Exercise 1: Why RemoteSigned Treats Two Files in the Same Folder Differently — Possible Solution ==================================================================== WHY LOCATION ISN'T THE DECIDING FACTOR ------------------------------ RemoteSigned doesn't decide "local" versus "remote" based on which folder a file currently sits in - both scripts can live in the exact same folder and still be treated completely differently, because the distinction is based on how each file actually arrived on the machine, not where it currently is. THE MECHANISM: MARK OF THE WEB / ZONE.IDENTIFIER ------------------------------ Per this chapter, Windows itself tags any file that arrived via a browser, email client, or similar download path with a hidden NTFS marker called the Mark of the Web (technically a Zone.Identifier alternate data stream). A script you personally typed and saved never receives this tag, because it was never downloaded from anywhere - it was created directly on the machine. RemoteSigned checks specifically for the presence of this tag, not the file's location, so a downloaded script keeps requiring a signature (or an explicit Unblock-File) even after being moved into the very same folder as a locally-written one, and a locally-written script never needs a signature regardless of where it's saved. WHY THIS WORKS AS AN ANSWER ------------------------------ It correctly rejects file location as the deciding factor, and correctly names the Mark of the Web / Zone.Identifier alternate data stream as the actual mechanism RemoteSigned checks, explaining why the tag - not the folder - is what makes a file count as "remote."