Open File Security Warning - Enable or Disable

How to Disable the "Open File Security Warning" in Windows​

   Information

This will show you how to enable or disable XP, Vista, or Windows 7 prompting you with the Open File Security Warning when you open or run a downloaded or copied file from the internet or another computer on your computer.

   Warning

The Open File - Security Warning prompt is a security measure in Windows 7 and Vista to ask for your permission (like UAC) before allowing a downloaded or copied file from the internet or another computer to be opened or run on your computer.

Disabling Open File - Security Warning will reduce the security level of Windows, and place your computer at a higher risk of being infected by malware.

Disable at your own risk if you no longer want to have a Open File - Security Warning.

EXAMPLE: Open File - Security Warning

• Do you want to open this File? Unknown Publisher
• The Publisher could not be verified. Are you sure you want to run this software? Unknown Publisher
• Do you want tio run this file? Application

OPTION ONE

To Enable or Disable "Zone File Checking" using a BAT File Download

NOTE: This option will enable or disable the "Open File Security Warning" completely by enabling or disabling all security Zone checking.
1. Do step 2, 3, 4, or 5 below for what you would like to do.

2. To Enable Zone Checking for Current User Only
NOTE: Step 4 or 5 below will override this step.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .bat file below to your desktop, run it, and go to step 7 below.
Enable_Zone_Checking_for_Current_User.bat


Download


3. To Disable Zone Checking for Current User Only
NOTE: Step 4 or 5 below will override this step.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .bat file below to your desktop, run it, and go to step 7 below.
Disable_Zone_Checking_for_Current_User.bat


Download


4. To Enable Zone Checking for All Users
NOTE: You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this option. This is the default setting. This step will override steps 2 and 3 above.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .bat file below to your desktop.
Enable_Zone_Checking_for_All_Users.bat


Download


B) Right click on the downloaded .bat file, click on Run as administrator, and go to step 6 below.
5. To Disable Zone Checking for All Users
NOTE: You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this option. This step will override steps 2 and 3 above.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .bat file below to your desktop.
Disable_Zone_Checking_for_All_Users.bat


Download


B) Right click on the downloaded .bat file, click on Run as administrator, and go to step 6 below.
6. If prompted, click/tap on Run.

7. You will now notice a command prompt quckly open and close while applying the changes to your registry.

8. If you used step 4 or 5 above, then log off and on, or restart the computer to fully apply.

OPTION TWO

To Enable or Disable "Open File Security Warning" for Specific File Types using a REG File Download

NOTE: This option uses the same group policy as OPTION THREE below, but will affect all users on the computer. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this option.
1. To Enable the "Open File Security Warning"
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Enable_Open-File_Security_Warning.reg

Download


B) Go to step 3.
2. To Disable the "Open File Security Warning"
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Disable_Open-File_Security_Warning.reg

Download

   Note

This will include the same file extensions in step 4D of OPTION THREE below. If you would like to add or remove file extensions from the exception list, then:

• After downloading the REG file, do steps 3-5 below first.
• Open the Start Menu, type regedit in the search box, and press Enter.
• If prompted by UAC, click on Yes (Windows 7) or Continue (Vista).
• In regedit, navigate to the location below:

  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations

• In the right pane of Associations, double click on LowRiskFileTypes.
• Add or remove file extensions using the same format, and click on OK when finished.
• Close regedit, and go to step 6 below.

3. Save the .reg file to the desktop.

4. Double click on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

5. Click on Run, Yes (Windows 7) or Continue (Vista), Yes, and OK when prompted.

6. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

OPTION THREE

To Enable or Disable "Open File Security Warning" for Specific File Types using the Local Group Policy Editor

NOTE: You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this option.
1. Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2. In the left pane, click on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, and Attachment Manager. (see screenshot below)

3. To Enable the "Open File Security Warning"
A) In the right pane, double click on Do not preserve zone information in file attachments. (see screenshot below step 2)

B) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Not Configured is the default setting.

C) In the right pane, double click on Inclusion list for low file types. (see screenshot below step 2)

D) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Not Configured is the default setting.

4. To Disable the "Open File Security Warning"
A) In the right pane, double click on Do not preserve zone information in file attachments. (see screenshot below step 2)

B) Select (dot) Enabled, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

C) In the right pane, double click on Inclusion list for low file types. (see screenshot below step 2)

D) Select (dot) Enabled, then copy and paste the extensions below exactly as is into the Options box and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: These are the most common file extensions for this. If you like, you could add or remove file extensions to or from the list at anytime for those that you want to or do not want to get a Open File - Security Warning for.

.avi;.bat;.com;.cmd;.exe;.htm;.html;.lnk;.mpg;.mpeg;.mov;.mp3;.msi;.m3u;.rar;.reg;.txt;.vbs;.wav;.zip;

5. Close the Local Group Policy Editor window.



That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Disable Downloaded Files from being Blocked in Windows
• How to Unblock a File to Stop the "Open File - Security Warning" Prompt for the File
• Allow or Prevent to "Unblock" a File to Stop the "Open File - Security Warning" Prompt
• How to Change UAC Notification Settings in Windows 7
• How to Hide or Show Known File Type Extensions in Windows 7
• How to Change Behavior of User Account Control (UAC) Prompt for Standard Users

 

[jonnyhotchkiss]

best solution I've found

 

[Brink]

Hi Brink, another great article!

Lots of options, could you advise (re my situation)?

