Windows 10: Unblock File in Windows 10

How to: Unblock File in Windows 10

How to Unblock a File in Windows 10


The Attachment Manager is included in Windows to help protect your PC from unsafe attachments that you might receive with an e-mail message and from unsafe files that you might save from the Internet. If the Attachment Manager identifies an attachment that might be unsafe, the Attachment Manager prevents (blocks) you from opening the file, or it warns you before you open the file.

It uses the IAttachmentExecute application programming interface (API) to find the file type, to find the file association. When one of these applications saves a downloaded file on a disk formatted with NTFS, then it updates the metadata for the file with the zone it was downloaded from. The metadata is saved as an Alternate Data Stream (ADS). If you wish to unblock a downloaded file, you can do so by right-clicking it, selecting Properties and clicking on Unblock.

The following determine whether you are prevented from opening the file or whether you are warned before you open the file:

• The type of program that you are using.
• The file type that you are downloading or trying to open
• The security settings of the Web content zone that you are downloading the file from.
  • Internet
  • Local intranet
  • Trusted sites
  • Restricted sites

The Attachment Manager classifies files that you receive or that you download based on the file type and the file name extension. Attachment Manager classifies files types as high risk, medium risk, and low risk.

• High Risk – If the attachment is in the list of high risk file types and is from the restricted zone, Windows blocks the user from accessing the file. If the file is from the Internet zone, Windows prompts the user with a Windows Security Warning: Windows found that this file is potentially harmful. To help protect your computer, Windows has blocked access to this file.
• Moderate Risk – If the attachment is in the list of moderate risk file types and is from the restricted or Internet zone, Windows prompts the user with a warning: "The publisher could not be verified. Are you sure you want to run this software?".
• Low Risk – If the attachment is in the list of low risk file types, Windows will not prompt the user before accessing the file, regardless of the file’s zone information.

The Open File - Security Warning prompt is a security measure that will ask for your permission before opening a file on your PC that came from an unknown source such as the Internet or another PC.

Windows SmartScreen helps keep your PC safer by warning you before running unrecognized apps and files downloaded from the Internet.

Open File - Security Warning and Windows SmartScreen automatically blocks these types of apps and files until you unblock them.
Starting with Windows Defender Application Guard turned on, blocked files will have a

icon overlay on the file's icon to indicate the file is currently blocked.

This tutorial will show you different ways on how to unblock files that are blocked by Open File - Security Warning and Windows SmartScreen in Windows 10.

*Warning Be sure to only unblock files that you trust to avoid compromising the security of your PC.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Unblock File in Properties
• Option Two: Unblock File in Open File - Security Warning
• Option Three: Unblock App or File in Windows Defender SmartScreen
• Option Four: Unblock a Single File in PowerShell
• Option Five: Unblock All Files in a Folder in PowerShell
• Option Six: Unblock Files in a Folder and every Subfolder in PowerShell
• Option Seven: Unblock File(s) using Context Menu

EXAMPLE: Blocked file when Windows Defender Application Guard is turned on









OPTION ONE [/i] Unblock File in Properties
1. Right click or press and hold on the blocked file, and click/tap on Properties.

2. Click/tap on the General tab, check the Unblock box at the bottom, and click/tap on OK. (see sceenshot below)

*note If you do not see a Unblock checkbox, then the file is not blocked.



3. If prompted, click/tap on Continue, and click/tap on click/tap on Yes (if administrator) or enter password of administrator (if standard user) for UAC prompt. (see screenshot below)

*note You will only be prompted if the file is in a location that your user account does not have access rights to by default.








OPTION TWO [/i] Unblock File in Open File - Security Warning
1. Open or run the blocked file to trigger the Open File - Security Warning prompt.

2. In the Open File - Security Warning prompt, uncheck the Always ask before opening this file box, and click/tap on the Open or Run button. (see screenshots below)





3. If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes (if administrator) or enter password of administrator (if standard user).

*note You will only be prompted if the file is in a location that your user account does not have access rights to by default.





OPTION THREE [/i] Unblock App or File in Windows Defender SmartScreen
1. Open or run the blocked app or file to trigger the Windows SmartScreen.

2. Click/tap on the More info link. (see screenshot below)



3. Click/tap on the Run anyway button. (see screenshot below)








OPTION FOUR [/i] Unblock a Single File in PowerShell
1. Open elevated Windows PowerShell depending on if your user account has access rights to where the blocked file is located.

2. In PowerShell, type the command below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow unblock-file -path "full path of blocked file"

*note Substitute full path of blocked file in the command above with the actual full path of the blocked file (with file extension) that you want to unblock.

For example:

unblock-file -path "C:\Users\Brink\Desktop\Example.reg"









OPTION FIVE [/i] Unblock All Files in a Folder in PowerShell
1. Open elevated Windows PowerShell depending on if your user account has access rights to where the folder containing the blocked file(s) is located.

2. In PowerShell, type the command you want to use below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
(without confirmation prompt)
*Arrow get-childitem "full path of folder" | unblock-file

OR

(with confirmation prompt)
*Arrow get-childitem "full path of folder" | unblock-file -confirm

*note Substitute full path of folder in the command above with the actual full path of the folder that contains the blocked file(s) you want to unblock.

