Download Plugins Boss

Free public beta for Windows. No account, registration or email address needed.

Before you install: the installer is unsigned

The beta installer is not code-signed yet. Code signing is how Windows confirms who published a program. Without it, Windows can’t show “Musik-Matters LLC” as the verified publisher, so the checksum below is how you confirm the file is the one we published and hasn’t been changed.

1. Verify the checksum (recommended)

In PowerShell, in the folder you downloaded to, run the command below. The result must match the SHA-256 checksum shown above exactly. If it doesn’t, delete the file and download it again from this page, and don’t run it.

Get-FileHash .\PluginsBoss-0.9.0-beta.1-windows-x64-setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256

2. About the “Windows protected your PC” message

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warns about programs that aren’t signed or that few people have downloaded yet, which is true of any new unsigned installer. Your browser may also say the file isn’t commonly downloaded. This warning is about reputation: Windows has no record of the file yet, so it can’t vouch for it.

A matching checksum tells you one specific thing: your file is identical to the installer published on this page, so it wasn’t damaged or swapped on the way. It doesn’t prove the software is safe. That still depends on whether you trust the publisher. If you do, and the checksum matched, you can click More info, then Run anyway for this installer.

A different warning is a different matter: if Microsoft Defender or your antivirus says it found a threat in the file, don’t run it, and please tell us. Leave SmartScreen and your antivirus switched on: you don’t need to change any Windows security settings to install Plugins Boss.

Install

1. Run PluginsBoss-0.9.0-beta.1-windows-x64-setup.exe. It installs for your Windows user only, so no administrator rights are needed.
2. Plugins Boss starts after setup and is added to the Start menu.
3. On first start, check the DAWs, plugin folders and manager apps it found, pick a quarantine folder, and click Start first scan.

Update

Plugins Boss shows a banner when a new version is available. Close Plugins Boss, then run the new installer: it updates in place (no need to uninstall first) and keeps your scan results, settings and quarantined files.

Uninstall

Use Settings › Apps › Installed apps › Plugins Boss › Uninstall (on Windows 10: Settings › Apps › Apps & features). This removes the app only. Your settings and scan data in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Plugins Boss and the plugins in your quarantine folder stay where they are. Uninstalling does not put quarantined plugins back. Reinstall Plugins Boss and your quarantine batches are listed again, ready to Restore. To remove everything, restore or delete quarantined files first, then delete that folder.

Beta notes

• Plugins Boss is under active development, so expect rough edges.
• Use of the beta is covered by the beta terms.
• See release notes for known issues, and support to report a problem.