Allow Trusted Locations on the network
This per-user Excel policy setting controls whether network locations can be used as Trusted Locations.
since 0.9.8.11
Purpose
Show registry keys (1)
HKCU\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\excel\security\trusted locations\allownetworklocations
This per-user Excel policy setting controls whether network locations can be used as Trusted Locations. When the policy is enabled, Excel recognizes network locations that have been designated as trusted. The setting does not designate a path by itself; Trusted Location paths must be defined separately.
When the policy is disabled, Excel ignores network locations designated as trusted by users or administrators. Users are also prevented from adding further network locations as Trusted Locations.
Notes
Security
Files opened from a Trusted Location bypass several Office security controls. They do not open in Protected View or Application Guard and skip checks including file validation and File Block checks. Active content such as VBA macros, ActiveX controls, unsigned add-ins, and external data connections can run or be processed without the usual security notifications.
For a network-based Trusted Location, this trust can apply to every Excel file placed in the designated location. A person or process with write access to the network share could add or modify files and thereby cause active content to run within Excel's trusted context.
Possible side effects
Disabling the policy makes existing network-based Trusted Locations ineffective. Files opened from those locations might subsequently produce security warnings, open in Protected View, or no longer run active content as they did previously.
Notes
A network location can be used only if it is separately defined as a Trusted Location and is not excluded by other policies governing Trusted Locations.
Web folders are recognized as Trusted Locations only when they support WebDAV or the FrontPage Server Extensions Remote Procedure Call (FPRPC) protocol.