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Excel 2007 Security Issue

Binif Posted messages 12 Status Member -  
brupala Posted messages 111140 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   -
Hello,

Hello,

Despite extensive research without finding a solution, I am reaching out to you to approve a location on a workstation knowing that the Excel files are on a file server.

Let me explain:
We have a small business server that we recently set up.
When I place Excel files containing macros and VBA code, the security message appears.
I would like this message to no longer appear, so

1- I attempted to approve the network drive location (Y:\Gestion chantiers\Excel), but Microsoft Office security tells me that I cannot approve this location for security reasons. Given that I checked the "Allow approved locations on my network" box, I find this normal because the server is upstream of the network and therefore not visible in favorites. I only have the folder sharing on the D:\ drive that I connect as a network drive on the workstations.

2- Since Office does not want to recognize it, I went into the registry to manually enter the path (Hkey_current_user\......\....\..\ trusted locations) but again this does not work; when I go back to the trust center, this path is greyed out and cannot be selected. I then tried several paths both expanded and not, but nothing works.

4- Regarding the network drives, I have a .bat file that runs on startup on each workstation (it deletes the network drives and recreates them in case a user comes in to cause issues). In this .bat file, we have the username and password for access rights assignment.

5- I think I have covered everything I know, but now I'm completely stuck, and I wonder if there isn't an "Office manager" to install on the server for this.

If you have any ideas or even THE solution, you are welcome.

Configuration: Windows XP / Firefox 11.0

8 answers

  1.
    ben69 Posted messages 3137 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   677
     
    Hello,
    What is the exact message?

    Did you go to the office options to change the macro security level and approve them by default?
    --
    Software is like sex, it's better when it's free... ;-)
    Me, I'm a PC, Windows 7 wasn't my idea and I don't need it!
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  2. Binif Posted messages 12 Status Member
     
    Yes, I have already tested allowing all macros without a security message and it works, but that is not what I want because I do not control what others download.
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  3. ben69 Posted messages 3137 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   677
     
    Well,
    If you read this article, you will see that you can disable macros without notifications but place some in approved locations.
    I don't know if this answers your issue:
    https://support.microsoft.com/fr-fr/office/modifier-les-param%c3%a8tres-de-s%c3%a9curit%c3%a9-des-macros-dans-excel-a97c09d2-c082-46b8-b19f-e8621e8fe373?ocmsassetid=hp010342232&correlationid=3bb066aa-c51a-42d6-a9ed-816dca35b001&ui=fr-fr&rs=fr-fr&ad=fr
    Software is like sex, it's better when it's free... ;-)
    As for me, I'm a PC, Windows 7 wasn't my idea and I don't need it!
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  4. Binif Posted messages 12 Status Member
     
    Thank you for looking into my issue,

    But I do not wish to open a door via Excel for viruses from downloads that I do not control on certain workstations.

    We have just installed the file server, and therefore I need to migrate a stock of about 50 Excel files onto the server that we are still using.

    These files already have VBA for other things, but I do not want to redo a VBA integration on the existing files unless I redo code to automate it or create a digital signature for all these files.

    I am looking for a simple way to approve the location from each workstation to facilitate the migration, and on an example file, I am trying to obtain this approval, but nothing works.

    I have already tried modifying the registry, but the path remains grayed out in the trusted locations and it doesn't work.

    I have already approved the locations on my network in a shared folder on a regular computer, and I can access it without security messages after approving that folder.

    Example:
    \\Production\production\

    This being the path to a computer on my network named "Production" in a shared folder named "Production," this location works by approval via the management center.

    Now I think my problem comes more from the fact that it is not a computer on my network but the server itself, which does not appear in network favorites, so the path is not found, especially with an approval like:

    Y:\Excel\

    Y being the network drive, Excel does not accept it; there must be a way to name this path correctly.
    The worst part is that a partition is accepted by Excel, for example, if I ask it to approve the D partition, by going through the management center, it accepts it.

    D:\Excel\

    I'm stuck now... ^^
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    1. ben69 Posted messages 3137 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   677
       
      Alright, I can't see it.
      Maybe someone else can guide you!
      Sorry and good luck (or you know how to say it).
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  6. brupala Posted messages 111140 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   14 441
     
    Hi,
    I don't quite understand ...
    do you have a domain or not?
    because:
    4- Regarding network drives, I have a .bat file that runs at startup on each workstation (It deletes the network drives and recreates them in case a user comes to cause trouble). This .bat file contains the username and their password for access rights assignment.
    that does not exist on a domain.
    Maybe you are in the process of migrating from a workgroup system to a domain?
    If you integrate the user workstations into the domain, it will certainly simplify your life.

    --
    and ... There you go!
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  7. Binif Posted messages 12 Status Member
     
    No domain for the moment.
    No IT specialist in the company.

    So to keep it simple, we didn't have a server and to avoid crazy expenses, I installed a Small Business Server 2011, created user groups, users, and shared folders with permissions according to the groups.

    Then I created network drives with usernames and passwords of users on each workstation since we are a small company and I don't have any constraints at the moment with this way of functioning and it will allow me to see what comes for the domain. Without disrupting the service and making backups easier for me.
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    1. brupala Posted messages 111140 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   14 441
       
      Yes, but without a domain,
      that makes securing things seriously complicated and I’m not very familiar with Office 2007, but I guess that's what it doesn't like.
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    2. Binif Posted messages 12 Status Member
       
      Sometimes you can't have it all... ^^
      I will evolve into a different field later, but not at the moment.
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    3. Binif Posted messages 12 Status Member
       
      Nothing to do to get the network reader's approval, I'm still looking...
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    4. brupala Posted messages 111140 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   14 441
       
      The approval?
      At what level, at the time of connection or when accessing the files?
      I said the account name is identical and the password is identical, not empty.
      Or I may not have mentioned it in this discussion yet.
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  8. Binif Posted messages 12 Status Member
     
    Here is the .bat file that I run at startup on the workstations.

    net use z: /DELETE
    net use y: /DELETE

    net use z: "\\192.168.x.xx\chantiers" /USER:192.168.x.xx\user password
    net use y: "\\192.168.x.xx\gestion chantiers" /USER:192.168.x.xx\user password

    User and password need to be set according to the server based on the users created with their respective passwords.

    So the network drives are created on each workstation based on the .bat file I set up since my users do not change workstations; I have a different .bat file on each workstation.

    In the Y network drive, there is a folder that contains my Excel files with macros.
    And I can't get the approval for this drive in Excel to avoid the security message that blocks my macros.

    That's to make it clearer.
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  9. Binif Posted messages 12 Status Member
     
    I have already done all of this and it doesn't work.

    "The path you entered cannot be used as a trusted location for security reasons. Choose another location or a specific folder."

    Even by searching for a folder or subfolder, nothing happens.
    Even by going directly through the registry and forcing the trusted locations, the path appears greyed out and doesn't work.

    Thank you.

    I might try going through the policies.
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    1. brupala Posted messages 111140 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   14 441
       
      The strategies in a workgroup, I have doubts.
      I really think these securities are difficult to implement outside of a domain.
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