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how-to-enable-clickonce-security-settings.md

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title Enable & configure ClickOnce security
description Learn how the Publish wizard automatically enables code access security for ClickOnce applications to publish the application.
ms.date 05/06/2025
ms.topic how-to
f1_keywords
vb.ProjectPropertiesSecurity
vb.XBAPProjectPropertiesSecurity
vs.err.debug_in_zone_no_hostproc
dev_langs
VB
CSharp
C++
helpviewer_keywords
security [Visual Studio], ClickOnce applications
ClickOnce deployment, security settings
security settings, ClickOnce deployment
author mikejo5000
ms.author mikejo
ms.subservice deployment

Enable and configure ClickOnce security settings in Visual Studio

You can enable and configure ClickOnce security settings in the Security page of the Project Designer. In this article, you learn how to enable security settings, configure security zones, and configure customized security zones.

[!INCLUDEndptecclick]

Enable ClickOnce security settings

Code access security for ClickOnce applications must be enabled in order to publish the application. This is done automatically when you publish an application using the Publish wizard. For more information about code access security and security zones, see Code Access Security for ClickOnce Applications.

In some cases, enabling code access security can impact performance when building or debugging your application; in these cases, you may wish to temporarily disable the security settings.

ClickOnce security settings can be enabled or disabled on the Security page of the Project Designer.

  1. With a project selected in Solution Explorer, on the Project menu, click Properties.

  2. Click the Security tab.

  3. Select the Enable ClickOnce Security Settings check box.

    You can now customize the security settings for your application on the Security page.

    [!NOTE] This check box is automatically selected each time the application is published with the Publish wizard.

To disable ClickOnce security settings

  1. With a project selected in Solution Explorer, on the Project menu, click Properties.

  2. Click the Security tab.

  3. Clear the Enable ClickOnce Security Settings check box.

    Your application will be run with the full trust security settings; any settings on the Security page will be ignored.

    [!NOTE] Each time the application is published with the Publish wizard, this check box will be selected; you must clear it again after each successful publish.

Set a security zone for a ClickOnce application

When setting code access security permissions for a ClickOnce application, you need to start with a base set of permissions on the Security page of the Project Designer.

In most cases, you can also choose the Internet zone which contains a limited set of permissions, or the Local Intranet zone which contains a greater set of permissions. If your application requires custom permissions, you can do so by choosing the Custom security zone.

To set a security zone

  1. With a project selected in Solution Explorer, on the Project menu click Properties.

  2. Click the Security tab.

  3. Select the Enable ClickOnce Security Settings check box.

  4. Select the This is a partial trust application option button.

    The controls in the ClickOnce security permissions section are enabled.

  5. In the Zone your application will be installed from drop-down list, select a security zone.

Set custom permissions for a ClickOnce application

You can deploy a ClickOnce application that uses default permissions for the Internet or Local Intranet zones. Alternatively, you can create a custom zone for the specific permissions that the application needs. You can do this by customizing the security permissions on the Security page of the Project Designer.

To customize a permission

  1. With a project selected in Solution Explorer, on the Project menu, click Properties.

  2. Click the Security tab.

  3. Select the Enable ClickOnce Security Settings check box.

  4. Select the This is a partial trust application option button.

    The controls in the ClickOnce security permissions section are enabled.

  5. From the Zone your application will be installed from drop-down list, click (Custom).

  6. Click Edit Permissions XML.

    The app.manifest file opens in the XML Editor.

  7. Before the </applicationRequestMinimum> element, add XML code for permissions that your application requires.

    [!NOTE] You can use the ToXml method of a permission set to generate the XML code for the application manifest. For example, to generate the XML for the xref:System.Security.Permissions.EnvironmentPermission permission set, call the xref:System.Security.Permissions.EnvironmentPermission.ToXml%2A method.

Configure debugging for a security zone

You can specify security settings related to debugging in a zone.

  1. With a project selected in Solution Explorer, on the Project menu, click Properties.

  2. Click the Security tab.

  3. Select the Enable ClickOnce Security Settings check box.

  4. Select the This is a partial trust application option button.

  5. Select Advanced.

  6. Select Grant the application access to its site of origin

    If you select this check box, the application can access the website or server share on which it is published. By default, this option is selected.

  7. In the Debug this application as if it were downloaded from the following URL box, enter the URL.

    If you need to allow the application to access the website or server share corresponding to the Installation URL you specified on the Publish page, enter that URL here.

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