Turn Off File Download “Quarantining” [OS X Tips]

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nodownload

Ever get tired of the dialog that appears whenever you run or access a file you’ve downloaded? It can be an annoying halt to a workflow, especially if you already know not to trust files downloaded from questionable websites. Here’s how to turn off the warning.

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Here’s another tip from Mac Kung Fu, which contains over 300 tips, tricks, hints and hacks for OS X. It’s available from Amazon as well as other bookstores, and also as an ebook for all eReaders.

Whenever you download a file using a web browser, your Mac will warn you when you first open it that it could be dangerous. It’ll tell you when you downloaded it and from where. This is known as quarantining and can get annoying after a while, especially if you only download files from sources you know are safe.

To permanently turn off this warning message, open a Terminal window (Finder->Applications->Utilities->Terminal) and type the following:

defaults write com.apple.LaunchServices LSQuarantine -bool FALSE

Then log out and back in again to have the changes take effect. If in the future you wish to restore the warning system, type the following:

defaults delete com.apple.LaunchServices LSQuarantine

You’ll need to log out and back in again for the changes to take effect.

If you’re interested, free antivirus software for your Mac can be got from a handful of sources. ClamXav (https://www.clamxav.com) can be got from the App Store for free, although only offers “on demand” file scanning (that is, you must manually scan suspect files). Home users can try Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition: https://www.sophos.com/en- us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx, which is also free of charge and offers full behind-the-scenes protection. 

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