You've come across a file in SharePoint in Microsoft 365, OneDrive for work or school, or Microsoft Teams, but you're unable to open or share it. You can see the file is there, but it's blocked and the file has a warning icon next to it: To protect yourself, your computer, and your organization, the best option is to delete the file.

To remove the block for a downloaded file, right-click the file in File Explorer, select Properties, and then select Unblock. Note: The change might not take effect immediately but will be effective after the next login.

To help protect your security and privacy, Microsoft Office is configured by default to block external content—such as images, linked media, hyperlinks, and data connections—in workbooks and presentations.

If you are trying to open a protected file that has a .pfile name extension, like a .ppng, you will need to use the Microsoft Purview Information Protection viewer or the Azure Information Protection mobile viewer (AIP mobile viewer).

There are several ways to send and receive a blocked file. You can save the file to the cloud and send a link to the file, use a file compression utility like WinZip, or even rename the file with another extension, then have your recipient change the name back to the original name after they receive the file.

Microsoft Defender's web protection helps protect you against malicious sites that are being used for phishing or spreading malware. Available on Windows, Android, and iOS.

Block you from uninstalling a program through Add or Remove Programs (or Programs and Features) in Control Panel. If you're trying to remove malware, you can use Windows Security (or another antivirus tool), or you can use the Windows Malicious Software Removal tool.

This article describes how to permanently remove the contents of the Temporary Internet Files folder from your computer. Watch a video about how to delete the contents of the Temporary Internet Files folder yourself. Follow these steps according to your version of Windows.

Learn how the SharePoint site collection administrator can use the Site Collection Recycle Bin as a safety net when users delete files and folders from a site.

Find how-to articles, videos, and training for Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft 365, Windows 11, Surface, and more.