For example:

get-childitem "C:\Users\Brink\Desktop" | unblock-file

OR

get-childitem "C:\Users\Brink\Desktop" | unblock-file -confirm









OPTION SIX [/i] Unblock Files in a Folder and every Subfolder in PowerShell
1. Open elevated Windows PowerShell depending on if your user account has access rights to where the folder containing the blocked file(s) is located.

2. In PowerShell, type the command you want to use below, and press Enter.
(without confirmation prompt)
*Arrow get-childitem "full path of folder" -recurse | unblock-file

OR

(with confirmation prompt)
*Arrow get-childitem "full path of folder" -recurse | unblock-file -confirm

*note Substitute full path of folder in the command above with the actual full path of the folder that contains the blocked file(s) you want to unblock.

For example:

get-childitem "C:\Users\Brink\Desktop" -recurse | unblock-file

OR

get-childitem "C:\Users\Brink\Desktop" -recurse | unblock-file -confirm









OPTION SEVEN [/i] Unblock File(s) using Context Menu
1. For how, see: How to Add Unblock File Context Menu in Windows 10

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Add Unblock File Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Disable Downloaded Files from being Blocked in Windows
• How to Change Windows SmartScreen Settings in Windows 10
• How to Bypass "This app has been blocked for your protection" in Windows 10

:)

 

Un block publisher

See:
https://www.windowsphoneinfo.com/threads/unblock-file-in-windows-10.7625/

 

Reset Windows updates

You need to Unblock the .bat file.

 

Hello Hispa,

I think you meant option 3 instead. If so, then it's only if a Windows SmartScreen warning is given when you try to open a blocked file instead of the other options.

 

Brink, you never cease to amaze, option one worked for me perfectly, was having some problems with my frequent folders not showing up after a blue screen. Everything is back to normal.

Thank you.

 

Glad it could RealPetChicken. *Smile

 

And because you could also have the UAC blocked file message....



... which is resolved by the old "activate/use administrator" trick.
Seems M$ have targeted all Samsung software to be auto-blocked.

 

To disable blocking completely, you can run those via CMD as admin:

rem 1808 - Disable the warning The Publisher could not be verified
reg add "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations" /v "DefaultFileTypeRisk" /t REG_DWORD /d 1808 /f

rem Disable Security warning to unblock the downloaded file
reg add "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments" /v "SaveZoneInformation" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

 

Can you tell me this trick, or link to it?
It's the exact problem I have but I haven been unable to find a solution to unblocking the app in question
I might be using the wrong keywords to search.

 

Hello DWoodhouse, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

I believe George is referring to enabling and signing into the built-in Administrator account to workaround it. Just be warned that everything than runs while signed into this account will run elevated. That will be very bad news if malware was allowed to run by mistake.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

 

Thank you!
I have tried that and it worked so far that I was able to use the program on there. However, the program in question was an old Windows 7 installed utorrent client, and it remained blocked on the regular administrator account when I switched back to there.
So I "fixed" it by switching to a new torrent client. Not the prettiest solution, but it worked.

 

What causes this, the Smartscreen Filter? As I was installing Windows 10, I opted to not use Smartscreen Filter. I've had it block the installer for CCleaner and other things (at one point or other). I feel it is a little bit over-aggressive in what it blocks so I have opted to not use it in my Win 7 and 8 machines, and on this one. But I was given the choice to not use it at all which was kind of surprising seeing as how MS foists and forces other features upon you, like automatic-bootloop-causing-updates.

The only PC I have Smartscreen running on, is an XP machine I use for Pro Tools LE 6.4, I have to rebuild that machine 3 times a year so Smartscreen as it is there actually helps. But in XP it is limited to running within the IE environment, from Vista up they extended it to run through the whole OS.

 

Hey Jonny,

Windows SmartScreen helps keep your PC safe by checking downloaded files and web content within apps to help protect you from malicious software and potentially unsafe web content. Before an unknown or potentially unsafe downloaded file is opened, Windows will display a warning. If SmartScreen detects potentially unsafe web content in an app, Windows will display a warning in place of the content.

Windows SmartScreen Settings - Change in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

I have just upgraded from Win 7 to Win 10 and the majority of the JPG files I already had saved on my PC (from the internet) are now afflicted with this security message when I try to open them from Windows Explorer. I have tried running your Option 5, using PowerShell to unblock all files within a folder but I'm finding that a lot of files still come up with the security warning when I try to open them, as if the unblock command hasn't worked on all of them. I have to admit that some of my folders are pretty large and can have 1500 or more JPGs in them - is there a limit to how many files the unblock function can handle at a time?

 

Hello shalebing, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

There's no limit for the command. It'll just take a bit longer for the command to finish when there's a ton of files in the folder.

Please go ahead and post a screenshot showing the security message you still get to see what the issue may be.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...en-forums.html

Are these folders located on external or removable drives? If so, then that would be why since the file is still being opened from an external source.