How to get rid of "the publisher cannot be verified" on network files?

An easier and safer option (suggested by matt wilkie in the comments) (Source)

This is the result of Microsoft trying to protect users from malicious programs. The message will appear for any shortcut or executable that is hosted on a network share.

To resolve the issue, follow the below steps:

1. First, determine what server the shortcut is hosted on.

2. Open Internet Explorer.

3. Click Tools, then Internet Options.

4. Click the ‘security’ tab. Once you are on this tab. Make sure you first click "Local Intranet", and then the "Sites" button. Click it.

5. On the form that is displayed, click ‘Advanced’.

You will be shown a list of sites that are in the "Local Intranet"

6. To add your server to the list. Type file://server where 'server' is the name of your server, Click ‘Add’.

7. Click OK, on the rest of the dialogs to get out of the settings for Internet Explorer.

You may have to remove a stream attribute/file that is attached to your program you downloaded from the Internet. Microsoft adds that for your own protection.

1. Check for alternate data streams on the file by running dir /r:

   C:\Program Files\eclipse>dir /r eclipse.exe
    Directory of C:\Program Files\eclipse
   18/11/2013  09:45 PM           319,488 eclipse.exe
                                       26 eclipse.exe:Zone.Identifier:$DATA
       ︙        ︙                  ︙       ︙
   

   If you see that Zone.Indentifier stream file attached to your downloaded file, you'll have to remove it.

2. Download streams.exe from Microsoft.

3. Run it on your program (e.g., eclipse.exe) as follows:

   C:\Program Files\eclipse>streams.exe -d *.exe
   
   Streams v1.56 - Enumerate alternate NTFS data streams
   Copyright (C) 1999-2007 Mark Russinovich
   Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com
   
   C:\Program Files\eclipse\eclipse.exe:
   Deleted :Zone.Identifier:$DATA
   C:\Program Files\eclipse\eclipsec.exe:
   Deleted :Zone.Identifier:$DATA
   
   C:\Program Files\eclipse>
   

4. Message gone.

Go to Internet Options > Security Tab > Local Intranet zone > Custom Level button

Scroll down to "Launching applications and unsafe files"

set it to enabled, hit OK.

You may have to do this for the Internet zone also.

.

type old.exe >new.exe

this worked for me