Download May Be Dangerous, so Chrome Has Blocked It
By Timothy Tibbettson 04/17/2025 |
If you're trying to download a file and getting the error, "Download may be dangerous, so Chrome has blocked it," with the only option being Discard, here's how to get around it.
But first, here's a brief explanation of why this happens, assuming you know the file you're trying to download is safe. Google Chrome and other web browsers will try and identify possibly malicious files. One minor flaw in this concept is that most web browsers often flag unknown files as malicious. This is commonly known as heuristics, a fancy word for guessing.
For some files, you can click on the arrow and click on Keep.
Video tutorial:
Click on the three dots on Google Chrome in the top right corner and click on Settings > Privacy and security or enter chrome://settings/privacy in the Address bar and press Enter.
Click on Security.
Choose from Enhanced, Standard, or No protection.
If unsure, Standard should lessen the number of times downloads are blocked.
To completely stop files from being blocked, choose No protection.
Click on Turn off when prompted.
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But first, here's a brief explanation of why this happens, assuming you know the file you're trying to download is safe. Google Chrome and other web browsers will try and identify possibly malicious files. One minor flaw in this concept is that most web browsers often flag unknown files as malicious. This is commonly known as heuristics, a fancy word for guessing.
For some files, you can click on the arrow and click on Keep.
▶
Click on the three dots on Google Chrome in the top right corner and click on Settings > Privacy and security or enter chrome://settings/privacy in the Address bar and press Enter.
Click on Security.
Choose from Enhanced, Standard, or No protection.
If unsure, Standard should lessen the number of times downloads are blocked.
To completely stop files from being blocked, choose No protection.
Click on Turn off when prompted.
Similar:
comments powered by Disqus
