"If Microsoft forced either SmartScreen OR AppLocker"
Meh, just add a button or clickable link that allows the sysadmin to swiftly disable such warnings. Just make sure to put a scary-enough disclaimer that doing so can expose you to very bad, malicious stuff, from ill-intentioned people. It might get more application publishers to implement signing, just as Vista and 7 got rid of the "run everything as administrator" mentality through the use of UAC warnings.
Whatever the default level SmartScreen is already has a ding and a warning pop up about unknown executables. But it's amber and not red, and most people just click through it (I know I do).
I think there should be a separate UI for installing or running a downloaded program (with a huge red warning) so the users cannot accidentally run anything.
Meh, just add a button or clickable link that allows the sysadmin to swiftly disable such warnings. Just make sure to put a scary-enough disclaimer that doing so can expose you to very bad, malicious stuff, from ill-intentioned people. It might get more application publishers to implement signing, just as Vista and 7 got rid of the "run everything as administrator" mentality through the use of UAC warnings.