inno setup - Is it useless to sign my Windows application with a self signed certificate?

Question

I have coded an NWjs Windows application (Chromium application) and using Inno Setup, I have signed it using a self-signed certificate. However, I get the "Windows protected your PC" message when trying to install it from the web. I wonder now if signing my application with this self-signed certificate is useless because I get the same result when I don't sign the application and package it as it is.

When I click "more info" it states that the publisher is unknown in both cases when I sign the application with a self-signed certificate and without a self-signed certificate.

I wonder if after sometimes, the data (like the CN of the subject) of the certificate helps to get some reputation when the application is distributed on the internet. I wonder if a self signed certificate help to get rid of the "Windows protected your PC" message after sometimes.

Answer 1

Self-signed certificates are useful only, if can make them trusted on the target machine, by deploying them to Windows certificate store, before installation.

If you want your application to be installed on machines that you do not control, self-signed certificates are useless.