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Fixing the Mac "Malicious Software" Error in Dressmaker

If you downloaded Dressmaker from itch.io on a Mac, you might see a warning that it "cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified" or that macOS cannot verify it is free from malicious software.

✅ The Quick Fix (Control-Click)

Don't double-click the app. Instead, hold the Control key on your keyboard, click the Dressmaker app icon, and click Open from the menu. When the warning pops up again, you will now see an "Open" button to bypass it.

Back to All Troubleshooting

Why Does This Error Happen?

This is a built-in security feature of macOS called Gatekeeper. Apple automatically flags and blocks applications downloaded outside of the Mac App Store if the developers haven't paid for and received an official Apple Developer certificate. Because Dressmaker is currently a free-to-play prototype distributed on itch.io by an independent developer (Elyaradine), it lacks this expensive Apple "notarization".

As long as you downloaded the game from the official itch.io page, it is entirely safe to play and does not contain malware.

Method 2: System Settings (Privacy & Security)

If the Control-Click method above doesn't work, you can grant the game permission directly through your Mac's system settings.

  1. Double-click the Dressmaker app until you get the "malicious software" error, then click OK or Cancel to close the popup.
  2. Click the Apple Logo () in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings (or System Preferences).
  3. Click on Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
  4. Scroll down to the Security section. You should see a message saying Dressmaker was blocked from use because it is not from an identified developer.
  5. Click the Open Anyway button next to this message. You may be asked to scan your Touch ID or enter your Mac password.
  6. A final popup will appear asking if you are sure. Click Open.

You only need to do this process once! The next time you want to cut fabrics and organize your customer orders, the game will open normally just by double-clicking.

Still Having Issues? Terminal Fix (Advanced)

In rare cases on newer macOS versions (Sonoma, Sequoia), the app might appear "damaged" or immediately close after overriding Gatekeeper. This is an itch.io quarantine bug. To fix it:

  1. Open the Terminal app (press Cmd+Space and type Terminal).
  2. Type the following command, but do not press Enter yet: xattr -rc (ensure there is a space after the 'c').
  3. Drag and drop the Dressmaker application icon directly into the Terminal window to auto-fill the file path.
  4. Press Enter. This completely removes the Apple quarantine flag, allowing the game to launch flawlessly.