- To stop the open file security warning on Windows, open the Internet Options > Security > Local intranet > Sites, only check the check “Include all local (intranet) sites not listed in other zones” and “Include all network paths (UNCs),” click on “Advanced,” and add the network address.
UPDATED 5/7/2024: On Windows 11 (and Windows 10), if you have a NAS (Network Attached Storage) to share files across the network with solutions like unRAID or TrueNAS, you may encounter different Windows Security warnings when opening files.
For example, when moving files between folders, you may see the warning: “These files might be harmful to your computer.” “Your Internet security settings suggest that one or more files may be harmful.” Or if you try to run an application, Windows Security may show you the “We can’t verify who created this file” warning, along with the “This file is in a location outside your local network. Files from locations you don’t recognize can harm your PC.”
Although you can confirm and open the files, getting the same messages every time you access the network share can be annoying. However, you can adjust the Windows internet settings if you get these or other security warnings to resolve the issue.
In this guide, I’ll teach you how to stop the Windows Security warning when accessing shared folders on the local network.
- Disable security warnings opening network files on Windows 11
- Disable security warnings opening network files on Windows 10
Disable security warnings opening network files on Windows 11
To turn off the security dialog warnings when opening files from a network share, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 11.
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Click on Network & internet.
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Click the “Advanced network settings” page.
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Under the “Related settings” section, click on Internet Options.
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Click the Security tab.
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Select the Local Intranet zone.
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Click the Sites button.
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Clear the “Automatically detect intranet network” option.
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Check the “Include all local (intranet) sites not listed in other zones” option.
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Clear the “Include all sites that bypass the proxy server” option.
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Check the “Include all network paths (UNCs)” option.
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Click the Advanced button.
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In the “Add this website to the zone” option, confirm the local network address, including an asterisk to indicate the network mask. For example, if the local network is 192.168.1.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, use the 192.168.1.* address.
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Click the Add button.
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Clear the “Require server verifications (HTTPS:) for all sites in the zone” option.
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Click the Close button.
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Click the OK button.
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Click the Apply button.
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Click the OK button.
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(Important) Restart the computer.
Once you complete the steps, the next time you open a file or an app from a network folder, Windows 11 should no longer prompt the security warning.
Disable security warnings opening network files on Windows 10
To suppress security warnings when opening network files on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 10.
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Click on Network & Internet.
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Click on Status.
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Under the “Advanced network settings” section, click the “Network and Share Center” option.
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Click the Internet Options from the bottom left corner.
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Click the Security tab.
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Select the Local Intranet zone.
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Click the Sites button.
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Clear the “Automatically detect intranet network” option.
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Check the “Include all local (intranet) sites not listed in other zones” option.
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Clear the “Include all sites that bypass the proxy server” option.
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Check the “Include all network paths (UNCs)” option.
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Click the Advanced button.
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In the “Add this website to the zone” option, confirm the local network address, including an asterisk to indicate the network mask. For example, 192.168.1.*
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Click the Add button.
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Clear the “Require server verifications (HTTPS:) for all sites in the zone” option.
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Click the Close button.
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Click the OK button.
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Click the Apply button.
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Click the OK button.’
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(Important) Restart the computer.
After you complete the steps, the next time you work with a network folder, Windows 10 should no longer show the security warning.
This video tutorial includes the instructions to complete this configuration on both versions of Windows:
Update May 7, 2024: These instructions have been updated to ensure accuracy and add the steps to complete this process on Windows 11.