Disabling Warnings generated via _CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE

What is the best way to disable the warnings generated via _CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE that allows them to be reinstated with ease and will work across Visual Studio versions?

If you don't want to pollute your source code (after all this warning presents only with Microsoft compiler), add _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS symbol to your project settings via "Project"->"Properties"->"Configuration properties"->"C/C++"->"Preprocessor"->"Preprocessor definitions".

Also you can define it just before you include a header file which generates this warning. You should add something like this

#ifdef _MSC_VER
#define _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS
#endif

And just a small remark, make sure you understand what this warning stands for, and maybe, if you don't intend to use other compilers than MSVC, consider using safer version of functions i.e. strcpy_s instead of strcpy.

You could disable the warnings temporarily in places where they appear by using

#pragma warning(push)
#pragma warning(disable: warning-code) //4996 for _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS equivalent
// deprecated code here
#pragma warning(pop)

so you don't disable all warnings, which can be harmful at times.

i work on a multi platform project, so i can't use _s function and i don't want pollute my code with visual studio specific code.
my solution is disable the warning 4996 on the visual studio project. go to Project -> Properties -> Configuration properties -> C/C++ -> Advanced -> Disable specific warning add the value 4996.
if you use also the mfc and/or atl library (not my case) define before include mfc _AFX_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE and before include atl _ATL_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE.
i use this solution across visual studio 2003 and 2005.

p.s. if you use only visual studio the secure template overloads could be a good solution.

You can also use the Secure Template Overloads, they will help you replace the unsecure calls with secure ones anywhere it is possible to easily deduce buffer size (static arrays).

Just add the following:

#define _CRT_SECURE_CPP_OVERLOAD_STANDARD_NAMES 1 

Then fix the remaining warnings by hand, by using the _s functions.

Combination of @[macbirdie] and @[Adrian Borchardt] answer. Which proves to be very useful in production environment (not messing up previously existing warning, especially during cross-platform compile)

#if (_MSC_VER >= 1400)         // Check MSC version
#pragma warning(push)
#pragma warning(disable: 4996) // Disable deprecation
#endif 
//...                          // ...
strcat(base, cat);             // Sample depreciated code
//...	                       // ...
#if (_MSC_VER >= 1400)         // Check MSC version
#pragma warning(pop)           // Renable previous depreciations
#endif

For the warning by warning case, It's wise to restore it to default at some point, since you are doing it on a case by case basis.

#pragma warning(disable: 4996) /* Disable deprecation */
// Code that causes it goes here
#pragma warning(default: 4996) /* Restore default */

The best way to do this is by a simple check and assess. I usually do something like this:

#ifndef _DEPRECATION_DISABLE   /* One time only */
#define _DEPRECATION_DISABLE   /* Disable deprecation true */
#if (_MSC_VER >= 1400)         /* Check version */
#pragma warning(disable: 4996) /* Disable deprecation */
#endif /* #if defined(NMEA_WIN) && (_MSC_VER >= 1400) */
#endif /* #ifndef _DEPRECATION_DISABLE */

All that is really required is the following:

#pragma warning(disable: 4996)

Hasn't failed me yet; Hope this helps

you can disable security check. go to

Project -> Properties -> Configuration properties -> C/C++ -> Code Generation -> Security Check

and select Disable Security Check (/GS-)

You can define the _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS symbol to suppress them and undefine it to reinstate them back.

Another late answer... Here's how Microsoft uses it in their wchar.h. Notice they also disable Warning C6386:

__inline _CRT_INSECURE_DEPRECATE_MEMORY(wmemcpy_s) wchar_t * __CRTDECL
wmemcpy(_Out_opt_cap_(_N) wchar_t *_S1, _In_opt_count_(_N) const wchar_t *_S2, _In_ size_t _N)
{
    #pragma warning( push )
    #pragma warning( disable : 4996 6386 )
        return (wchar_t *)memcpy(_S1, _S2, _N*sizeof(wchar_t));
    #pragma warning( pop )
}