After a recent Windows update, Microsoft strengthened its security measures. This can cause the preview pane in File Explorer to show the following message when opening PDF files:
“The file you are attempting to preview could harm your computer. If you trust the file and the source you received it from, open it to view its content.”
This affects both single PDFs and multiple PDFs in a folder.
1. For a Single PDF File
Step 1: Open File Properties
Right-click the PDF file
Select Properties
Step 2: Unblock the File
Check the Unblock box at the bottom
Click Apply, then OK
The change should take effect immediately. If the preview pane still shows the warning, open the PDF once and try the preview again.
2. For Multiple PDFs in a Folder (Recommended)
Using PowerShell is the most efficient method for unblocking multiple files.
Step 1: Open PowerShell
Press Windows + X
Select Windows PowerShell (Admin)
Step 2: Navigate to the Folder
Replace the path below with the folder containing your PDFs:
cd"C:\Path\To\Your\PDFs"
Press Enter.
Step 3: Unblock All PDFs Recursively
Run the following command:
Get-ChildItem -Recurse| Unblock-File
Press Enter. This will remove the security block from all PDF files in the folder and its subfolders.
Expected Result
PDFs can now be previewed in the File Explorer preview pane without seeing the warning message
Both single and multiple PDFs are unblocked and accessible
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