with it, so that it can work in windows of programs run as administrator.”

   Then the wizard extracts the files — you don’t need to click anything. On the last page, leave “Launch Lang Switcher” checked and click “Finish”.

   1. Click “Install”

   2. Wait — you don’t need to click anything

   3. Leave the box checked and click “Finish”

7. 7

   Done: the tray icon and a welcome letter

   The Lang Switcher icon appears on the right of the taskbar, with the tooltip “Lang Switcher — active”. If you can’t see it, it may be hidden under the “^” arrow.

   When the program starts for the first time, it shows you a letter that begins with “Hello! My name is Panda.” It has an example: you type руддщ, press Pause/Break and get “hello”. Read it and click “Got it”. From then on, the program starts by itself when you sign in.

   What’s next? The first five minutes: the tray menu, the welcome letter and your first fix.

   1. The Lang Switcher icon in the tray

   2. The welcome letter — click “Got it”