How to Disable Open File Security Warning Windows?

When opening files, you might encounter the warning “Open File – Security Warning” asking you to confirm your action. This warning means that the origin of the file is unverified, and running it could pose potential security risks. This issue often occurs with files downloaded from the internet or transferred from another computer, as Windows commonly flags such files as possibly dangerous.

Users frequently download programs online without much thought. If there’s a significant security risk, this warning will appear. However, it can sometimes also show up for trusted applications. If you’re confident about the program’s safety and have a reliable antivirus program, these popups can become annoying, and you might want to disable them, this guide will help you:

1. Adjust Internet Explorer Security Settings

Internet Explorer’s security settings manage how Windows handles files from unverified sources. These settings directly affect how files are executed when launching potentially unsafe applications.

By adjusting the Internet Explorer security settings, you can bypass these warnings, but only do this for trusted programs. It’s also advised to install a dependable antivirus program, which can flag malicious files immediately if you run them by mistake.

1. Open the Run Program by pressing the Win + R keys together.
2. Type inetcpl.cpl in the input box and click OK to open Internet Properties.
   
3. Navigate to Security from the top and click Custom Level.
   
4. Find Launching applications and unsafe files and set it to Enable (not secure).
5. Once done, click OK to save the settings.
   
6. Click Apply and then OK.
7. Now, try running the file or program that showed the warning.

2. Modify Group Policy Settings

The Group Policy Editor allows administrators to configure policies and settings that override the system’s default settings. By configuring entries related to security warnings, you can prevent the Open File warnings from appearing.

If you have Windows Home Edition, you need to download and install the Group Policy Editor before following these steps:

1. Click the Start Menu and type Group Policy Editor.
2. Press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
   
3. Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Attachment Manager.
4. Double-click the Inclusion list for low file types and enable the policy.
   
5. Type the file extensions (e.g., .exe, .bat) you want to exclude.
6. Click Apply and then OK to save the settings.

3. Modify Registry Settings

Similar to the Group Policy settings, you can modify the Registry Editor, which acts like a database for Windows, storing configurations related to components such as updates and security settings. By editing the configurations for file flagging, you can disable the Open File Warning.

1. Click the Start Menu and type Registry Editor.
2. Press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
   
3. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies and select the Association subfolder under the policies folder.
4. If you cannot find it, right-click the Policies folder, hover over New, and select Key.
   
5. Name it Association, then right-click the empty space on the right pane.
6. Hover over New and select String Value.
   
7. Name it LowRiskFileTypes, then double-click on it and add the following text:

   .avi;.bat;.cmd;.exe;.htm;.html;.lnk;.mpg;.mpeg;.mov;.mp3;.mp4;.mkv;.msi;.m3u;.rar;.reg;.txt;.vbs;.wav;.zip;.7z

   

8. Once completed, close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes.
9. Check if the warning has disappeared.