When you open templates or files using a hyperlink button or from Outlook's Shortcut navigation pane, you'll receive an unsafe hyperlink warning. You can disable the warning by editing the registry.
You may also receive the file open or save dialog when using a hyperlink button or shortcut. To disable this dialog when the "Always ask" field is grayed out, run Outlook as administrator. The "always ask" checkbox should be clickable. If not, you'll need to edit the registry for each file type. See Disable "Always ask before opening" dialog for more information.
The solution
The solution applies to all Office applications, not just Outlook.
Add a registry value to disable the warning dialog.
Open the registry editor and browse to the following registry subkey for
Office / Outlook 16.0 (Outlook 2016 and up):
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Security
DWORD: DisableHyperlinkWarning
Value: 1 (disable the warning), 0 (enable the warning)
Office / Outlook 2013:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Common\Security
DWORD: DisableHyperlinkWarning
Value: 1 (disable the warning), 0 (enable the warning)
Office / Outlook 2010:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Common\Security
DWORD: DisableHyperlinkWarning
Value: 1 (disable the warning), 0 (enable the warning)
Office / Outlook 2007:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\Security
DWORD: DisableHyperlinkWarning
Value: 1 (disable the warning), 0 (enable the warning)
Note: If the Security key does not exist in your registry, you'll need to create it too.
Right click on Security key and choose New, DWORD.
Type (or paste) DisableHyperlinkWarning as the Value name then double click on it.
Enter 1 as the Value data to disable the warning. Delete the key or use a value of 0 to enable the warning.
Do It For Me
If you don't want to edit the registry yourself, you can download and run the following registry key for your version of Outlook. These files set the key in the User path.
Outlook 2016 and newer Outlook 2013 Outlook 2010 Outlook 2007
Group Policies Registry Edit
Administrators will add the DisableHyperlinkWarning DWORD to the Policies key instead:
Outlook 16.0 (Outlook 2016 and up):
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Security
DWORD: DisableHyperlinkWarning
Value: 1 (disable the warning), 0 (enable the warning)
Outlook 2013:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Common\Security
DWORD: DisableHyperlinkWarning
Value: 1 (disable the warning), 0 (enable the warning)
Outlook 2010:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Common\Security
Outlook 2007:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\Security
Do It For Me
If you don't want to edit the registry yourself, you can download and run the following registry key for your version of Outlook. These files update the Policies path.
Outlook 16.0 (Policies path) Outlook 2013 (Policies path)
Outlook 2010 (Policies path) Outlook 2007 (Policies path)
Robert Vergeer says
This works with Office 365 apps and files on a share or unc pad.
1:
Navigate to the following registry subkey:
HKEYCURRENTUSER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Security
If the subkey does not exist, create the subkey.
Right-click on the Security subkey and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name the item DisableHyperlinkWarning.
Double-click the DisableHyperlinkWarning entry, select Decimal, enter one of the following values in the Value data field, and then click OK:
0: Enables the hyperlink warning message
1: Disables the hyperlink warning message
Close the Registry Editor.
2:
For Powerpoint files
HKEYLOCALMACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun\REGISTRY\MACHINE\Software\Classes\PowerPoint.Show.12
It contains an EditFlags with a value that must be 00 00 01 00. 00 00 00 00 will prevent the file from opening.
This is a binary value.
For Excel files
HKEYLOCALMACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun\REGISTRY\MACHINE\Software\Classes\Excel.Sheet.12
It contains an EditFlags with a value that must be 00 00 01 00. 00 00 00 00 will prevent the file from opening.
This is a binary value.
For Word files
HKEYLOCALMACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun\REGISTRY\MACHINE\Software\Classes\Word.Document.12
It contains an EditFlags with a value that must be 00 00 01 00. 00 00 00 00 will prevent the file from opening.
This is a binary value.
Kind Regards Robert Vergeer :)
Jim says
there is no Security key in 2016 office , wtf !???
Diane Poremsky says
If the key doesn't exist, you need to create it.
Fred says
This did not work for me running Office 2010. Seems if the hyperlink path is not in quotes then the message is coming from hlink.dll. I have not found a way to fix that. I just have local mp3 files and the hyperlink is in word 2010. This worked until I loaded apples itunes I think. I was trying to use that to move mp3's to my iphone. I uninstalled itunes and made sure that the windows media player was the default for mp3. The mp3's open without any warning from the file menu but not from the word hyperlink.
umu says
See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/61765267/how-do-you-disable-the-hyperlink-warning-in-excel-office-365
Sibylle Hunziker says
Thank you so much for this! You saved my life.
John Callahan says
Does not work for me with Office 365 (version 16.0). Using PowerPoint and adding an action button to open a video, I get this warning. I have tried both registry hack and neither stops the security warning. Microsoft should make a clearer path to solving this.
