Since ancient times, computer viruses and other malicious software have reduced the comfort of using computer equipment, including those running Windows operating systems. To counter these threats, developers at Microsoft have added various security features to the system, including the verification of executable files that may be potentially dangerous to the computer.
For example, when launching a file with an invalid digital signature, a warning may appear:
“This file does not have a valid digital signature that verifies its publisher. You should only run software from publishers you trust.”
If the file was downloaded from an untrusted network location, the warning text will be different:
“While files from the Internet can be useful, this file type can potentially harm your computer. If you do not trust the source, do not open this software.”
If you believe these warnings are hindering your work, you can disable them by configuring the system. However, do this with caution: disabling such warnings can allow you to unknowingly download a suspicious file and put the system at risk.
Disabling Security System Warning in Windows 10
You can disable security warnings when opening potentially dangerous files by changing settings in the “Browser Properties” in the Control Panel. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Open the Control Panel by typing the appropriate search query in the Start menu.
2. In the Control Panel, select “Network and Internet”, then “Internet Options”.
If the Control Panel is in icon view, find and open “Internet Options”.
3. Go to the “Security” tab and select the “Internet” zone (it is selected by default). Click the “Custom level…” button.
4. In the settings list, find “Launching programs and unsafe files” and check the option “Enable (not secure)”.
Disabling Security System Warning in Windows 7
To disable warnings in Windows 7, follow similar steps:
1. Open the Start menu and select Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, select “Network and Internet”, then “Internet Options”.
Alternatively, find “Internet Options” among the icons.
3. Go to the “Security” tab and select the “Internet” zone. Click the “Custom level…” button.
4. In the settings, find the parameter “Launching programs and unsafe files” and set it to “Enable (not secure)”.
Policy “Inclusion List for Low-Risk File Types”
A universal way to disable such notifications for any version of Windows, starting with Windows XP SP2, is to configure group policy. You can create an exclusion list that includes the necessary file extensions.
Using the Registry Editor
Since group policy settings are stored in the registry, you can configure the necessary policy by editing the registry. The simplest way is to create a registry file and import it into the system.
Create a registry file with the following content, where .exe and .msi are the file extensions for which warnings should not be displayed:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations] "LowRiskFileTypes"=".exe;.msi;"
Double-click the registry file to export it to the system registry. Confirm the addition of the data.
Using the Group Policy Editor
To disable the warning, you can use the Group Policy Editor:
1. Press Win+R, type gpedit.msc, and launch the Group Policy Editor.
2. Navigate to: “User Configuration – Administrative Templates – Windows Components – Attachment Manager”.
3. Find the policy “Inclusion list for low file types” and open it.
4. Set the value to “Enabled” and specify the required file extensions, for example, .exe and .msi.
If you used the Local Group Policy Editor, the changes will take effect immediately. When using the Active Directory domain policy editor, wait for the policies to update.
