How to Fix the Excel Error: “This content presents a potential security issue. Do you trust this content?”

Here is how to fix the Excel error message “This content presents a potential security issue. Do you trust this content?”

In this article, you’ll learn what causes this warning, how to fix it safely, and how to prevent it from showing up again for trusted files or locations.

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🚨 Why You’re Seeing This Security Error in Excel

This warning is part of Microsoft’s Protected View and security settings. Excel displays this message when it thinks the file could be risky, typically because:

• The file came from the internet (email attachments, downloads, etc.)
• The file is from an untrusted location
• The workbook contains macros, links, or embedded objects
• The file was blocked by Windows as a precaution

⚠️ Microsoft is trying to protect you from potentially malicious files—but if you trust the source, there are ways to safely remove the warning.

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✅ How to Fix “This Content Presents a Potential Security Issue” in Excel

Let’s walk through the most effective ways to fix it:

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1. Unblock the File in Windows

If you downloaded the file, Windows may have blocked it by default.

Steps:

1. Close the Excel file
2. Right-click the Excel file in File Explorer
3. Click Properties
4. Under the General tab, look for a section that says “Security”
5. Check the box that says “Unblock”
6. Click Apply > OK
7. Reopen the file

✅ This tells Windows you trust the file, and the warning should go away.

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2. Add the File Location to Trusted Locations

If this file is always in a specific folder (like a shared drive or project folder), you can whitelist that folder in Excel.

Steps:

1. Open Excel
2. Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings
3. Click Trusted Locations
4. Click Add new location
5. Browse to the folder where your file is stored
6. Check “Subfolders of this location are also trusted” if needed
7. Click OK

📁 Now, any files from that folder will be trusted and open without a warning.

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3. Turn Off Protected View for Trusted File Types

You can disable Protected View for specific situations—but only do this if you’re confident the files you open are safe.

Steps:

1. In Excel, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings
2. Click Protected View
3. Uncheck one or more of the following:
   • “Enable Protected View for files originating from the Internet”
   • “Enable Protected View for files located in potentially unsafe locations”
   • “Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments”
4. Click OK, then restart Excel

⚠️ Warning: Only do this on a secure, business-managed computer. Disabling Protected View entirely could expose you to risky content.

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4. Save the File as a New Workbook

Sometimes saving the file again can strip the “internet source” tag.

Steps:

1. Open the file (click “Enable Content” if needed)
2. Go to File > Save As
3. Save it to a trusted folder on your computer (like Documents)
4. Reopen the new file

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🛑 What Not to Do To Fix Your Excel Issue

• Don’t disable security settings globally if you regularly receive files from unknown sources
• Never trust Excel files from emails or websites you don’t recognize
• Don’t ignore the warning unless you’ve verified the file is safe

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🧠 Final Thoughts On Excel Fix

That “This content presents a potential security issue” message in Excel is a helpful safety net—but if you know the file is legit, you don’t have to deal with that popup every time.

Use Trusted Locations and file unblocking to keep things secure and streamlined.

Need help setting up Excel for a team or managing macro-enabled workbooks securely?

👉 Contact our IT experts for Excel, Microsoft 365, and Office security support.