Automatic prompting for file downloads
This setting controls how Internet Explorer, or the Internet Explorer engine, responds to file downloads that were not initiated by an explicit user action when the originating page belongs to the Restricted Sites zone.
since 0.9.8.11
Purpose
Show registry keys (2)
HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\4\2200HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\4\2200
This setting controls how Internet Explorer, or the Internet Explorer engine, responds to file downloads that were not initiated by an explicit user action when the originating page belongs to the Restricted Sites zone.
The 2200 value is a REG_DWORD representing the URLACTION_AUTOMATIC_DOWNLOAD_UI URL action:
0presents the file download dialog immediately when an automatic download is attempted.3initially blocks a download that was not initiated by the user and displays the Notification bar instead. The user can subsequently use the bar to permit the file download prompt.
When the associated policy is disabled or not configured, Microsoft documents the initial blocking and Notification bar behavior for this zone. Downloads initiated by the user continue to produce a file download dialog regardless of this setting.
Notes
Security
A value of 0 does not automatically save or execute the downloaded file. It allows a website to present the download dialog without a preceding user action; the user must still decide whether to proceed.
With a value of 3, an additional user action on the Notification bar is required before the download dialog appears. This prevents a page in the highly restricted zone from immediately presenting an unsolicited download prompt.
This setting does not determine whether file downloads from the zone are permitted in general. A separate zone policy can prohibit file downloads entirely. The 2200 value also does not disable security checks applied to downloaded or potentially unsafe files.
Possible side effects
With a value of 0, websites and legacy web applications can produce download dialogs without an explicit user command. This can result in unexpected or repeated prompts.
With a value of 3, automatic downloads require an additional interaction with the Notification bar. A legacy application that initiates a download automatically may therefore appear unresponsive until the user notices and acts on the notification.
Notes
The Zones\4 key applies only to the Restricted Sites zone. The HKLM and HKCU locations represent computer and user policy scope respectively. Other Internet security-zone policies can affect which scope is used.
URLACTION_AUTOMATIC_DOWNLOAD_UI belongs to the legacy Internet Explorer security model and requires the file-download restriction feature (FEATURE_RESTRICT_FILEDOWNLOAD) to be active for the affected process.
This setting is not the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge policy for automatic successive downloads. It can remain relevant to pages running in Internet Explorer mode because IE mode supports Internet Explorer policies that affect security-zone settings.
Microsoft documentation
Microsoft Learn: What is Internet Explorer mode?
Microsoft Learn: URL Action Flags – URLACTION_AUTOMATIC_DOWNLOAD_UI