When you open a PowerPoint file from a network drive or an external folder, you often see a yellow security warning bar stating that macros, ActiveX controls, and other active content have been disabled. This warning appears because PowerPoint treats any file outside of a trusted location as potentially unsafe. Setting a trusted location tells PowerPoint to skip those security checks for files in that specific folder, so you can open and edit presentations without repeated warnings. This article explains how to add a trusted folder in PowerPoint and what precautions you should take before doing so.
Key Takeaways: Adding a Trusted Folder in PowerPoint
- File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Trusted Locations: The menu path to access the trusted locations list.
- Add New Location button: Opens a dialog where you browse to a folder and optionally allow subfolders.
- Disable all Trusted Locations check box: A global override that turns off all trusted locations — do not enable it unless you want to force warnings for every file.
What a Trusted Location Does and Why You Need It
A trusted location is a folder that PowerPoint treats as safe. When you open a presentation from a trusted location, PowerPoint does not display the security warning bar or disable active content such as macros, ActiveX controls, and data connections. This is useful when you regularly work with files from a shared network drive, a project folder, or a cloud sync folder that you know contains only safe content.
PowerPoint uses the Trust Center to manage security settings. By default, only the following folders are trusted:
- PowerPoint program installation folders (generally not user-accessible)
- Template folders for Office
- Add-in folders
Any file outside these folders triggers a warning. Adding a custom folder to the trusted locations list bypasses this warning for that folder only. The setting applies to all Office applications that share the Trust Center, including Word and Excel, but this article focuses on PowerPoint.
Prerequisites
Before you add a trusted location, confirm that:
- You have administrator rights on the computer. Standard users can view trusted locations but cannot add or remove them unless Group Policy allows it.
- The folder you want to trust does not contain files from untrusted sources. Once trusted, PowerPoint will run all active content in that folder without warning.
- You are using PowerPoint 2013 or later (including PowerPoint for Microsoft 365). The steps are identical across these versions.
Steps to Add a Trusted Location in PowerPoint
- Open PowerPoint and go to File > Options
In the backstage view, select Options at the bottom of the left pane. The PowerPoint Options dialog opens. - Select Trust Center in the left sidebar
Scroll down the left pane and click Trust Center. On the right side, click the button labeled Trust Center Settings. - Click Trusted Locations in the left pane of the Trust Center
The Trust Center dialog shows a list of currently trusted folders. Each entry includes the path, the description, and whether subfolders are also trusted. - Click Add New Location
A small dialog titled Microsoft Office Trusted Location appears. - Browse to the folder you want to trust
Click Browse, navigate to the folder (for example, C:\Users\YourName\SharedPresentations), and select it. The path appears in the Path field. - Optional: Enable Subfolders
Check the box labeled Subfolders of this location are also trusted if you want all folders inside the selected folder to be trusted. Leave it unchecked to trust only the exact folder. - Add a description (recommended)
In the Description field, type a short note such as “Shared project folder” or “Network drive for client files.” This helps you identify the location later. - Click OK to close the Add Location dialog
The new location appears in the list. - Click OK twice to close both dialogs
First click OK in the Trust Center dialog, then click OK in the PowerPoint Options dialog. The setting is saved immediately.
If PowerPoint Still Shows Warnings After Adding a Trusted Location
The warning bar still appears for files in the trusted folder
This usually happens when the file itself has a digital signature that has expired or is from an untrusted publisher. Even in a trusted location, PowerPoint checks the signature separately. To fix this, go to File > Info and check if the file has a signature. If it does, remove the signature or ask the sender to re-sign it with a valid certificate.
PowerPoint does not save the trusted location after restart
This occurs when Group Policy overrides the Trust Center settings. Your organization may have a policy that prevents users from adding trusted locations. Contact your IT administrator to add the folder through a Group Policy update. Alternatively, you can check if the policy is enabled by opening File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Trusted Locations. If the Add New Location button is grayed out, Group Policy is active.
Macros still do not run even after trusting the folder
Open File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings. Make sure the option Enable all macros is not selected. If it is, change it to Disable all macros with notification. Trusted locations override macro settings, so macros in the trusted folder should run even when the global setting is set to disable macros with notification. If they do not, check that the file is not blocked by Windows. Right-click the file, select Properties, and on the General tab, check the Unblock box if it appears.
Trusted Location vs Other Security Options in PowerPoint
| Item | Trusted Location | Enable Content Button | Digital Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Folder-level trust — all files in folder bypass warnings | One-time click to enable content for a single file | File-level trust based on publisher certificate |
| Persistence | Permanent until removed from the list | Lasts only for the current session; warning reappears each time the file is opened | Permanent as long as the certificate is valid and trusted |
| Scope | All files in the folder and optionally subfolders | Only the current file | Only the signed file |
| Best for | Network shares, project folders, or cloud sync folders you control | One-off files from colleagues or clients | Files distributed widely where the publisher is known |
After adding a trusted location, you can open any presentation in that folder without seeing the security warning bar. Macros, ActiveX controls, and data connections will run automatically. Before trusting a folder, confirm that only safe files are stored there. If you later decide to remove the location, return to the Trusted Locations list, select the entry, and click Remove. This action takes effect immediately and does not require restarting PowerPoint.