Sometimes, when trying to download a file while using Internet Explorer, you may receive the following error message: “Your current security settings do not allow this file to be downloaded”. In most cases, affected users see this error message while trying to download files from websites that aren’t trusted, but this error message has also been seen by users trying to download files from extremely trusted websites like the official Microsoft website, so whether or not the website you are trying to download the file in question from may be entirely irrelevant.
This error basically inhibits you from downloading a file that you want to download, which makes it an especially pesky little bugger. Thankfully for anyone affected by this problem, it is pretty easy to resolve. Here’s how you can fix the “Your current security settings do not allow this file to be downloaded” error message and download as many files as you want on Internet Explorer regardless of what files you want to download:
If you’re using Windows XP, Vista or 7, open the Start Menu and click on Control Panel to launch the Control Panel. If you’re using Windows 8, on the other hand, right-click on the Start Menu to open the WinX Menu and click on Control Panel to launch it.
Search the Control Panel for “internet options” and click on the search result named Internet Options.
Navigate to the Security tab of the Internet Options
Of the four zones provided at the top of the window, click on the Internet
Once the Internet zone has been selected, click on the Custom level…
Scroll down to the Downloads
Locate File download under the Downloads section and Enable
Click on OK.
Click on Apply and then on OK in the Internet Options window and then exit it. Restart your computer, launch Internet Explorer and try to download the same file you were trying but failing to download before, and you should now be successful at downloading the file.
If the solution listed and described above does not fix the issue for you (an instance that is pretty rare), the following is another pretty effective solution that you can try:
Launch Internet Explorer.
Click on the Gear icon in the top-right corner (or, in older versions of Internet Explorer, the Tools button).
Click on Internet Options in the contextual menu.
Navigate to the Advanced
Under the Reset Internet Explorer settings tab, click on the Reset…
Make sure that the Delete personal settings option is checked and then click on Reset to confirm the action.
Restart your computer and, once it boots up, launch Internet Explorer and check to see whether or not the problem has been resolved.
