The hyperlink was blocked by OneNote

Reported
Anonymous
2025-07-04T08:45:40+00:00

I inserted a hyperlink in OneNote that points to a folder, such as C:\Users (not a specific file). When I click the hyperlink, OneNote displays the message:

"Your administrator has blocked your ability to open this file type in OneNote."

How can I resolve this issue?

I understand that OneNote may block access to certain file types based on their extensions, but a hyperlink like this doesn't have a "file extension" that I can exclude via Group Policy.

This issue started occurring after installing update KB5002714. Is this a known issue?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For business | Windows

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Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2025-07-04T09:48:03+00:00

Dear komorebiBE, 

Thank you for posting your question to the Microsoft Support Community. 

The error message "Your administrator has blocked your ability to open this file type in OneNote" when clicking a hyperlink to a local folder (e.g., C:\Users) is likely related to security changes introduced in update KB5002714 for OneNote 2016. This update strengthens protection against potentially unsafe links, and unfortunately, it may also block folder paths, even though they don’t have file extensions. 

You can try the following suggestions: 

  1. Use a shortcut file (.lnk) 
    Create a shortcut to the folder and insert a hyperlink to that .lnk file instead.
  2. Use OneNote for Web 
    Try opening the notebook in OneNote Web, folder links may work there without restriction.
  3. Check with your IT administrator 
    If you're in a managed environment, ask your admin to review Group Policy settings under: 
    User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft OneNote > Block file extensions for hyperlinks 
    While folders don’t have extensions, this policy may still affect how OneNote handles them.
  4. Uninstall KB5002714. 
    If the issue critically affects your workflow and no policy override is possible, you may consider uninstalling the update via: 
    Control Panel > Programs > View Installed Updates > KB5002714 > Uninstall

This behavior is part of a design change aimed at improving security in enterprise environments. While it helps reduce risks, it may also impact usability in certain scenarios. If folder hyperlinks are important to your workflow, we strongly encourage you to submit feedback via Help > Feedback in OneNote. The more users report and upvote this concern, the more likely it is that Microsoft will review and consider improvements in future updates. 

If this answer helps, please consider marking it as Answer. This not only highlights the solution for others with the same issue, but also helps bring more visibility to the topic — increasing the chance that Microsoft will take it into account. 

Best regards, 

Thu-D/Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2025-07-17T14:21:43+00:00

Hi @komorebiBE,

I encountered this issue as well. After some investigation, I found an official Microsoft support article that explains the behavior:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/error-your-administrator-has-blocked-your-ability-to-open-this-file-type-in-onenote-when-selecting-a-link-to-certain-folder-paths-1290dd67-c04e-460f-a474-13c2b1baa69e

According to the article, OneNote blocks certain folder path links (such as file:// or mapped drives) due to security policies. The current status is listed as "Investigating", and Microsoft has stated:

We are working on a fix for this issue and will provide an update when it becomes available. In the meantime, the only workaround is to copy the network folder (UNC path) or local folder path and paste it directly into File Explorer to access the folder.

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-07-13T00:33:33+00:00

    None of the 'solutions' provided by MS are viable for the majority of users it seems. I don't know why they are recommending checking group policy as there does not appear to be any GP settings for OneNote in the suggested answer.

    If you are using a 'click-to-run' version of office, you can downgrade to an earlier version as a work around until Microsoft *fixes* this boneheaded update.
    Follow the guide here:
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/how-to-revert-to-an-earlier-version-of-office-2bd5c457-a917-d57e-35a1-f709e3dda841

    I chose build 18827.20176 (released at the end of June) and tested. I can verify that this version does not exhibit this behaviour.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-07-12T15:54:58+00:00

    None of these work for a non-commercial user. I am trying to use a file:///C:\ link to a local directory. There is no extension that could be affected, so this KB makes no sense. Searching for KB5002714 gives a description for OneNote 2016, and I am using 365.

    1. How do you actually create a hyperlink to a shortcut? This makes no sense in the first place.
    2. Why would I use a Web version and how is accessing a local file more secure than linking through the desktop app?
    3. Consumers don't get the Group Policy editor.
    4. KB5002714 is not installed! What's the KB for 365?

    You can try the following suggestions: 

    1. Use a shortcut file (.lnk) 
      Create a shortcut to the folder and insert a hyperlink to that .lnk file instead.

     

    1. Use OneNote for Web 
      Try opening the notebook in OneNote Web, folder links may work there without restriction.

     

    1. Check with your IT administrator 
      If you're in a managed environment, ask your admin to review Group Policy settings under: 
      User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft OneNote > Block file extensions for hyperlinks 
      While folders don’t have extensions, this policy may still affect how OneNote handles them.

     

    1. Uninstall KB5002714. 
      If the issue critically affects your workflow and no policy override is possible, you may consider uninstalling the update via: 
      Control Panel > Programs > View Installed Updates > KB5002714 > Uninstall

     

    None of those suggested solutions worked me either, and I'm a "commercial user." using Office 365 for Business.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-07-12T15:27:39+00:00

    None of these work for a non-commercial user. I am trying to use a file:///C:\ link to a local directory. There is no extension that could be affected, so this KB makes no sense. Searching for KB5002714 gives a description for OneNote 2016, and I am using 365.

    1. How do you actually create a hyperlink to a shortcut? This makes no sense in the first place.
    2. Why would I use a Web version and how is accessing a local file more secure than linking through the desktop app?
    3. Consumers don't get the Group Policy editor.
    4. KB5002714 is not installed! What's the KB for 365?

    You can try the following suggestions: 

    1. Use a shortcut file (.lnk) 
      Create a shortcut to the folder and insert a hyperlink to that .lnk file instead.

     

    1. Use OneNote for Web 
      Try opening the notebook in OneNote Web, folder links may work there without restriction.

     

    1. Check with your IT administrator 
      If you're in a managed environment, ask your admin to review Group Policy settings under: 
      User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft OneNote > Block file extensions for hyperlinks 
      While folders don’t have extensions, this policy may still affect how OneNote handles them.

     

    1. Uninstall KB5002714. 
      If the issue critically affects your workflow and no policy override is possible, you may consider uninstalling the update via: 
      Control Panel > Programs > View Installed Updates > KB5002714 > Uninstall
    0 comments