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Set document behavior if file validation fails

This user policy controls how Microsoft Word handles a document that fails Office File Validation.

since 0.9.8.11

Purpose

Show registry keys (2)
  • HKCU\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\word\security\filevalidation\openinprotectedview
  • HKCU\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\word\security\filevalidation\disableeditfrompv

This user policy controls how Microsoft Word handles a document that fails Office File Validation. File Validation checks the structure of supported file formats for irregularities that can result from file corruption or deliberately manipulated content. For Word, Microsoft specifically identifies the legacy Word 97–2003 .doc and .dot formats as formats that can produce file-validation errors.

The two REG_DWORD values work together to select one of three behaviors:

  • openinprotectedview = 0: Word blocks the document completely and does not open it.
  • openinprotectedview = 1 and disableeditfrompv = 1: Word opens the document in Protected View and does not permit the user to enable editing.
  • openinprotectedview = 1 and disableeditfrompv = 0: Word opens the document in Protected View and permits the user to enable editing afterward.

When the policy is disabled, Word uses the “Open files in Protected View and disallow edit” behavior. When the policy is not configured, Word opens affected documents in Protected View and allows the user to enable editing.

Notes

Security

Protected View is a restricted, primarily read-only mode. It reduces the risk that malicious content in a structurally manipulated file will become active during normal editing.

Blocking the file completely provides the strongest protection available through this policy. Opening it in Protected View with editing disallowed permits inspection of its contents while preventing the user from leaving the restricted environment for that document. If editing is allowed, the user can cross that protection boundary; the restrictions of Protected View no longer apply after editing is enabled.

A validation failure does not prove that a document is malicious. Damaged files, incorrectly generated documents, and transfer errors can also cause validation to fail.

This policy does not enable or disable Office File Validation. It controls only what happens after validation has failed. Files opened from Trusted Locations can bypass file-validation checks and Protected View, so this policy decision does not apply to them.

Possible side effects

A completely blocked document cannot be viewed. When editing from Protected View is disallowed, affected documents cannot be edited, saved, or printed through the normal document workflow. Add-ins might not work as expected in Protected View, and required cloud fonts are not downloaded there.

Because damaged or incorrectly generated documents can also fail validation, these restrictions can affect files that are not malicious.

Notes

Microsoft 365 Apps, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, Office LTSC 2024, and Office 2016 share the 16.0 policy branch. The Administrative Templates nevertheless retain “Microsoft Word 2016” in the category and product names.

If Application Guard for Microsoft 365 is enabled, documents that would otherwise open in Protected View can open in Application Guard instead.

Microsoft documentation

Microsoft Support: What is Protected View?

Microsoft Learn: Office policy settings and the Office 16.0 registry branch

Microsoft Download Center: Administrative Template files for Microsoft Office

See also