Windows found that this file is potentially harmful

[Guest]

Recently I've become unable to download and save files to my machines
(Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2003 SBS SP1). The download goes ahead, but at
the point of writing the file to my local hard disk, I get the following
error message, then the file is deleted!!!

"Windows Security Warning

Windows found that this file is potentially harmful. To help protect your
computer, Windows has blocked access to this file."

I wouldn't mind, but I haven't changed anything that would have enforced
this, can't find any way of disabling / configuring this functionality and I
trust the file and its source (a good example is the Grisoft AVG Anti-Virus
software downloads!!!).

I've checked my IE, Outlook, Outlook Express and MSN Messenger settings and
they all allow file downloads. If I use the command line FTP utility and I
can transfer the file from a network share.

Any ideas?!?!?

Thanks in advance for any help / explainations.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Neal,

Check the Security Center and IE/SP2 - Privacy.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Guest]

Hello Kelly:
I have exactly the same problem, but with MSN Messenger.

Im a DJ of an internet radio, but unfortunatelly, im not able to mix my own
radio spots. Someone made me a favr and made my advertising spots in mp3
format, so i could broadcast them.

Once i receive the file, if i click on the path hyperlink, the Windows
Security Warning (it even have that shield icon) pops up telling me the same
problem (Windows found that this file is potentially harmful) and when i
click ok, it deletes them. If i go right before clicking ok, to the path
using My Documents, then right click the file and using Properties option, in
the properties window there will be an extra option... "Unblock" but, even if
i select unblock, when i click ok, or close the security warning, the file is
gone from my system!

You said "Check the Security Center and IE/SP2 - Privacy" but i don´t see
anything for that in the Security Center icon in Control Panel nor any other
option on IE options.

It also happends with JPEG files. How can i override this ?

 

[Guest]

I've found that my problem was being caused by a Group Policy Object setting
on my Win2003 domain controller. This was forcing the default "attachment
handling" to assume everything was "high risk", which pretty much blocks
everything. It had also set the shell protocol to "protected mode", which
limits the folder that can be written to.

There was also an option to enable the security center options (including
the "unblock" setting, so I can now see that on any files that are still
blocked from being opened or executed, but at least I can save them to disk
now!

I haven't been able to find the reason why this would occur on a non-domain
member machine where GPOs are not assigned, though. The local policies are
pretty basic in comparison, so it must be a registry "tweak"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\PreXPSP2ShellProtocolBehavior
(which I now have set to 1) controls the shell protocol.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations\DefaultFileTypeRisk
(Which I now have set to 0x00001806 - High Risk) controls the attachment
handling.

That's all I've found so far, but I'll keep hunting.

Cheers