[rainbow69]

Hi: I'm hoping anyone can help me with this annoyance. I've tried searching everywhere to find out what part of Windows Vista is responsible for this; and if there is anyway to disable it. The only thing l could locate was a JavaScript file that would run through a designated folder file by file and remove the block from that file's properties. While helpful as doing that task manually is very time-consuming, it still involves fighting the system’s automatic processes needlessly, in my opinion.
I've been running Windows Vista for over a year now, and do not recall ever needing this unblock process until a few months ago when trying to install an upgrade download file for Trend Micro's Virus Software. After unsuccessfully attempting install repeatedly, and even running install as administrator unsuccessfully, even though my profile is actually set as admin, I happened upon the file properties pane via Windows Explorer. In the attributes section of the general tab where normally the only things I've seen included those file attribute check boxes & a button labeled "advanced". Now, anything I download, whether off the internet, home network, or direct connection, has an attribute for security set to block. There is a button labeled unblock" and a text comment as follows: "This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer."

Since finding this, and unblocking the file before using it, l notice no more issues with software installs or file hangs /crashes that I was almost ready to accept as a Windows Vista quirk. I know it is not a setting done in my PC due to any changes, or customizations done since installing the OS initially. I have also mentioned this find to many other Vista users, who have found their files being blocked silently as well when they checked a previously downloaded file. Needless to say, they were flabbergasted. Since I am the only user of my PC, and am administrator, with enough skill to know what I'm downloading (& it all gets scanned many times our before use), I want to disable this Window feature.

How do I disable this? What does Windows actually call this process? (For my future reference as I can’t locate any hint of this in the Microsoft Tech Center nor the Vista documentations / whitesheets in the Developer Centers) If you know when this feature started /and more about it, I'd be grateful! Any info is better than what l have currently.
(I also believe this may be causing some issue when a file is downloaded & Run rather than downloaded & saved.)

My PC is currently running Windows Vista 32- bit version build 6.0 with SP-1 for the Vista Home Premium Product. I have seen friends on other Vista builds with this same thing occurring.

I do thank you for any assistance!

[DaveA]

Check out http://www.petri.co.il/unblock-files-windows-vista.htm

[rainbow69]

When I didn't use the unblock button, I did not have issues with any of the files I was using off the network and/or internet. I did try looking though some archived information downloads that I have on an external hard drive, but could not locate any of these with the block function on them.

To answer the question about my thinking it's specifically Windows Vista, and not another program I have, my assumptions are coming from three different reasons - 1.) When looking on friends' pc's to see if they had their files blocked, the pc's were not configured with my software titles, so if my security software was responsible, I can't imagine how it showed up on someone else's pc without that. 2.) The original time that I realized the unblock was active on my pc, I was actually trying to install my internet security software. At that point, I had to uninstall the prior version when renewing my license with Trend Micro's Internet Security Software for this year. In addition, at that time, I was using Windows Firewall in "off" and did not have the Malicious Program or Windows Defender installed whatsoever - making me believe this is something within the core OS itself. 3.) When I found the JavaScript tool to mass-unblock these files, the person that developed it indicated it was a Windows function in relation to NTFS alternate streams tagging. This was from the Microsoft TechNet's Windows Systernals Vista Utilities area - (link below for entire suite of tools). I think there was a bit more information on how these NTFS streams operate, but that isn't quite what sort of answer I'm hunting. I also tried to locate any of these things from my XP pc that uses NTFS drives, but it didn't seem to have any whatsoever.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb545027.aspx
(look specifically at Streams v1.6 listing to see the tool to unblock folders at a time. The other tools here are most helpful too, so they're all worth a good peek!)

I should also point out that I'm not one to run many programs, and have a few that I prefer over most others because they do the functions I require (ie., PC Cillin internet security does my webscan, virus, malware, downloads, chat, and privacy, identity protections) so I don't have many different security programs running (more true since I usually don't run windows Firewall or Defender). In part, too, because I work solely off of this Tablet PC, and drive space is always a limited challenge to work with.

I hope this helps in explaining my reasoning.

[rainbow69]

DaveA - This seems to be exactly what I was looking for as I review the link you provided to the Petri IT Knowledge website. One site I've not had the pleasure of digging around in, yet.

I do appreciate it, and should be able to get this annoyance taken care of now as the page listed a method for disabling it in the group policy editor, and I assume the instructions are not with error, as it doesn't look like others that have been there cried out for help.

I must say, you are the greatest! Almost a year of my digging endlessly, and you're able to throw it out in 40 minutes flat.
- kudos! (being my first post, I now get to figure out where that "closed" option is, as you've solved this for me.