Installed the latest update; now my URL files are all hosed

This appears to be an age-old issue that continues to recur: I installed the most recent Windows 11 update and now all of my URLs invoke the File Download - Security Warning. This is terribly annoying, as I pretty much surf the Internet by creating and organizing Internet shortcuts.

I have been doing this for over a decade, they could not be more secure, and literally overnight, they now invoke a security warning.

After exhaustive Google searches, I see a myriad of ICACLS commands that people advise to execute in DOS windows. None of them works on this current strain of this bug.

What can I do??

Rick Altman said:

This appears to be an age-old issue that continues to recur: I installed the most recent Windows 11 update and now all of my URLs invoke the File Download - Security Warning. This is terribly annoying, as I pretty much surf the Internet by creating and organizing Internet shortcuts.

I have been doing this for over a decade, they could not be more secure, and literally overnight, they now invoke a security warning.

After exhaustive Google searches, I see a myriad of ICACLS commands that people advise to execute in DOS windows. None of them works on this current strain of this bug.

What can I do??

Click to expand...

It would help a lot if you would completely fill out the MyComputer specs for your system. Including which version of Windows 11 you're running.

Also, it would help if you'd give a screenshot of the security warning you're experiencing.

I do something similar, but don't have any notification issues. My HP laptop is completely up to date and connects to sites just fine.

What does one of your links look like?

I wrote a local HTML/Javascript page that has links to all my important web sites. If I want to get on my bank or credit card, it's just one click. If I want to get on this forum, it's just one click. I even have a series of links to products of interest. Added to that, I have a table that automatically calculates my monthly financial situation. Below is a clipping of a piece of that page.

Rick Altman said:

This appears to be an age-old issue that continues to recur: I installed the most recent Windows 11 update and now all of my URLs invoke the File Download - Security Warning. This is terribly annoying, as I pretty much surf the Internet by creating and organizing Internet shortcuts.

I have been doing this for over a decade, they could not be more secure, and literally overnight, they now invoke a security warning.

After exhaustive Google searches, I see a myriad of ICACLS commands that people advise to execute in DOS windows. None of them works on this current strain of this bug.

What can I do??

Click to expand...

Maybe because the old links refer to http:// protocol and windows downloads now not just prefer but require https:// protocol?

Don't bother posting screen shots or specs. It's not related to http/https, it's a bad Windows Update, end of story.

Just like last month's bad Windows Update that repeatedly failed while trying to update the Windows Recovery Partition, and the one before that, that totally broke device metadata in the Devices and Printers folder...

Windows Update quality control has not been particularly good over the past few months.

I didn't try to troubleshoot or repair it, because it was easier to just uninstall the update. I'm curious as to what the cause is though, and why everyone isn't having the same problem.

markeobrien said:

Windows Update quality control has not been particularly good over the past few months.

Click to expand...

How can you say that so for sure, where you are not even using Windows 11 (according to your system specs).

In this topic I read that there are very few people having troubles with WU the last months!

My impression is that you only came here to bash Windows updates...

Kees said:

How can you say that so for sure, where you are not even using Windows 11 (according to your system specs).

In this topic I read that there are very few people having troubles with WU the last months!

Less than 30 minutes until patch Tuesday for Feb 2024

If you want to wait until saps like me install it and risk causing problems on their systems before you install the updates, remember to go to Settings > Windows Update > Pause updates :-) https://www.elevenforum.com/t/pause-and-resume-updates-for-windows-11.447/

www.elevenforum.com

My impression is that you only came here to bash Windows updates...

Click to expand...

You are totally correct, I'm running Windows 10 not 11, sorry...and to be fair, Windows Update has performed perfectly for me literally for years, until the past few months. I swear I don't have an axe to grind, I was just sympathizing!

Rick Altman said:

now all of my URLs invoke the File Download - Security Warning

Click to expand...

Rick,

This problem has happened several times since the advent of Windows 7.
The last time it happened to me [which was in Windows 10], I solved it using this procedure.
Open File Security Warning - Enable or Disable - SevenForumTutorials
I used Option 2 for URL files.

I do urge you to make a system image before fixing this problem & another one afterwards.

@Brink - I've found myself giving this SevenForums link to people before. Perhaps it would be worth updating it for ElevenForum. It is not the same as your existing
How to Disable Downloaded Files from being Blocked - TenForumsTutorials


Best of luck,
Denis

markeobrien said:

Just like last month's bad Windows Update that repeatedly failed while trying to update the Windows Recovery Partition, and the one before that, that totally broke device metadata in the Devices and Printers folder...

Click to expand...

Windows Update has nothing to do with the Windows Recovery Partition; in fact, I'm pretty sure it's just called Recovery. At any rate, Recovery belongs to the manufacturer of your computer, not Windows.

Mark was referring to the Windows Recovery partition not any OEM's partition with a similar name.
The Windows recovery partition in Windows 10 was subjected to unreliable alteration by January's KB5034441. I don't recall if there was a Windows 11 equivalent because I ignored the thing [I had previously removed the Recovery partition from all my computers].


All the best,
Denis

Try3 said:

Mark was referring to the Windows Recovery partition not any OEM's partition with a similar name.
The Windows recovery partition in Windows 10 was subjected to unreliable alteration by January's KB5034441. I don't recall if there was a Windows 11 equivalent because I ignored the thing [I had previously removed the Recovery partition from all my computers].


All the best,
Denis

Click to expand...

Thank you, yes that's what I meant! Not my best-worded post but I'll be more careful in the future.

That particular issue involves the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) partition on a GPT hard drive, which is sometimes referred to as the "Recovery Partition". This is all off topic so I won't go into details, but that particular issue also affected Windows 11 and is addressed by Microsoft in KB5028997.

I have never seen it called that - Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) partition.
I have always seen it called this - Recovery Partition [that's what Disk management calls it].


All the best,
Denis