Unblock-File

Syntax

Unblock-File
       [-Path] <String[]>
       [-WhatIf]
       [-Confirm]
       [<CommonParameters>]

Unblock-File
       -LiteralPath <String[]>
       [-WhatIf]
       [-Confirm]
       [<CommonParameters>]

Description

This cmdlet only works on the Windows and macOS platforms.

The Unblock-File cmdlet lets you open files that were downloaded from the internet. It unblocks PowerShell script files that were downloaded from the internet so you can run them, even when the PowerShell execution policy is RemoteSigned. By default, these files are blocked to protect the computer from untrusted files.

Before using the Unblock-File cmdlet, review the file and its source and verify that it is safe to open.

Internally, the Unblock-File cmdlet removes the Zone.Identifier alternate data stream, which has a value of 3 to indicate that it was downloaded from the internet.

For more information about PowerShell execution policies, see about_Execution_Policies.

This cmdlet was introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

Examples

Example 1: Unblock a file

This command unblocks the PowerShellTips.chm file.

PS C:\> Unblock-File -Path C:\Users\User01\Documents\Downloads\PowerShellTips.chm

Example 2: Unblock multiple files

This command unblocks all of the files in the C:\Downloads directory whose names include "PowerShell". Do not run a command like this one until you have verified that all files are safe.

PS C:\> dir C:\Downloads\*PowerShell* | Unblock-File

Example 3: Find and unblock scripts

This command shows how to find and unblock PowerShell scripts.

The first command uses the Stream parameter of the Get-Item cmdlet get files with the Zone.Identifier stream.

The second command shows what happens when you run a blocked script in a PowerShell session in which the execution policy is RemoteSigned. The RemoteSigned policy prevents you from running scripts that are downloaded from the internet unless they are digitally signed.

The third command uses the Unblock-File cmdlet to unblock the script so it can run in the session.

PS C:\> Get-Item * -Stream "Zone.Identifier" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
   FileName: C:\ps-test\Start-ActivityTracker.ps1

Stream                   Length
------                   ------
Zone.Identifier              26

PS C:\> C:\ps-test\Start-ActivityTracker.ps1
c:\ps-test\Start-ActivityTracker.ps1 : File c:\ps-test\Start-ActivityTracker.ps1 cannot
be loaded. The file c:\ps-test\Start-ActivityTracker.ps1 is not digitally signed. The script
will not execute on the system. For more information, see about_Execution_Policies.

At line:1 char:1
+ c:\ps-test\Start-ActivityTracker.ps1
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : SecurityError: (:) [], PSSecurityException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnauthorizedAccess

PS C:\> Get-Item C:\ps-test\Start-ActivityTracker.ps1 | Unblock-File

Parameters

-Confirm

-LiteralPath

-Path

-WhatIf

Inputs

String

You can pipe a file path to this cmdlet.

Outputs

None

This cmdlet returns no output.

Notes

• Support for macOS was added in PowerShell 7.
• The Unblock-File cmdlet works only in file system drives.
• Unblock-File performs the same operation as the Unblock button on the Properties dialog box in File Explorer.
• If you use the Unblock-File cmdlet on a file that is not blocked, the command has no effect on the unblocked file and the cmdlet does not generate errors.

Related Links

• about_Execution_Policies
• Get-Item
• Out-File
• FileSystem Provider