Error message in Office when a file is blocked by registry policy settings

Article ID: 922850 - View products that this article applies to.
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Symptoms

When you use one of the Microsoft Office programs that are listed in the "Applies to" section, you may experience one of the following symptoms:
  • When you try to open a file, the file does not open, and you receive one of the following error messages:

    Error message 1
    You are attempting to open a file that is blocked by your registry policy setting.

    Error message 2
    You are attempting to open a file type <<File Type>> that has been blocked by your File Block settings in the Trust Center.

    Note     In this message, the <<File Type>> placeholder provides a short description of the file type that is blocked. This error message is displayed in Office 2013 and Office 2010 programs.

    Error message 3
    You are attempting to open a file that was created in an earlier version of Microsoft Office. This file type is blocked from opening in this version by your registry policy setting.

    Additionally, you may receive the following error message:

    This error occurs if you try to open a Microsoft Office document and the file type for that document is blocked by a registry policy setting. To help secure your computer, Microsoft or the administrator of this computer implemented a registry policy setting that prevents opening this kind of file.

    To open documents that use this file type, disable the registry policy setting. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 922850.

    Note In Office 2013 and Office 2010 programs, the blocked file may be opened in Protected View. At the top of the window, a bar is displayed that contains the following message:

    Protected View

    Editing this file type is not allowed due to your policy settings. Click for more details.
  • When you try to save a file, the file is not saved, and you receive the following error message:

    You are attempting to save a file that is blocked by your registry policy setting.

    Or, in Office 2013 and Office 2010 programs, you receive the following error message:

    You are attempting to save a file type <<File Type>> that has been blocked by your File Block settings in the Trust Center.
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Resolution

To resolve this issue, click the link under the name of the Office program that you are using to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Word
I receive an error message when I try to open or save a file in Word
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922849)
Excel
I receive an error message when I try to open or save a file in Excel
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922848)
PowerPoint
I receive an error message when I try to open or save a file in PowerPoint
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922847)
Visio
I receive an error message when I try to open or save a file in Visio
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2832600)
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More information

The issue can also occur when you open an embedded or linked Office file in an Office application. For example, you have a Visio object embedded in a Word document. When you try to open the Visio object, you receive the following error message in Word:  

You are attempting to open a file type (Visio 2003-2010 Binary Drawings, Templates and Stencils) that has been blocked by your File Block settings in the Trust Center.
 
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Tip You can keep the help window viewable for the steps by clicking Show Help and then Open in Help Window.

To resolve this issue, you must change the File Block settings in the application that owns the blocked file type. In this example, you must change the File Block settings in Visio instead of in Word. If the error message mentions Excel file type, go to Excel to change the File Block settings.

Note To enable the embedded Visio 2003-2010 file types, you must clear both the Save and Open check boxes for the "Visio 2003-2010 Binary Drawings, Templates and Stencils" file type in Visio.
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Properties

Article ID: 922850 - Last Review: April 22, 2013 - Revision: 20.0
Applies to
  • Microsoft Visio Professional 2013
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2013
  • Microsoft Word 2013
  • Microsoft Excel 2013
  • Microsoft Word 2010
  • Microsoft Excel 2010
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2010
  • Microsoft Office Word 2007
  • Microsoft Visio Standard 2013
  • Microsoft Office Excel 2007
  • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
  • Microsoft Office Word 2003
  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
  • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
Keywords: 
kbproductlink kbresolve kberrmsg kbsettings kbconversion kbsavefile kbopenfile kbtshoot kbexpertisebeginner kbprb kbsmbportal kbcip KB922850
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