By Hally | Last Updated
“I downloaded files from the shared network in the company. But when I want to open the files in my computer, it shows opening in protected view and takes time in opening. When I checked the file properties, it is tagged with a security message—This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer. How can I regain access to those files? Please help!”
If you've ever downloaded a file from the internet or transferred something from another PC, you may have encountered such security warning in Windows. It is the built-in feature designed to protect your system from potentially harmful files. And now you can easily fix the issue in most cases. You can try the below methods to safely unblock files and regain full access.
Windows attaches a “Zone Identifier” (also known as an alternate data stream) to files that are downloaded or copied from other sources (like email attachments, browsers, or network drives). When you try to open the file, Windows checks this metadata and displays a warning if it came from an untrusted location.
You’ll typically see this when downloading files via Chrome, Edge, or Firefox; Copying files from external drives or network shares; opening email attachments. Why your Windows 11/10 blocks these files? This is a part of Windows' SmartScreen security feature, which helps prevent unverified or potentially malicious content from running automatically. It's particularly useful in business environments or for users who may unknowingly open unsafe files.
Is there any easy way to unblock files and stop the security error “This file came from another computer and might be blocked”? Yes, you can use iSunshare XRepair Genius to safely remove the security warning and regain full access to the file.
iSunshare XRepair Genius is the reliable file repair software which can fix corrupted or damaged Microsoft Word documents, Excel files, PowerPoint presentations and PDF documents. You can follow the steps below to solve this blocked file error.
After the installation of this file repair tool, you can double-click to run the program. Then click File Repair from the sidebar. After that, click Add File button to select your blocked Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF documents.
After importing the files into the software, you can click the Repair button to fix all listed files together.
Now all files are successfully repaired. You can click the OK button in the prompt. Then hit the Save button to download the fixed files locally. Of course, you are able to set the save path for the files.
Finally, you can double-click to open and edit the files in your way.
When this error just happens to a small number of your files, you can manually change its properties and make the file unlocked.
Step 1: Right-click the file that’s being blocked and select Properties from the context menu.
Step 2: Go to the Security field and check the option Unblock.
Step 3: Click Apply > OK button to save the changes. In this way, you remove the zone identifier and prevents the warning from showing up again for that file.
Protected View is enabled by default in your Microsoft Excel/Word/PowerPoint. Thus, if you are confident about the security of the files, you can uncheck the Protected View option to make all these files accessible. If you do not know whether the file is safe or not, think twice before canceling this security feature.
Note:
Step 1: Run Microsoft Word and then click the File tab.
Step 2: From the prompted menu, go down to click Options.
Step 3: Now click Trust Center from the left side and Trust Center Settings button on the right side.
Step 4: In the Trust Center, hit the Protected View from the left menu. Then you can see three options to enable the Protected View. Uncheck the first option—Enabled Protected View for files originating from the Internet and the last option—Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments. Finally, click the OK button to apply the change.
This method disables the feature system-wide and may reduce security. It prevents Windows from marking future downloaded files with the "from another computer" flag.
Step 1: Open Local Group Policy Editor.
Step 2: Head to the folder User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Attachment Manager.
Step 3: Find the settings -- Do not preserve zone information in file attachments on the right pane and double-click it.
Step 4: Tick the Enabled option and then click Apply and then OK button. After that, restart your computer to apply the change.
Q1:Is unblocking a file safe?
Yes — if you trust the source. Unblocking files downloaded from reputable sites or shared from your own devices is generally safe.
Q2: Why are files from network drives also blocked?
Windows treats network drives and shared locations similarly to internet downloads. It marks them with a zone identifier for safety.
Q3: Does unblocking a file affect its contents?
No. Unblocking only removes the metadata flag; the actual file remains unchanged.
The warning “This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer” is a precautionary alert built into Windows. It’s meant to protect you — not frustrate you. You can use the above methods, such as iSunshare XRepair Genius, to make the content accessible.
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