Aktar for Windows
Install Aktar for Windows from the .exe
Aktar for Windows comes two ways: from the Microsoft Store, or as Aktar-Setup.exe straight from GitHub. It's the same free app either way. Here's how the two differ, and how to install the .exe.
Microsoft Store or .exe?
| Microsoft Store | .exe from GitHub | |
|---|---|---|
| Security warning | None | SmartScreen may warn you, since the app isn't code signed yet |
| Updates | Through the Store, after Microsoft's certification (usually within a few days) | Aktar installs them itself, the day they're released |
| Admin rights | Not needed | Not needed: it installs for your user account only |
| Where it comes from | The Microsoft Store | The releases of the open source getaktar/windows repository |
Pick one. They're separate installs: the .exe doesn't update from the Store, and the Store version doesn't update from GitHub. Don't install both.
Install it step by step
- 1
Download Aktar-Setup.exe
Download Aktar-Setup.exe. The link always points to the newest release. If your browser says the file isn't commonly downloaded, choose to keep it: that's the same missing reputation as in step 3.
- 2
Open it
Open
Aktar-Setup.exefrom your browser's downloads or from your Downloads folder. - 3
If SmartScreen appears: More info, then Run anyway
Windows may show a blue "Windows protected your PC" window. Click More info, check that the app is
Aktar-Setup.exe(the publisher shows as "Unknown publisher"), then click Run anyway.Why it appears: SmartScreen trusts an app by the code signing certificate it's signed with, and Aktar isn't code signed yet. Without one, Windows judges each file by its own reputation, so a new release can show the warning again until enough people have run it. It doesn't mean anything was found in the file. The source code is open on GitHub, so anyone can check what the app does.
- 4
Let the installer run
There's no admin prompt: Aktar installs for your user account only and changes nothing system-wide. On Windows 10, if Microsoft Edge WebView2 is missing, the installer downloads it first, so stay online. Windows 11 already has it.
- 5
Find Aktar in the notification area
Aktar starts in the notification area (the system tray), next to the clock. If you don't see its icon, click the ^ arrow to show hidden icons. To keep it in sight, drag the icon from there onto the taskbar.
- 6
Add a destination
Click the icon and add your S3-compatible bucket: endpoint, bucket name, access key and secret key. The setup guides show the values for each provider. Your keys stay in Windows Credential Manager.
- 7
Updates
Aktar checks for updates itself and installs them as soon as a release is published, so you never have to download the .exe again. The changelog shows what's new.
- 8
Uninstall
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Aktar, click ··· and choose Uninstall. On Windows 10 it's under Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
- 9
Switching between the Store and the .exe
The two installs don't know about each other. To switch, uninstall the one you have first (see the step above), then install the other. You may need to add your destinations again.
Questions
Is the .exe safe?
It's the same app as in the Microsoft Store, built from the open source code in getaktar/windows and published on that repository's releases page. Download it only from there, or with the link on this site. The SmartScreen warning is about the missing signature, not about anything found in the file, and every update Aktar installs is checked against a key built into the app first.
Why isn't it code signed?
A Windows code signing certificate means a paid, yearly identity check, and Aktar doesn't have one yet. The Microsoft Store version doesn't need it: Microsoft checks and signs the apps in its Store, which is why it installs without a warning.
Which should I choose?
Take the Microsoft Store if you want the simplest install with no warning and don't mind updates arriving a few days later. Take the .exe if you want each update the day it's released, or if the Store isn't available to you (on some work PCs, for example). Both have the same features.