In The Trust Center [exclusive] — File Block Settings

If you have ever tried to open an old .xls file from 1998, received a corrupted .pptx , or watched a user panic because an email attachment opened as a wall of garbled text, you have witnessed File Block Settings in action.

| File Type | Extension | Risk Level | Recommended Action | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | .xlm | Critical | Hard Block (Open & Save) | | Word 2 / Word 6.0 | .doc (pre-97) | High | Hard Block | | Excel 95 Workbooks | .xls (pre-97) | High | Hard Block | | PowerPoint 95 | .ppt (pre-97) | Medium | Protected View | | Web Pages | .htm , .html | Medium | Block Open (they trigger scripts) | Group Policy: Managing at Scale The worst way to manage File Block Settings is by walking to each desk. The best way is via Group Policy Administrative Templates (ADMX/ADML). file block settings in the trust center

In essence, these settings tell Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio: “When you encounter a file saved in [X format], do not let the user open it—or, at the very least, do not let them save to it.” If you have ever tried to open an old

This is the "graceful compromise." It allows the file to open, but inside a sandboxed window where Editing, Saving, Printing, and Macros are disabled. In essence, these settings tell Word, Excel, PowerPoint,