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How to Disable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer

Steps to Disable Protected Mode in IE 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 16, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Browsers Microsoft Chrome Safari Firefox

What to Know

In Internet Explorer, select Tools > Internet options > Security tab > uncheck Enable Protected Mode > OK.If you're looking for a more advanced way to disable Protected Mode, use the Windows Registry. This article explains how to disable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer through the browser and through the Windows Registry. Steps apply to Internet Explorer versions 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, when installed on Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista. Microsoft no longer supports Internet Explorer and recommends that you update to the newer Edge browser. Head to their site to download the newest version.

Internet Explorer Method

To disable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer: Open Internet Explorer. Protected Mode helps prevents malicious software from exploiting vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, protecting your computer from the most common ways that hackers can gain access to your system. From the command bar, go to Tools > Internet options. In Internet Explorer 9, 10, and 11, the Tools menu reveals when you press the Alt key once. See What Version of Internet Explorer Do I Have? if you're not sure. Select the Security tab. In the bottom half of this window, directly above the several buttons you see, uncheck Enable Protected Mode, and then select OK. This will require a restart of Internet Explorer, as you may have seen next to the checkbox in this step. Choose OK if you're prompted with a Warning! dialog box, advising that The current security settings will put your computer at risk. Close Internet Explorer and then open it again. You can verify that Protected Mode is truly disabled by checking the setting again, but there should also be a brief message at the bottom of Internet Explorer saying it's turned off. Verify that Protected Mode is truly disabled by checking the setting again, but there should also be a brief message at the bottom of Internet Explorer that says it's turned off. Try again to visit the websites that were causing your problems to see if resetting the Internet Explorer security settings on your computer helped. As important as Protected Mode is, it's been known to cause problems in specific situations, so disabling it might be beneficial in troubleshooting certain scenarios. However, don't disable it unless you have reason to believe it's causing a major problem in Internet Explorer. If it's otherwise behaving normally, it's safest to keep it enabled.

Windows Registry Method

An advanced way to disable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer is through the Windows Registry. Open Registry Editor. Use the folders on the left to open the following key within the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive:
\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ In the Internet Settings key, open the Zones subkey and then open the numbered folder that corresponds to the zone that you want to disable Protected Mode in. 0: Local computer1: Intranet2: Trusted sites3: Internet4: Restricted sites Create a new REG_DWORD value called 2500 within the zone. Open the new value and set it as 3 to disable Protected Mode (0 enables it). See this Super User thread on managing Protected Mode settings in the registry for more information.

More Information About IE Protected Mode

Protected Mode isn't available with Internet Explorer installed on Windows XP. Windows Vista is the earliest operating system that supports it. There are other ways to open Internet Options. One is with Control Panel, but an even quicker method is through a Command Prompt or the Run dialog box, using the inetcpl.cpl command. Another is through Internet Explorer's menu button at the top right of the program (which you can trigger with the Alt+X keyboard shortcut). You should always keep software like Internet Explorer updated. See How to Update Internet Explorer if you need help. Protected Mode is disabled by default only in the Trusted sites and Local intranet zones, which is why you have to manually uncheck the Enable Protected Mode checkbox in the Internet and Restricted sites zones. Some versions of Internet Explorer on some versions of Windows can use what's called Enhanced Protected Mode. This is also found in the Internet Options window, but under the Advanced tab. If you enable Enhanced Protected Mode, you have to restart your computer for it to take effect. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Reset IE Security Settings to Default Levels How to Uninstall or Remove Internet Explorer How to Use the Pop-Up Blocker in Internet Explorer 11 How to Remove Write Protection on a Micro SD Card How to Disable JavaScript in Internet Explorer 11 How to Use ActiveX Filtering in Internet Explorer 11 Where to Find Internet Explorer's Temporary Internet Files How to Selectively Disable Internet Explorer Add-ons How to Manage AutoComplete in Internet Explorer 11 How to Move IE Temporary Internet Files Folder to Default Location Script Errors (What They Are and How to Fix Them) How to Disable Taskbar Button Grouping in Windows How to Turn off the Phishing Filter in Internet Explorer How to Change the Internet Explorer Home Page How to Modify Text Size in Internet Explorer How to Keep Kids From Seeing Adult Sites Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies