Article
07/22/2014

Plan file block settings for Office 2010

Applies to: Office 2010

Topic Last Modified: 2011-08-05

You can configure Group Policy and Office Customization Tool (OCT) settings to block specific file format types for Microsoft Excel 2010, Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, and Microsoft Word 2010 users.

In this article:

Blocking file format types by using Group Policy or the OCT
Group Policy and OCT settings

Blocking file format types by using Group Policy or the OCT

You can block specific types of files for Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, and Word 2010, and determine how users can open and save these blocked files, by configuring settings in Group Policy or the OCT. Although you can use block file format settings to manage file usage in many scenarios, these settings are most commonly used to:

Force an organization to use specific file formats.
Mitigate zero-day security attacks (which are attacks that occur during between the time that a vulnerability becomes publicly known and a software update or service pack is available) by temporarily preventing users from opening specific types of files.
Prevent an organization from opening files that have been saved in earlier and pre-release (beta) Microsoft Office formats.

Planning considerations for configuring file block settings

Consider the following overall guidelines as you plan your file block settings:

Decide if you want users to be able to make changes to your configurations:
- If you have used Group Policy to configure file block settings (policies), users cannot change your configurations.
- If you have used the OCT to make file block settings (preferences), users can make changes to the settings in the Trust Center UI.
Block open settings do not apply to files that are opened from trusted locations.
Block file format settings are application-specific. You cannot prevent users from using other applications to open or save file types or formats that are blocked. For example, you can enable block file format settings that prevent users from opening .dot files in Word 2010, but users will still be able to open .dot files by using Microsoft Publisher 2010, which uses a converter to read the .dot file.
Disabling notifications in the Message Bar does not affect block file format settings. The block file format warning dialog box appears before any notification appears in the Message Bar.

Group Policy and OCT settings

This section describes how to find the settings in Group Policy and the OCT, and lists the settings for Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, and Word 2010.

How to find the settings

Unless otherwise noted, the location of the settings are as follows:

For Group Policy, the settings are available under the User Configuration/Administrative Templates node of the Group Policy Object Editor.

Note

The locations in the Group Policy Object Editor presented in this article apply when you invoke the Group Policy Object Editor to edit a GPO. To edit local Group Policy, use the Local Group Policy Editor. To edit domain-based Group Policy, use the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). Either tool invokes the Group Policy Object Editor when you edit a GPO. For more information, see Use Group Policy to enforce Office 2010 settings and Group Policy overview for Office 2010.
For the OCT, the policy settings are available on the Modify user settings page.

Once in Group Policy and the OCT, the specific path of the folder that contains the file block settings for Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, and Word 2010 are parallel:

Excel 2010 file block settings:
- Microsoft Excel 2010\Excel Options\Security\Trust Center\File Block Settings
PowerPoint 2010 file block settings:
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2010\PowerPoint Options\Security\Trust Center\File Block Settings
Word 2010 file block settings:
- Microsoft Word 2010\Word Options\Security\Trust Center\File Block Settings

Note

By default, users can set default file block settings in the Trust Center user interface (UI) for Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, and Word 2010 (on the File tab, click Options, click Trust Center, click Trust Center Settings, and then click File Block Settings). You can disable the file block options in Trust Center options by configuring the settings through Group Policy. If you configure the settings through the OCT, users will still have the option of specifying file type behavior through the Trust Center UI. For more information, see What is File Block? (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=195498).

About the “Set default file block behavior” setting

The “Set default file block behavior” setting specifies how blocked files open (for example: does not open, opens in protected view, or opens in protected view but can be edited). If you enable this setting, the default file block behavior you specify applies to any file format that users block in the Trust Center UI. It also applies to a specific file format only if you both enable its file format setting (for more information about individual file format settings, see the tables in this article) and select the Open/Save blocked, use open policy option. Otherwise, if you configure an individual file format setting, it overrides the Set default file block behavior setting configuration for that file type.

Note

The options under Open behavior for selected types in the Trust Center UI, under File Block, map directly to the options in the Set default file block behavior setting. You can disable these UI options for users by enabling the “Set default file block behavior” setting in Group Policy.

Excel 2010 settings

The following table lists the file block settings in Group Policy and the OCT that you can configure for Excel 2010 users. With the exception of the Set default file block behavior setting, file setting names correspond to the file types that they can block.

