Files from the Internet and from other potentially unsafe locations can contain viruses, worms, or other kinds of malware that can harm your computer. To help protect your computer, files from these potentially unsafe locations are opened as read only or in Protected View. By using Protected View, you can read a file, see its contents and enable editing while reducing the risks. Show
Note: If your machine has Application Guard for Microsoft 365 enabled, documents that previously opened in Protected View will now open in Application Guard for Microsoft 365. Included in this articleWhy is my file opening in Protected View? How do I exit Protected View so that I can edit, save, or print? Why can't I exit Protected View? A problem was detected with my file I want to change my Protected View settings I want to revoke trust from a document/documents that I've previously trusted to not open in Protected View Protected View Trust Center settings explained What happens to add-ins in Protected View? What happens to cloud fonts in Protected View? How do I use Protected View with a screen reader? Why is my file opening in Protected View?Protected View is a read-only mode where most editing functions are disabled. There are several reasons why a file opens in Protected View:
Important: Administrators can customize the list of potentially unsafe locations to include additional folders they also consider unsafe. How do I exit Protected View so that I can edit, save, or print?If you must read the file, and don't have to edit it, you can remain in Protected View. If you know the file is from a trustworthy source, and you want to edit, save, or print the file, you can exit Protected View. After you leave Protected View, you've effectively remove read only, and the file becomes a trusted document. Exit Protected View and edit when the yellow Message Bar appears
Exit Protected View and edit when the red Message Bar appears
Caution: We recommend you only do this if the file's source and content are trusted by you. Why can't I exit Protected View?If you can’t exit Protected View, it's possible that your systems administrator has rules established that prevent leaving Protected View. Speak to your administrator to determine whether such rules have been made. A problem was detected with my fileMicrosoft 365 found a problem with your file and it might be a security risk. Opening the file in Protected View helps protect your computer and we recommend that you edit the file only if you trust the person who sent it to you, and if the file doesn’t look suspicious. Why do I see this message?This message can appear for a malicious file, which was created by a hacker to infect your computer with a virus or steal important information. This message means that editing the file could be dangerous. Sometimes the message appears for files that are damaged, for example:
Can I edit the file?If the file is from someone you know and trust, you can choose to edit it. But we recommend that you avoid editing a file that seems suspicious. For example:
If the file seems suspicious, close the file and delete it from your computer. We recommend you don’t edit it. To ease suspicion, you can call or email the person who sent you the file to confirm. The following image is an example of the Edit Anyway button in the Microsoft 365 Backstage view. What type of files cause file-validation errors?
I want to change my Protected View settingsWe advise speaking with your administrator before you make changes to your Protected View settings.
Protected View Trust Center settings explained
I want to revoke trust from a document/documents that I've previously trusted to not open in Protected ViewIf you previously trusted a document or documents to open outside of Protected View by either (1) clicking "Enable Editing" or "Trust Documents From This Person" in the message bar or (2) clicking on "Edit Anyway" when the file fails validation, please refer to guidance under Trusted documents for removing this trust decision and making such documents re-open in Protected View. What happens to add-ins in Protected View?Add-ins may run when a file opens in Protected View, but may not function as expected. If your add-ins aren’t running correctly, contact the add-in's author. An updated version, which is compatible with Protected View, may be needed. What happens to cloud fonts in Protected View?It's possible the person who sent you the document used a cloud font, which is a font that doesn't ship with Windows or Microsoft 365 but which must be downloaded from the Internet the first time it's used. If so, and it's a font you don't already have installed, that font won't download while you're in Protected View. Word will try to substitute another font that will hopefully look okay. If you're confident that the document is safe, and want to see it the way the author intended, you'll need to enable editing so that Word can download and install the correct font. Note: If Word is unable to find any compatible fonts to substitute you might see black boxes where the text should be. Enabling editing so the correct font can download should fix the problem. How do I use Protected View with a screen reader?When you are in protected view, editing is locked, so you can't cursor around the document as expected. However, if you need to navigate through a document in Protected View with a screen reader, you can press F7 to turn on caret browsing. This action should allow you to navigate through the text without being in edit mode. |