What is Protected View?

Files from the Internet and from other potentially unsafe locations can contain viruses, worms, or other kinds of

malware, which can harm your computer. To help protect your computer, files from these potentially unsafe

locations are opened in Protected View. By using Protected View, you can read a file and inspect its contents

while reducing the risks that can occur.

What do you want to do?

Why is my file opening in Protected View?

How do I exit Protected View?

Why can't I exit Protected View?

Problem detected with a file

View or modify Protected View settings in the Trust Center

Protected View settings explained

What happens to add-ins in Protected View?

Why is my file opening in Protected View?

Protected View is a read-only mode in which most editing functions have been disabled. There are several

reasons why a file opens in Protected View:

The file was opened from an Internet location When you encounter the message in Protected

View that states This file originated from an Internet location and might be unsafe. Click for

more details. this is because the file is being opened from the Internet. Files from the Internet can

have viruses and other harmful content embedded in them. We recommend that you edit only the

document, if you trust its contents. The following image is an example:

The file was received as an Outlook 2010 attachment and your computer policy has defined the

sender as unsafe When you encounter the message in Protected View that states This file
originated as an e-mail attachment and might be unsafe. Click for more details. this is because

the file was received from a potentially unsafe sender. The following image is an example:

The file was opened from an unsafe location When you encounter the message in Protected

View that states This file was opened from a potentially unsafe location. Click for more details.

the file was opened from a folder that is unsafe. An example of an unsafe location is your Temporary

Internet Files folder. The following image is an example:

The file is blocked by File Block .What is File Block? The following images are examples:

Editing is not allowed.

Editing is allowed.

File validation failure When you encounter a message in Protected View that states Office has

detected a problem with this file. Editing it may harm your computer. Click for more details. it

has occurred because the file did not pass file validation. The following image is an example:

NOTE You can learn more about file validation failures in Problem detected with a file.

The file was opened in Protected View by using the Open in Protected View option. When you

encounter the message in Protected View that states This file was opened in Protected View. Click

for more details. this is because you chose to open the file in Protected View. This can be done by

using the Open in Protected View option:

 1. Click the File tab.

2. In the Microsoft Office Backstage view, click Open.

3. On the Open dialog, click the arrow on the Open button.

4. From the list, select Open in Protected View.

The following image is an example of Protected View appearing when Open in Protected View is selected.

IMPORTANT System administrators can extend the list of potentially unsafe locations to include additional

folders also considered unsafe.

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How do I exit Protected View?

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, then you can exit Protected View. After you

leave Protected View, it becomes a trusted document.

EXIT PROTECTED VIEW AND EDIT WHEN THE YELLOW MESSAGE BAR APPEARS

On the Message Bar, click Enable Editing, if the button apppears. Otherwise, use the following

instructions to exit Protected View.

EXIT PROTECTED VIEW AND EDIT WHEN THE RED MESSAGE BAR APPEARS

1. Click the File tab. The Backstage view appears.

2. Click Edit Anyway.

IMPORTANT The Edit Anyway button appears in the Backstage view, indicating there is more risk when you

enable editing from this mode. We recommend caution and certainty that the file's source is reliable and known

to you. See Problem detected with a file for more information.

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Why can't I exit Protected View?

If you cannot exit Protected View, it's possible that the system administrator has rules established that prevent

leaving Protected View. You can speak to the system administrator to determine whether such rules have been

made.

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Problem detected with a file

Microsoft Office 2010 found a problem with your file and it might pose 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:

The disk where the file is stored could be worn out or broken.

The file was created or edited with a program that has a problem.

An unexpected error occurred while copying the file to your computer, which can be caused by a

problem with your Internet connection.

There could be a problem with how Office 2010 looks for problems in files. We work to make it better,

but it’s not perfect.

CAN I EDIT THE FILE?

If the file is from someone you know and trust, then you can choose to edit it. But we recommend that you

avoid editing a file that seems suspicious. For example:

The file came from someone you don’t know or trust.

 You weren’t expecting to receive the file.

The content of the file seems unusual, for example, it appears to be a bill for something you never

bought, or it’s causing your computer to display errors.

If the file seems suspicious, close the file and delete it from your computer. We recommend that you do not edit

it. To ease suspicion, you can call the person who sent you the file, or send the person an e-mail.

The following image is an example of the Edit Anyway button in the Backstage view.

WHAT FILE TYPES CAN CAUSE FILE-VALIDATION ERRORS?

The following Office file types can cause file-validation errors:

Word 97-2003 files (.doc, .dot)

Excel 97-2003 files (.xls, .xla, .xlt, .xlm, .xlb, .xlt)

PowerPoint 97-2003 files (.ppt, .pot., pps, .ppa)

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View or modify Protected View settings in the Trust Center

You can view or change settings for Protected View in the Trust Center. These settings enable or disable

Protected View. We advise speaking with the system administrator before you make changes to your Protected

View settings.

1. Click the File tab. The Microsoft Office Backstage view appears.
2. In the Backstage view, under Help, click Options. The Options dialog appears.

3. Click Trust Center, then Trust Center Settings.

4. Click Protected View.

5. Make selections that you want.

The following image is an example of the Protected View area of the Trust Center.

You can learn more about Protected View settings in the following section.

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Protected View settings explained

The following options appear in the Protected View area of the Trust Center:

Enable Protected View for files originating from the Internet The Internet is considered an unsafe

location because of its myriad opportunities for malicious intent.

Enable Protected View for files that are located in potentially unsafe locations This refers to

folders on your computer, or network, which are considered unsafe, such as the Temporary Internet

folder.

NOTE System administrators can assign other folders as potentially unsafe locations.
 Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments Attachments in emails can come from unreliable

or unknown sources.

Enable Data Execution Prevention mode You can learn more in Why is my add-in crashing?.

NOTE DEP is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Office 2010. In the 32-bit version, there are

Trust Center options you can view or change. There are no Trust Center options in the 64-bit version.
NOTES

There are Message Bar options in the Trust Center. When in the Backstage view, under Help, click Options.

Click Trust Center, then Trust Center Settings. Click Message Bar and make selections. Message Bar

options affect all Office programs.

Changing Message Bar options in the Trust Center does not change the Protected View Message Bar.

We advise against changing Message Bar settings and suggest consulting with the system administrator for

more information about how these settings can protect your organization from computer-virus attacks.

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What happens to add-ins in Protected View?

Application add-ins may run when a file opens in Protected View, but may not function as expected. If your

add-ins are not running correctly, contact the add-in's author. An updated version, which is compatible with

Protected View, may be needed. For more information on add-ins, see Why is my add-in crashing?

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See Also

Add or remove a digital signature in Office files

Add, remove, or modify a trusted location for your files
Password Policy
Trusted documents
View digital-signature and certificate details
View my options and settings