Black screen and freezing computer when opening downloaded file

Question

So, I have this very weird problem, brand new windows 10 installation, nothing already install, when I try installing something like 7zip (from the official site, something I know for sure is trusted) it happens with other programs too, just example, if I don't disable the "This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer" the computer glitches and goes on a black screen and freezes, needing a forced shutdown.

The installation media is not corrupted, the download is not corrupted, I tested everything on other computers and only this especific computer does this. BUT, if I disable the "This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer" option, everything goes fine, no freezes, no black screen, no drama.

Tried updating, tried DISM, tried everything I know.

Answer 1

1. After recovering from a crash, check Event Viewer
2. Look in both "Application" and "System" logs for errors around the time of the crash
3. Any error codes could give us more specific information The black screen could indicate a graphics driver problem that's triggered when Windows security features scan files Try updating your graphics drivers directly from the manufacturer's website

Answer 2

Hi, I'm Henry! I will help you with this.

I see that your system is experiencing black screen and freezing issues when opening downloaded files, specifically when Windows blocks them for security reasons. Since disabling the "This file came from another computer and might be blocked" option resolves the issue, it suggests that Windows' security settings or Attachment Manager might be interfering.

1. Unblock Files Automatically

• Instead of manually unblocking each file, you can disable Windows from marking downloaded files as blocked:
  • Press Windows Key + R then type regedit and hit Enter.
  • 
  • Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments
• If you can’t find Attachments folder then right-click on Policies then select New > Key.
• 
• Name this key as Attachments and hit Enter.
• Now right-click on Attachments then select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
• Name this newly created DWORD as SaveZoneInformation and hit Enter.
• Double-click on SaveZoneInformation then change it’s value to 1.
• If in future you need to enable Zone information simply right-click on SaveZoneInformation DWORD and select Delete.
• Close Registry Editor then reboot your PC to save changes.

2. Disable SmartScreen Temporarily

• Open Windows Security (Windows Defender).
• Go to App & Browser Control.
• Under Reputation-based protection, turn off SmartScreen for Windows Store apps and SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge.
• Test if the issue persists.

3. Check Group Policy Settings

• Open Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).
• Navigate to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Attachment Manager
• Enable "Do not preserve zone information in file attachments" to prevent Windows from blocking files.
• 
• If you need to enable or disable zone information do the following:
  • To Enable Downloaded Files from being Blocked: Select Not configured or Disable
  • To Disable Downloaded Files from being Blocked: Select Enabled
• 
• Click Apply followed by OK.
• Reboot your PC to save changes.

4. Run Windows Security Scan

• Open Windows Security and run a Full Scan to check for malware or security conflicts.

5. Try a Different User Profile

• Create a new local user account and test if the issue persists there.

Let me know if any of these solutions work for you.