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Windows Favorites throw File Download Security Warning popup


Batu69

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If you open favorites on up to date Windows PCs from the favorites folder, you may get a File Download - Security Warning popup whenever you do so.

The popup is a security warning that asks you whether you "want to open this file". It lists the name, type, and location, and displays open and cancel buttons in its interface.

 

The rather strange thing is that this happens only when you work with favorites in the Windows Favorites folder.

If you move the same favorite to another location, e.g. the desktop or downloads, it opens the web address just fine in the default web browser.

File Download Security Warning popup

favorites file-download security warning

 

Reports started to come in about the new behavior shortly after Microsoft pushed out September's security patches for supported versions of Windows.

Users managed to pin-point the issue to KB3185319, a cumulative update for Internet Explorer. If you uninstall the update, the issue goes away.

 

This is not really recommended though, as it is fixing security issues in Internet Explorer.

This security update resolves several reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage in Internet Explorer.

You may process all files found in the Favorites folder to make the warning popup go away for them. The one issue however is that this won't take care of future favorites that you add to the folder.

 

The only solution right now is to re-run the command to cover those as well.

  1. Tap on the Windows-key, type cmd and hit the Enter-key.
  2. Run the following two commands one after the other
  3. PUSHD C:\Users\user_name\Favorites -- Make sure you replace user_name with the name of the user affected by the issue.
  4. ICACLS *.URL /L /T /SETINTEGRITYLEVEL MED

The first command -- Pushd -- opens the Favorites folder on the command line. You can navigate to it manually as well using CD if you prefer that.

 

The second command -- ICACLS -- requires more explanation. It is designed to display or modify access control lists on files.

  • /t -- performs the operation on all files in the directory including all sub directories.
  • /l -- performs the operation on a symbolic link versus its destination
  • /setintegritylevel med -- changes the integrity level of specified files -- in this case all .url files -- to medium.

Once you have run the command, you will notice that all favorites that you open from inside the Favorites folder open without theFile Download Security Warning prompt.

(via Windows Report)

 

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