I don't want to compromise the security my browser offers (images and avis can be infected?!) but I have some files that I trust, that are safe, that sadly are not digitally signed.

I've unblocked the exe('s) in question, and unticked ask when opening the file, but still the prompt appears.

Is this a way of either

1) whitelisting certain paths (like file types via the policy editor), whilst still blocking "unsigned content"
(I thought it was just the option in IE options I've just read up on. now it sounds like there may be more to it, and I certainly don't wanna nuke my system, or expose myself unncessarily)

2) plan b - shortcut key activates policy... would this work (in theory, in your well-informed opinion)?

Many thanks

Hello Jonny,

Unfortunately, it can only be disable for the file types you specify in Option Three. There are no exceptions if you specify it.

You might also see if this below may help to keep the file unblocked.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/124367-open-file-security-warning-unblock-file.html

 

[markaz]

Thanks so much for this tutorial, Brink. Worked perfectly for the shortcuts I placed in the Links toolbar. Now if I could only have a folder (icon) on the taskbar that worked exactly like the Links toolbar.

 

[Brink]

I'm glad it could Markaz.

If you like, you could add a folder to your taskbar as a toolbar like below that may work for you.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9305-taskbar-pin-unpin-folder.html

 

[ali8]

Hello,

Unfortunately non of the three methods worked for me. I did log off and then on.

I have Windows 7 Ultimate x64.

Note: The warning only appears for old files. If I download a new file from the itnernet then it does not show any warning.

 

[Brink]

Hello ali8,

Does unblocking the file stop the message for it?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/124367-open-file-security-warning-unblock-file.html

 

[ali8]

Yes, unblocking removes the message.

 

[Brink]

Well, at least it's just the old files you have to unblock then.

 

[kevindd992002]

Can I disable this just for a single file (not file type)? During startup, the Intel USB 3.0 monitor exe open file security warning always comes up and is very irritating. It doesn't have the checkbox on the lower-left wherein you can uncheck for that specific file.

 

[Brink]

Hello Kevin,

For a single specific file, you can usually use the tutorial below to unblock it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/124367-open-file-security-warning-unblock-file.html

 

[kevindd992002]

Hello Kevin,

For a single specific file, you can usually use the tutorial below to unblock it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/124367-open-file-security-warning-unblock-file.html

Thanks! But the options there seems to be not applicable in my case. For option one, I don't have the unblock button in the properties page of iusb3mon.exe. For option two, like I said above I don't have that checkbox when the open file security warning prompt appears during startup. For option three, I never get that kind of prompt since I'm using Windows 7.

Any more ideas?

 

[Brink]

I'm not aware of any way other than to unblock a file type instead then.

 

[RainyDays]

Hi. I would like to enable the open file security warning (the one with the checkbox "Always ask before opening this file") to every possible file.

As a test, I got an exe that was asking me this question, and unticked the checkbox. This file now opens immediately, without any questions.

I then ran both Option 1 -> 4 Enable zone checking for all users, and also Option 2 -> 1 Enable the Open file security warning. None of this helped.
I also made sure the relevant options in Attachent Manager are set to not configured to make sure its all default.

The file still launches without asking first. I made sure to restart computer as well.

Any more ideas? Thanks.

(P.S. Theres a small typo in the original tutorial, in the "Note" of Option 2 -> 2. It says
"the same file extensions in step 4D of OPTION TWO below"
but it should say OPTION THREE)

 

[Brink]

Hello RainyDays, and welcome to Seven Forums.

When you unchecked the box, it will just unblock the file like below. A blocked file is a file that you have downloaded or copied from the internet or external source to your PC. That's all.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/124367-open-file-security-warning-unblock-file.html

If you like, you could use OPTION FIVE in the first tutorial below to set the .exe to always "Run as administrator". This will have UAC prompt you for approval to run it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11841-run-administrator.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/299-user-account-control-uac-change-notification-settings.html

 

[RainyDays]

What I would like is for the items to return exactly like they used to be, with the open file security warning.

I understand that "Unblock" and unchecking the checkbox is the same action.

My question is how do I "Block" the file again so I can see that same checkbox? If possible, Id like to do this for every file this is relevant to, as Im sure theres files I accidentally unchecked the checkbox.

Thanks for the welcome and quick reply.

 

[Brink]

I'm not sure you can easily block the files again other than to see if saving them to your computer from an external source again.

 

[RainyDays]

Well... I was hoping that Windows 7 would be smart enough to at least keep some sort of whitelist so I could know which files have the permission to run without any confirmation.

If you somehow end up unchecking that checkbox by mistake, you're kinda left with an exe that can run whenever it wants.

Hopefully someone would have an idea of how to achieve what I want.

On a similar note. I do have an item that UAC asks if I "want to allow the following program from an unknown publisher to make changes to this computer." Is there a way to allow specific files to bypass that dialog?

 

[Brink]

If you like, you could use OPTION FIVE in the first tutorial below to set the .exe to always "Run as administrator". This will have UAC prompt you for approval to run it. This would be a good workaround to be prompted to run it.

Run as Administrator

User Account Control - UAC - Change Notification Settings

 

[RainyDays]

Oh sorry, I was gonna reply to this in my previous post but for some reaosn didnt.

It is a possible alternative, I'll try it out.

 

[Pyprohly]

To block a file manually, from the Command Prompt,

(echo [ZoneTransfer]& echo ZoneId=3) > "[B][COLOR=red]C:\path\to\file.exe[/COLOR][/B]:Zone.Identifier"