"Open File - Security Warning" each time I open WinExplorer on toolbar

adding screen print of that odd screen that pops up

You said you want to open Windows Explorer yet, the path in the message seems to imply that it's looking at the path to internet explorer. The path to the Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) is here-

C:\Windows

If you meant Internet Explorer, the Roaming folder shown in the message is also the incorrect path.

I very much mean Windows Explorer...seeing the files on my computer, dropbox, flash drive, etc.
If the problem is the path, how do I create a pinned object that points to C:\Windows\explorer.exe ?
If I go there and right click, I see Unpin from Taskbar as an options...like it sees itself as already being there.
Although I can't see the whole path in the image, i suspect it's just a shortcut that it's pointing at.
As an experiment, I unpinned it, went to C:\Windows, pinned the exploring.exe line there...and the
exact same thing. In fact, it still shows that same path which makes no sense to me.

Right click on the .exe file and select Send To, Desktop. That will create an icon on your desktop. Drag and drop it on the Taskbar or right click on it and select Pin to the Taskbar.

Followed your steps and wow, this gets weirder!

Before pinning to the taskbar, I tried double-clicking the icon you had me created on the desktop.
It, too, causes the annoying display box. The only difference is that the referenced location differs,

looking like the image temp3.jpg . And if I pin that to the toolbar, same type of box, but the
location is that path like before. I suspect that path has nothing to do with the exe file but is
a reference to where the shortcut is...and maybe the toolbar's pinnings get stored there.
But I'm no expert.

I need to apologize- The second sentence in my first response is incorrect. The Roaming\Microsoft folder does contain references to program .exe files.

However, the caution in these messages imply that the files are from the internet. Are you on some kind of server or is your system a standalone?

The default in windows is to ask permission ("are you really, really sure..") to any action and to open any executable file is one of them.
To change that open Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Action Center - Change user account control settings.
The slide rule goes from goes from "are you really, really sure.." to never notify.

Hi Mega! On my standalone Win 7 machine (answering Wither's question), I found the page you reference (thought the path to it was just Start\Control Panel\Action Center, not Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Action Center. But no matter there.
I clicked on Change user account control settings in the upper left and saw the slider you mention.
I am currently set to:



Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer (do not dim my desktop)
* Don't notify me when I make changes to Windows Settings
* Not recommended: Choose this only if it takes a long time to dim the desktop on your computer.


If I go any lower than that, it's the total bottom of the list:


Never notify me when:

* Programs try to install software or make changes on my computer etc.


But that sounds a little scary. I think there have been times when malware etc has wanted to run things and I've hit cancel.
I just want it back to where it was last week, where the icon doesn't ask the question to open an EXISTING program.
I'm not installing anything.


Thank you both for your efforts!

Hello @miloshapiro. I would suggest checking your permissions @ C:\Users\Yoki Vlogs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar. If you don't have proper access permissions to it that may cause an error like this. In my experience there tends to be a lot of errors that show up when the big issue is something else.

Another thing I'd suggest is checking the integrity of the Windows system with sfc /scannow. If there are issues doing this in a live Windows OS, try this: sfc /scannow /offbootdir=d:\ /offwindir=d:\windows.

Another option would be DISM.exe: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth, DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth, DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Keep in mind these need to be done in Command Prompt with elevated permissions.

Hope this helps, hope your issue gets solved,
Emma Yazz Aza