James G says
Does not work for me, using Acess to try and open PDF Links
Running MS Office Pro 2019 on Windows 10
Diane Poremsky says
So you are opening links in Access, not outlook? That might be a different key. I'll see what I can find out.
turkanet says
Does not work :(
i use excel 2019 and i also tried to add location on trusted list in excel settings
Bibi says
Hi Diane
Just tried this and doesnt work for me on Office Pro Plus 2013 nor 2016 both 32bits
I run Office 2013 15.0.5163.1000 version
Thank you
Diane Poremsky says
If you have 2013, you need to use the 15.0 path. Did you restart the apps
Bibi says
Yes I did use the 15.0 path for 2013 and on another computer with 2016 I used 16.0 and it did not worked for both.
Bibi says
BTW I have the Unsafe Hyperlink Warning when opening a docx file stored on my SaaS App server, not on Outlook.
Thanks
Diane Poremsky says
it's opening in Word, so *I would think* the key would apply, but there could be something else coming into play.
Do you have the SaaS server set as an Trusted Location in Word's Trust center?
Eric Barsalou says
just does not work for me !
Diane Poremsky says
Which version and build of Outlook are you using? See File, Office Account for the information. (I'll test it in that version.)
Did you restart Outlook?
Tribolet says
Recently installed Office 2016 and i also had this very annoying warning with hyperlinks in an Excel sheet... This method works, though i had no 16.0 folder under Office in my registry... it went up to 15.0... so i created 16.0/Common/Security, with the Dword in it (32-bit, i'm running a 64-bit version) and voila, IT WORKED !! No more stupid warnings when opening hyperlinks from my own HD.
Diane Poremsky says
you didn't have this path at all - HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0 ? Is this a new computer with a preinstalled version of Office? (That delivery method the OEMs use uses a virtual registry but reads most keys added to the traditional path).
Joe says
I am using Microsoft Access 2016 (Office365) . I have tried everything suggested by everyone to no avail. My database has internal hyperlinks (all within my computer). I can't get rid if that damn warning. HELP if you can.
Diane Poremsky says
Are you using 32 or 64 bit office? Which suite is it - consumer subscription, business/E subscription, or retail?
Did you use the policies key or the one under the normal office path? Try the other one.
Rudolf Pietersma says
Not working on Windows 10 with Office 2016 (Office 365)
Diane Poremsky says
did you use the 'do it for me' for outlook 2016?
Martin Gerhold says
Hello! I found this page the usual (painful) way, having got really cross about MS' attempts to stop me opening valid pdf files (from Excel hyperlinks). I know I have set the DisableHyperLinksWarning value in the past, but today it would not work. This is Office 2010 on W10. I tried all the Trust Centre settings, allowing everything I could find to run, to no avail.
Then I saw a suggestion on another page by FrankFromGermany (2 years ago !), but with no mention of whether it had worked for anyone who read it - I was so desperate I had to try it.
I first ran Sysinternals' 'ProcMon' to confirm that Excel was trying to open a key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTSumatraPDF (my pdf reader of choice) called EditFlags key (and failing, of course), but (as I had closed the page with Frank's suggestion), had to simply try values close to my recollection until one worked - the magic value is Hex 10000. I have turned off all the Trust Centre settings I can think of (including the added trusted folder where the pdfs reside), and it still works.
To my mind it is absurd that MS has allowed this situation to exist for so long, without ever (to my knowledge) publishing a working solution themselves, let alone apologising for wasting so many people's time.
Thank you for your clear page, and other Office help in the past.
Skip Lassiter says
Hi Diane. I have Office 2016 and Windows 10. I used your "Do it for me" file and it I keep getting a warning for this "C:\Users\Skip\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Skips Outlook Templates". The registry file has been changed because I checked it. Will you please help me?
Diane Poremsky says
Add the template folder as a trusted location in file, options, trust center.
Erik says
What about Office 2016? I added the key under
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftOffice16.0CommonSecurity but still get the pop-up warning when hyperlinking to a PDF stored on my local drive.....
Thx!
Diane Poremsky says
I'll check it - it should work. Did you restart Outlook? When using policy keys, you need to restart outlook.
Diane Poremsky says
It's working here - i'll update it with a ready-to-use reg file.
Phil Bender says
Thanks so much for this post!
I have been annoyed by these warning for over two years.
Alejandro says
What about outlook 2013?
Diane Poremsky says
It's the same, but version is 15. I updated the "do it for me" and the registry keys for Outlook 2013. Thanks for bringing it to my attention that it needed updated.
Javier Sánchez says
I got the same problem with excel, versions 2010 and 2016. When i try to open a hyperlink, that warning msg pops up. I've tryed setting regedit, both files 12 and 14, and i also have checked the options in the trust center, without success.
I've realised that, if the hyperlink points to an image file, it's open without popping up the warning msg, but when I try to open an pdf (with Nitro PDF), its appears.
Any idea?
Diane Poremsky says
excel 2016 is 16.0... also, have you seen https://www.slipstick.com/problems/disable-always-ask-before-opening-dialog/?
Javier Sánchez says
I've already fixed it, i found the solution and made a tutorial (in spanish) explaining how to fix it. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJoKyvpGXGo
Im going to undo what i did to fix it and try what you told me, and lets see if that works.
Thanks!
Diane Poremsky says
Looks like you set the EditFlag for the pdf application you use... that is what i suspected was the problem.
Javier Sánchez says
I've try what you shared me, but it didn't worked to me.