"Are you sure you want to run this file?" [Yes or No]

Ever gotten this warning when trying to run a file?



When you download files from the internet, Windows puts a blocked status on them. To quickly fix that, you can simply right click on the file, go to properties, then from the bottom right hit the UNBLOCK button and then Apply



Not only is this annoying having to hit run every time when you launch that file, but if it was a ZIP file, say a drivers ZIP file which needs to be extracted, if you forget to unblock the main ZIP file before extracing it, then all of the files within that ZIP file will be extracted with a blocked status as well which may lead to either incomplete or failed installation of the driver or getting a warning whether you want to run this or that file upon every reboot (happened to me once when I installed the Synaptics Touchpad Driver, every reboot I have to hit run to enable the SynTPEnh.exe from running)

In order to prevent this blocking of downloaded files in the future, if you have Windows 10 Pro, then run gpedit.msc from the Run Dialogue Box > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Attachment Manager > Do not preserve zone information in file attachments, then enable that rule and hit Apply then Ok then restart your computer.

If you have Windows 10 Home which means no Group Policy Editor, then you can copy/paste the following text in a blank notepad text file then rename the file to: Disable File Protection for downloaded files.reg then double click on that file to merge it with your registry then reboot for the changes to take effect:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Download]
"CheckExeSignatures"="no"
"RunInvalidSignatures"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments]
"SaveZoneInformation"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations]
"LowRiskFileTypes"=".zip;.rar;.nfo;.txt;.exe;.bat;.com;.cmd;.reg;.msi;.htm;.html;.gif;.bmp;.jpg;.avi;.mpg;.mpeg;.mov;.mp3;.m3u;.msu;.wav;"

Or you can download the ready made registry tweak from Major Geeks: Are You Sure You Want to Run This File Registry Fix

To Prevent this file blocking to happen so you won't have to unblock each file you download, do this:

For Windows 10 Pro users:

1) Press CTRL + R to launch the Run Dialogue Box

2) type gpedit.msc then hit enter

3) Navigate to:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Attachment Manager

Now, double click on the rule which says "Do not preserve zone information in file attachments"

Set it to Enabled then hit Apply then Ok to exit

4) Reboot

For Windows 10 Home users:

1) Download this file then double click on it to merge it with your registry: Disable File Protection for downloaded files.reg

or if you prefer to create it yourself using Notepad:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Download]
"CheckExeSignatures"="no"
"RunInvalidSignatures"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments]
"SaveZoneInformation"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations]
"LowRiskFileTypes"=".zip;.rar;.nfo;.txt;.exe;.bat;.com;.cmd;.reg;.msi;.htm;.html;.gif;.bmp;.jpg;.avi;.mpg;.mpeg;.mov;.mp3;.m3u;.msu;.wav;"

2) Reboot


From now on, files that you download will not be marked as Blocked and you can run them properly

 

This is done to prevent you from running multiple dotted files, like file.zip.exe or file.jpg.exe when the folder options are set to hide the extension - the .exe ending isn't visible.

I thought it only happened when a .exe / .bat / .com at the end was detected with a multiple dotted file, but maybe it's for all downloaded files now on Windows 10.

As long as you have unchecked "hide extensions for known file types" (or whatever it is now in Windows 10) you can see the full name including the last dotted text / extension.

To solve this with zip / compressed files I right click on the file and use the 7-zip, unzip, or windows unpack menu option, so as to avoid double clicking on the file itself.

In the past long ago I have found a bad downloaded file with an otherwise hidden .exe on it, by right clicking and selecting 7-zip it told me it wasn't a zip file.

If I had double clicked on the file instead of right clicking to uncompress, it would have infected my system. I always right click to uncompress to avoid this potential infection vector.

 

Wrong, if you unzip a file *before* you unblock it, then all the files within that ZIP that you extract be it with 7-Zip or any other program *will* have a blocked status. The bigger issue is let's say that drivers ZIP file has many files within + folders, you'd have to right click on each file, go to properties then unblock that file individually as you cannot unblock multiple files at once in one shot. That is why, this tweak is gold as it prevents this from ever happening as one might forget to unblock the zip file.

