Microsoft Edge displays "Open this file" or "Report file as unsafe" pop-up when editing a document

Issue

When opening a document for editing, the Microsoft Edge browser displays a pop-up warning about the file, either:

• "Open this file"
• "Report file as unsafe?"

Clicking the "Open" button, Edge will open a new tab and display the same pop-up in a loop.

Cause:

This is caused by Microsoft Defender Smartscreen, designed to protect against phishing or malware websites and applications, and the downloading of potentially malicious files.

Solution:

Contact your IT team to review the Microsoft Defender Smartscreen settings, and update as required to resolve the issue.

For more information on Microsoft Defender Smartscreen, refer to https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/microsoft-defender-smartscreen/microsoft-defender-smartscreen-overview