[Windows 11] If Drawaoke won't launch (error 0x11C7)

We've found that Drawaoke can't launch on Windows 11 PCs where a Windows security feature called "Smart App Control" is turned on.

If you can already play the game, you don't need to do anything.

What you'll see

When you try to launch the game from Steam, Steam shows an error saying it couldn't start the game. This is followed by a message ending in the code 0x11C7.

The Windows message behind that code means: "An Application Control policy has blocked this file."

On non-English systems, the message may appear as garbled characters. That garbling is a display problem in Steam's error box.

Why it happens

Smart App Control is a Windows 11 feature. It only lets an app run if the app has a digital signature that proves who published it, or if Microsoft has judged the app to be safe. Drawaoke does not have this signature right now. The same can happen to any unsigned app that Microsoft hasn't yet judged to be safe.

According to Microsoft, Smart App Control has no setting that lets you allow one specific app.

Does this affect my PC?

It can happen on any Windows 11 PC where Smart App Control is "On". Smart App Control is not active on these PCs:

• PCs that were upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Smart App Control is only included on PCs where Windows 11 was installed from the start (this includes PCs that have been reset).
• PCs where Smart App Control has switched itself "Off". It starts in "Evaluation", where it only watches and doesn't block anything. If Windows decides during that time that the PC isn't a good fit for it, it turns itself off automatically.

The surest way to know is to check your own PC.

Where to check: Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > App & browser control > Smart App Control settings

If it says "On", you're affected. It only blocks apps in that state. You can check this before you buy Drawaoke.

Please read this before turning it off

Turning Smart App Control off will let the game launch, but it also removes this protection from your whole PC. Whether to turn it off is your decision.

Whether you can turn it back on afterwards depends on which Windows updates you have.

• Updates from March 2026 or later installed (OS build 26100.8116 / 26200.8116 or later): you can turn it back on from the same screen.
• Anything earlier: once it's off, you can't turn it back on without resetting or reinstalling Windows.

To check your OS build, press the Windows key + R, type "winver", and press Enter.

However, even with a new enough build, some PCs haven't received the option to turn it back on yet, because it's being rolled out gradually. We don't currently know of a way to check in advance whether your PC has it. Also, if "Optional diagnostic data" is turned off on your PC (Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback), you'll need to reset Windows to turn Smart App Control back on.

Please install the latest updates through Windows Update first. If you still can't be sure you'll be able to turn it back on, don't turn it off.

We (2P START) cannot take responsibility for anything that happens as a result of turning it off.

Refunds

You can request a Steam refund for any reason (as a guide: within 14 days of purchase and with less than 2 hours of playtime). This includes cases where the game won't launch.

What's next

If Microsoft judges Drawaoke to be safe, it will be able to launch even without a signature. We don't know when that will happen.

We're currently considering how to respond. We'll let you know once we've decided.