Do you want to open this file? We can't verify who created this file.

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  1. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #1

    Do you want to open this file? We can't verify who created this file.


    Do you want to open this file? We can't verify who created this file.-1a-warning.png

    Do you want to open this file? We can't verify who created this file.-1b-warning.png

    Do you want to open this file? We can't verify who created this file.-2a-block.png

    Do you want to open this file? We can't verify who created this file.-2b-block.png

    Do you want to open this file? We can't verify who created this file.-3-digital-signature.png


    Shortcuts to EXEs on the user's desktop give warnings like those shown above and in this tut:
    Open File - Security Warning : Unblock File

    This also happens with shortcuts to the stock/native calculator app, notepad and other native apps.

    Some computers generate the "Do you want to open this file?" warning...
    ...while others generate the "We can't verify who created this file." warning
    ...and still others do not generate any warning (per the norm).


    You get these warnings if...
    ...the shortcut is on the user's desktop
    ...you send a fresh shortcut to the user's desktop from the user's Start Menu
    ...you send a fresh shortcut to the user's desktop from the public Start Menu
    ...the UAC is turned on or off.
    (These are not UAC warnings - but some posts suggested testing with UAC off.)

    You DO NOT get these warnings if...
    ...the shortcut is on the public desktop
    ...you use the shortcuts from the user's Start Menu
    ...you use the shortcuts from the public Start Menu
    ...the EXEs are opened via Windows (file) Explorer.


    Creating a new user profile DOES halt the warnings for that new user.

    IE was totally reset while logged into the bad user account and the computer was restarted... still got the warnings.

    All user accounts used for this testing are of the admin type.

    NTFS and file ownership for the user's desktop look fine. I compared a good computer to a bad one.


    I'm not sure how long this has been going on and I don't have any system restore points. These are on corporate imaged boxes. If no solution is found, I'll just create a new profile. But there are several threads in these forums that dead end with no solution for this issue. It would be nice to figure out why this happens and how to fix it.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
       #2

    I've seen this behavior on AD domain environment, when AD admins have added a new user account copying an existing account. User then logs in to a new PC with these AD credentials first time and gets these warnings, as if Windows were warning the user that the stuff has been installed not by this user himself.

    When a new user is instead created on the PC in question which is then joined to domain, these warnings do not occur.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks for the info.

    These AD accounts are probably copies of older AD accounts since they are somewhat complex accounts (several groups on the "Members of" tab). The new profile that I tested with was just another AD account and it did not show the warnings. Is there a way to know if an AD account was made by copying another AD account?

    > When a new user is instead created on the PC in question...
    Unfortunately, I cannot use local computer accounts. Or maybe I've misunderstood.

    Our IT staff will be working on resolving this, but I was hoping to find/document a solution here too.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
       #4

    I explained myself badly. Second try:

    Typically it's an AD admin who creates a new domain user account. This can be done from scratch, or copying an existing account. The user then gets a new PC, windows installed and PC joined the domain and logs in with AD credentials for the first time. Whenever I have stumbled upon the messages you describe in your original post, it has been an AD user account created like this.

    However, if we install Windows on a new computer, create an user on it and later add user to domain and join the PC to a domain, these messages do not occur.

    I have no idea why this is, nor have I found documentation. I was simply suggesting that this could be a feature rather than an error, as in the cases I have seen these messages the programs have been installed by AD admin, not the user himself.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    You are kind to explain again. Feel free to give up on me

    "However, if we install Windows on a new computer, create an user on it and later add user to domain and join the PC to a domain, these messages do not occur."

    If I'm understanding you:
    install Windows on a new computer
    on a computer named W7pro...
    ...install Windows (create user named test during that install)
    when the install completes - we are logged on as test

    create an user on it
    create a local user account named John
    (Do I then log on as John?)

    and later add user to domain
    create an AD account for John

    and join the PC to a domain
    join the computer named W7pro to the domain

    log on as domain\John?

    these messages do not occur.


    If the local user account named John logs on, then a profile folder named John should appear.

    When the domain user named John logs on, then a profile folder named John.domain should appear.

    The two accounts should have different SIDs - it is strange that there should be any interaction between them... Wait. Maybe I'm looking at this wrong. Are you saying that there is a way to create an AD account that uses the SID (and thus, profile files) of the previously created local account named John?

    I can work with the AD admins to test for a solution, but I want to make sure that I understand the steps to be tested.

    Thanks again for your replies.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
       #6

    I am most definitely not an AD expert, in fact my AD knowledge is quite limited. However, I have seen this so often that I have an idea of the principles included.

    This is how our AD guru does it:
    • New PC, Windows 7 installed with one local admin account LocalUser
    • AD admin has created a user account DomainUser
    • PC is joined to domain using profile DomainUser
    • Using USMT the LocalUser profile is copied to DomainUser

    A bit surprisingly the Windows Easy Transfer works also quite well in copying the local profile to domain profile. Whichever method is used, those messages mentioned in your original post do no longer occur.

    Kari
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thanks again. Now I see how we were on different pages.

    I'll see what our IT says. This should be fun to watch them try and solve
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
       #8

    My only point is (and has been) that in a way those messages are understandable, if and when the apps have been installed using domain admin's credentials instead of the end user's.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    I see:
    Installing an app (like Chrome) as the user - might still be using credentials other than that user.


    As you see in the OP, some computers give one warning and some computers give a different warning. I was looking for a reason for this difference when I stumbled on something weird:
    Right click on the Chrome EXE
    Select Copy
    Right click inside the user's "My Documents" folder
    Select Paste (yes, paste the EXE)
    Right click again inside the user's "My Documents" folder
    Select Paste shortcut
    Delete the unneeded copy of the EXE
    Move the newly created shortcut to the user's desktop
    That newly created shortcut will work without the warning.

    Shortcuts created directly on the user's desktop will throw the warning when executed.
    This includes...
    ...copying the EXE - selecting Paste shortcut on the desktop
    ...using the Send to option from Explorer's context menu
    ...using New > Shortcut from Explorer's context menu
    ...installing an app that creates a shortcut on the user's desktop
    The Public desktop does not have this problem.
    It is like the user's desktop is poisoned.

    I can see a difference between a "bad" shortcut file and a "good" one if I open them in notepad. I cannot seem to find a way to get PSPad to open the LNK files. It always wants to open the EXE that the shortcut is pointing to.


    I used the steps above to rebuild a few shortcuts on the user's desktop - then restarted the computer to see if the changes held. They did, so I rebuilt all of the other desktop shortcuts. I'm still leaning towards blowing away this profile and starting fresh. But I'll wait to see what IT says because there are a lot of computers that are doing this.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
       #10

    Have you tested to delete the Chrome.exe and reinstall it? Shouldn't give the messages, is not any more complicated than the copy paste circus you described.
      My Computer


 
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