Setting name	File format extension	If you enable this setting, you can select one of the following options:	If you disable or do not configure this setting
Set default file block behavior	Blocked file formats set by users in the Trust Center UI Individual file types, if you enable its setting and select Open/Save blocked, use open policy Note Individual file type settings override this setting.	Blocked files are not opened. Blocked files open in Protected View and cannot be edited. Blocked files open in Protected View and can be edited.	Blocked files are not opened (users cannot open blocked files).
Excel 2007 and later workbooks and templates	.xlsx .xltx	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 2007 and later macro-enabled workbooks and templates	.xlsm .xltm	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 2007 and later add-in files	*.xlam	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 2007 and later binary workbooks	*.xlsb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
OpenDocument Spreadsheet files	*.ods	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 97–2003 add-in files	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 97–2003 workbooks and templates	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 95–97 workbooks and templates	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 95 workbooks	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 4 workbooks	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 4 worksheets	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 3 worksheets	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 2 worksheets	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 4 macrosheets and add-in files	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 3 macrosheets and add-in files	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel 2 macrosheets and add-in files	.xls .xla .xlt .xlm .xlw .xlb	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Web pages and Excel 2003 XML spreadsheets	.mht .mhtml .htm .html .xml .xlmss	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
XML files	*.xml	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Text files	.txt .csv *.prn	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Excel add-in files	*.xll (.dll)	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
dBase III / IV files	*.dbf	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Microsoft Office query files	.iqy .dqy .oqy .rqy	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Microsoft Office data connection files	*.odc	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Other data source files	.udl .dsn .mdb .mde .accdb .accde .dbc .uxdc	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Offline cube files	*.cub	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Dif and Sylk files	.dif .slk	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Legacy converters for Excel	All file formats that are opened through a converter	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Microsoft Office Open XML converters for Excel	All file formats that are opened through an OOXML converter	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.

PowerPoint 2010 settings

The following table lists the file block settings in Group Policy and the OCT that you can configure for PowerPoint 2010 users. With the exception of the Set default file block behavior setting, file setting names correspond to the file types that they can block.

Setting name	File format extension	If you enable this setting, you can select one of the following options	If you disable or do not configure this setting
Set default file block behavior	Blocked file formats set by users in the Trust Center UI Individual file types, if you enable its setting and select Open/Save blocked, use open policy Note: individual file type settings override this setting.	Blocked files are not opened. Blocked files open in Protected View and cannot be edited. Blocked files open in Protected View and can be edited.	Blocked files are not opened (users cannot open blocked files).
PowerPoint 2007 and later presentations, shows, templates, themes, and add-ins	.pptx .pptm .potx .ppsx .ppam .thmx *.xml	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
OpenDocument Presentation files	*.odp	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
PowerPoint 97–2003 presentations, shows, templates and add-in files	.ppt .pot .pps .ppa	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Web pages	.mht .mhtml .htm .html	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Outline files	.rtf .txt .doc .wpd .docx .docm *.wps	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Legacy converters for PowerPoint	Presentation files older than PowerPoint 97	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Graphic Filters	.jpg .png .tif .bmp .wmf .emf	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked.	File format type is not blocked.
Microsoft Office Open XML converters for PowerPoint	All file formats that are opened through an OOXML converter	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.

Word 2010 settings

The following table lists the file block settings in Group Policy and the OCT that you can configure for Word 2010 users. With the exception of the Set default file block behavior setting, file setting names correspond to the file types that they can block.

Setting name	File format extension	If you enable this setting, you can select one of the following options	If you disable or do not configure this setting
Set default file block behavior	Blocked file formats set by users in the Trust Center UI Individual file types, if you enable its setting and select Open/Save blocked, use open policy Note Individual file type settings override this setting.	Blocked files are not opened. Blocked files open in Protected View and cannot be edited. Blocked files open in Protected View and can be edited.	Blocked files are not opened (users cannot open blocked files).
Word 2007 and later documents and templates	.docx .dotx .docm .dotm *.xml (Word Flat Open XML)	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
OpenDocument text files	*.odt	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Word 2007 and later binary documents and templates	.doc .dot	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Word 2003 binary documents and templates	.doc .dot	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Word 2003 and plain XML documents	*.xml	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Word XP binary documents and templates	.doc .dot	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Word 200 binary documents and templates	.doc .dot	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Word 97 binary documents and templates	.doc .dot	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Word 95 binary documents and templates	.doc .dot	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Word 6.0 binary documents and templates	.doc .dot	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Word 2.0 and earlier binary documents and templates	.doc .dot	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Web pages	.htm .html .mht .mhtml	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
RTF files	*.rtf	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Plain text files	*.txt	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting.	File format type is not blocked.
Legacy converters for Word	All file formats that are opened through a converter	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.
Office Open XML converters for Word	All file formats that are opened through an OOXML converter	Do not block: The file type is not blocked. Save blocked: Saving of the file type is blocked. Open/Save blocked, use open policy: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked. The file opens based on the configuration of the Set default file block behavior setting. Block: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the file does not open. Open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit the file type is disabled. Allow editing and open in Protected View: Both opening and saving of the file type is blocked, and the option to edit is enabled.	File format type is not blocked.

Plan file block settings for Office 2010

Blocking file format types by using Group Policy or the OCT

Planning considerations for configuring file block settings

Group Policy and OCT settings

How to find the settings

About the “Set default file block behavior” setting

Excel 2010 settings

PowerPoint 2010 settings

Word 2010 settings

See Also

Concepts

Other Resources

Additional resources