The Security Blockade
Google Chrome includes a robust security feature known as Safe Browsing, designed to protect users from malware and phishing attacks. As part of this protection, Chrome will automatically block the download of certain files. It does this if it detects a known malicious signature, if the file is an executable (.exe, .bat) from an unknown source, or increasingly, if the file is being downloaded over an insecure HTTP connection while the main page is on HTTPS (a “mixed content” download). While this keeps the average user safe, if you are a developer downloading specific niche tools, testing your own insecure server, or trying to access legacy software, Chrome’s automatic blocking is a severe impediment.
Bypassing Safe Browsing Restrictions
To regain complete control over what files you can save to your computer and stop Google Chrome from automatically blocking downloads it deems dangerous or insecure, you must lower the Safe Browsing protection level.
Open Google Chrome. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the window and select Settings. In the left-hand navigation pane, click on Privacy and security. In the main window, click on Security. Look at the “Safe Browsing” section. By default, this is likely set to “Standard protection” or “Enhanced protection.” To completely stop Chrome from blocking files, you must select the radio button for No protection (not recommended). A warning dialogue will appear; click Turn off to confirm. Warning: This makes your browser highly vulnerable. If Chrome is only blocking specific insecure (HTTP) downloads rather than malware, you can leave Safe Browsing on and instead go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings > Insecure content, and explicitly add the specific website’s URL to the “Allowed to show insecure content” list.