It is a stupid Windows security feature that makes 0 sense, anyone is going to click YES to run the file anyway this is not like an Antivirus telling you if a file is really harmful or not, it simply does this for every file you download from the internet with the exception of files downloaded through a download manager (ie. Internet Download Manager)

PS: This happens whether or not you have the file extensions hidden I have no clue what the heck you're on about

 

It's still a bad idea to double click to uncompress, especially if you have available the right click menu option to uncompress.

I've never been blocked from uncompressing / unzipping a folder of files as you describe.

Try downloading a zip file, right clicking and unpacking it using the folder/ option, see if it really does keep you from unzipping a folder of files / folders.

I don't think it does block using that method as you aren't executing the file, you are using 7-zip with that filename as input - which removes the OS / explorer protections from the task - it is all done inside 7-zip proper.

 

what the heck are you talking about??? Who ever mentioned that I double click to unzip AND I never said you'd be blocked to unzip! it's the files that are extracted which will have a BLOCKED status!

Get this straight into your head now:

1) Download a ZIP file, let's say a driver, here, lemme make it easier for you since you have a hard time understanding: http://download.msi.com/nb_drivers/...10__Signed__msi_PUWP_19.5.31.1_0xe65491fe.zip

2) Extract the file with whichever way you want

3) now check the files you downloaded, right click on the setup.exe for example and you will see that it has a BLOCKED status.

Sure you can just hit yes to run the setup, but now every time you restart, the synaptics.exe driver will popup saying "are you sure you want to run this file or not"

Just leave my threads and tweaks if you don't appreciate them and have no clue what you're talking about

 

Here is an example of what I explained, using images of the step by step process of viewing a downloaded zip file properties, showing it it is blocked with an unblock option, how to right click and unpack / unzip it into a folder, and showing that the unzipped .exe file is not blocked using this method:

Now to right click and select the 7-zip extract to a folder option:

And going into the extracted folder, right clicking on the .exe to see the properties, and show it doesn't carry the blocked download unblock option:

Since that works for me I don't bother circumventing the attachment properties setting, but you could do that as well globally like this:

I haven't bothered to do this, but it will globally change the action of setting downloaded files to blocked by default. I just checked and this system doesn't have it set:

1. gpedit.msc
2. User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Attachment Manager
3. Enable: Do not preserve zone information in file attachments

Here are my system settings, untouched:


I'll add that I wouldn't recommend that global gpedit for all downloads - or the reg hack that takes .archive names out of the enforcement list - as both reduce security protections for downloaded files. Rather than change global security settings, just right click on the compressed archive file and extract to a folder.

The solution really doesn't need to be complicated.

 

No, that's not what you said, you said this:

"Not only is this annoying having to hit run every time when you launch that file, but if it was a ZIP file, say a drivers ZIP file which needs to be extracted, if you forget to unblock the main ZIP file before extracing it, then all of the files within that ZIP file will be extracted with ablocked status as well which may lead to either incomplete or failed installation of the driver or getting a warning whether you want to run this or that file upon every reboot (happened to me once when I installed the Synaptics Touchpad Driver, every reboot I have to hit run to enable the SynTPEnh.exe from running)"

If you right click extract to a folder the downloaded compressed archive file, you'll never run into this problem.

I've not had to "unblock" a file in forever, so I'd never even need to describe that possibility, but apparently you have...I was surprised to see your thread, so I thought I'd post a short cut method that avoids those insecure global system changes.

I'll add that I wouldn't recommend that global gpedit for all downloads - or the reg hack that takes .archive names out of the enforcement list - as both reduce security protections for downloaded files. Rather than change global security settings, just right click on the compressed archive file and extract to a folder.

The solution really doesn't need to be complicated.

 

Do whatever floats your boat. I'm done arguing with you.



My tweak has now been featured on Major Geeks:
Are You Sure You Want to Run This File Registry Fix

 

BTW I'm sure this was posted before (unless against forum rules, then please delete my post), but there are many ways to enable GPEdit in Win10 Home edition and this batch file is probably the simplest I've ever seen:

@echo off
pushd "%~dp0"

dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientExtensions-Package~3*.mum >List.txt
dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientTools-Package~3*.mum >>List.txt
for /f %%i in ('findstr /i . List.txt 2^>nul') do dism /online /norestart /add-package:"%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\%%i"
pause


All you do is run this in ADM mode.

 

The guide has been updated with how to prevent Windows from blocking downloaded files in the first place so that you don't have to worry about unblocking each file you download again. Check the OP, it's at the end of the first post.