Rather than run the
Pale Moon Security Updates thread further OT, I thought I better start a new thread.
As noted in that thread, Windows Defender's new anti-ransomware feature that came in the Fall Creators Update was blocking Pale Moon from making unauthorized changes to my users\me\desktop folder. The new feature, "
Controlled folder access", designed to protect us, may be too restrictive for many, I fear. I wonder if MS feels the same since the new feature is
disabled by default.
I added Palm Moon to the white list, easy enough - if you know your way around File Manager. Not everyone does.
Yesterday, I got the security warning for IE.

I can only imagine MS did not pre-white list IE because they want [to force?] everyone to move to Edge.
Today, I could not save a new entry in my password manager. That was a little frustrating because that executable was buried deep and does not have an obvious name. And sadly the "Controlled folder access" popup warning did not tell me the file name. Fortunately (in a backwards sort of way), my password manager crashed when I tried to save the entry and popped up its own error message telling me the file name and path affected so I could white list it.
I applaud MS for taking the initiative to make WD an even stronger anti-malware solution, but this new feature (at least the management/configuration process) clearly has some very rough edges MS needs to smooth out. But, with ransomware attacks on the rise, they better do it quick or for sure, the the attention seeking "
wannabe journalists" in the IT press and the MS bashers will surely bash MS for failing to do something about it.