I disabled my "Download This" button function completely, utilizing:

/* THIS IS A COMMENT BECAUSE

(code here)

*/

under mod\file\pages\file\view.php

starting on line 27 my file now looks like:

/* THIS IS A COMMENT BECAUSE
elgg_register_menu_item('title', array(
    'name' => 'download',
    'text' => elgg_echo('file:download'),
    'href' => "mod/file/download.php?file_guid=$file->guid",
    'link_class' => 'elgg-button elgg-button-action',
    
)); */

instead of:

elgg_register_menu_item('title', array(
    'name' => 'download',
    'text' => elgg_echo('file:download'),
    'href' => "mod/file/download.php?file_guid=$file->guid",
    'link_class' => 'elgg-button elgg-button-action',
    
));

so the users cannot even see the download function.  Should I decide to allow a file download i'll just create a download link to it.  This was my fix until a toggle is created.