HELMCNC

Installing on Windows

A couple of minutes, plus a few one-time prompts the first time. Here's exactly what you'll see and what to click — including the two spots Windows tries to hide.

Why Windows makes you work for it. HelmCNC is a new independent product, so Windows doesn't recognise the publisher yet and puts a few one-time safety prompts in the way. They're expected — not a sign anything is wrong. Two of them hide the button you actually want; this page shows you exactly where it is, and how to verify your download is genuine if you'd like to check.

Install it

  1. Download the installer. HelmCNC-Setup-1.0.57.exe — about 2 MB.
    Download HelmCNC

    If the first try says "Couldn't download — Download error", press the ▷ retry button on the download. Windows scans every new file and the first attempt sometimes trips; the retry goes straight through.

    ✕ HelmCNC-Setup-1.0.57.exe
    Couldn't download — Download error     ▷

    Illustration — press the green ▷ retry button and it downloads.

  2. Keep the file — and do NOT click Delete. Because the app is new, Windows marks it "isn't commonly downloaded" / Publisher: Unknown and hides the Keep option. The big obvious button is Delete — don't click it, it throws the file away. The file isn't saved until you choose Keep.
    Downloads

    Make sure you trust HelmCNC-Setup-1.0.57.exe before you open it

    Name: HelmCNC-Setup-1.0.57.exe
    Publisher: Unknown

    Cancel Delete  ⌄ Keep anyway

    Illustration. Keep anyway is tucked under the ⌄ arrow beside Delete.

    Edge — in this pop-up: click the small ⌄ arrow on the Delete button, then Keep anyway.

    Edge — in the Downloads list (the ⭳ icon, top-right): point at the HelmCNC row, click its ⋯ button, then Keep (then Keep anyway if it asks again).

    Chrome: open Downloads (top-right), click the ⋯ next to HelmCNC → Keep, then Keep anyway if asked.

  3. Open it. Double-click HelmCNC-Setup-1.0.57.exe in your Downloads.
  4. Windows protected your PC. A blue window appears (below). Click the small More info link, then the Run anyway button that appears. This is the step most people miss — the button is hidden until you click More info.
    Windows

    Windows protected your PC

    Microsoft Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognised app from starting. Running this app might put your PC at risk.

    More info

    Run anywayDon't run

    Illustration. Click More info first — Run anyway only appears afterward.

  5. Allow it to install. A User Account Control prompt asks permission to make changes. The publisher shows as Unknown for now (that changes once the app is code-signed). Click Yes.
    User Account Control

    Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?

    HelmCNC Setup

    Verified publisher: Unknown

    File origin: Downloaded from the Internet

    YesNo

    Illustration of the Windows UAC prompt.

  6. Walk the wizard. Six short pages — Welcome, License, Destination, Components, Install, Finish. The defaults are right for almost everyone; just keep clicking Next, then Install.
  7. First launch imports your machine. If this PC already runs KMotionCNC, HelmCNC offers to import your existing setup — axis map, velocities, work offsets, tool table, M-codes — so you don't retype anything.

Prefer to verify the download first?

Every release is published with a SHA-256 fingerprint. To confirm your download is byte-for-byte the file we published, open PowerShell in your Downloads folder and run:

Get-FileHash .\HelmCNC-Setup-1.0.57.exe -Algorithm SHA256

It should print, for version 1.0.57 current:

250553051AC5EFCB0E4EDAAEE0B18A0B78F3B151AEABC3E56A4F09507BC48E36

A match means the file is exactly what left our hands and hasn't been altered in transit. (Each release lists its own hash here — this one is for version 1.0.57.)

Is it safe? Straight answer.

Yes. The warnings are about recognition, not safety — Windows flags any installer from a publisher it hasn't built up a history with yet, signed or not. HelmCNC installs only into its own folder, keeps your machine data untouched on upgrades, and runs offline apart from two small checks — your licence, and whether a newer version exists (both are spelled out in the privacy policy). As more people install each release cleanly, the warnings fade on their own.

Still unsure? Email [email protected] — a builder answers, not a ticket bot — or run the free 14-day trial on a spare PC first.

© 2026 HelmCNC · Preiss Workshop · Independent product, not affiliated with Dynomotion.

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