scanning

[decidime]

I scan items in the HP Smart App and save them as pdf.  After I have saved the file, I later want to open it in another program.  Yet in the preview pane, I get the message:

The file you are attempting to preview could harm your computer. If you trust the file and the source you received it from, open it to preview the contents.

I do not get this message when I scan using my computer app, only with the HP Smart Scan.

[Dragon-Fur · Accepted solution]

@decidime 

Welcome to the HP Community --

-- Short Answer --

It's likely Fine & OK -- naught to be concerned about.

-- Longer Answer -- Sources -

One of the indicators of this message is the source of the file --

For example, if the content were scanned and then saved to anywhere other than one of the local folders, then opening the file might trigger a Windows "Hey, where did this come from?" kind of response.

Conversely, were you to scan and save the data locally and then open using software on another device or network, the message might trigger to warn you that the PDF file might be from other than a local source.

Query

What is message "The file you are attempting to preview could harm your computer"

AI Quick Answer

This message indicates that Windows has disabled the preview feature for files downloaded from the internet to enhance security, as these files may contain harmful content. If you trust the file and its source, you can choose to open it to view its contents.

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What else?

Query

What is adobe PDF file structure?

AI Quick Answer

Adobe PDF file structure is organized using a combination of ASCII characters and binary content, starting with a header that includes a magic number and version. The file contains various objects, such as text, images, and graphics, arranged in a way that allows for reliable viewing and printing across different platforms.

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It's possible, too, that the "other" software you are using to open the PDF file has a built-in check that has triggered the response.  Whether the source of the message is something you can find in the file metadata depends on how badly you want to know the answer and the tools you have to extract the inner contents of the file structure.

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