Disable Microsoft Office File Validation

[Iain King]

As per http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2501584

"Known issues with Office File Validation

* Files that were created in Microsoft Excel 2.0, Microsoft Excel
3.0, or Microsoft Excel 4.0 will fail validation when you use Office
File Validation in Office 2003.
* Solver.xla will fail validation when you use Office File
Validation in Office 2003.
* When you paste lots of charts or points of data into an Office
2003 document, the paste function may take a long time to complete
while Office File Validation tries to validate the new data.
* Opening files from a network share that have many charts or
points of data will take longer to open in Office 2003. "

We just installed this update across our system, and the last issue is
the problem (we use Office 2003): "will take longer" in this case
means crippling long load times, and all our workbooks are on network
shares. Microsoft is investigating, and I expect there'll be a fix
sometime soon, but meanwhile we can't get any work done.
Is there a way to disable this feature? It is labelled an Add-In, but
does not appear in the add-ins list.

!!!Found the answer before I hit send on this, at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg985445(office.12).aspx

paraphrasing:
"To prevent Office File Validation from validating files you must
create the following DWORD registry key and assign it a value of “0”
for the specified application in Office 2003 or Office 2007:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\<11.0 or 12.0>
\<application>\Security\FileValidation\EnableOnLoad
"

Posting anyway, since when I searched the microsoft.public.excel the
answer wasn't here.

Iain

 

[Gavin Hall]

As perhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/2501584

"Known issues with Office File Validation

    * Files that were created in Microsoft Excel 2.0, Microsoft Excel
3.0, or Microsoft Excel 4.0 will fail validation when you use Office
File Validation in Office 2003.
    * Solver.xla will fail validation when you use Office File
Validation in Office 2003.
    * When you paste lots of charts or points of data into an Office
2003 document, the paste function may take a long time to complete
while Office File Validation tries to validate the new data.
    * Opening files from a network share that have many charts or
points of data will take longer to open in Office 2003. "

We just installed this update across our system, and the last issue is
the problem (we use Office 2003): "will take longer" in this case
means crippling long load times, and all our workbooks are on network
shares.  Microsoft is investigating, and I expect there'll be a fix
sometime soon, but meanwhile we can't get any work done.
Is there a way to disable this feature?  It is labelled an Add-In, but
does not appear in the add-ins list.

!!!Found the answer before I hit send on this, at:http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg985445(office.12).aspx

paraphrasing:
"To prevent Office File Validation from validating files you must
create the following DWORD registry key and assign it a value of “0”
for the specified application in Office 2003 or Office 2007:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\<11.0 or 12.0>
\<application>\Security\FileValidation\EnableOnLoad
"

Posting anyway, since when I searched the microsoft.public.excel the
answer wasn't here.

Iain

Thanks for this. I've been pulling my hair out for the past 24hours as
several of my PCs running Office 2003 and Windows XP have started
having problems opening Excel files over the network. As per you,
local Excel files open immediately, but over the network you can be
waiting ages,

Anyway, my fix was to simply uninstall the "Microsoft Office File
Validation Add-in" KB2501584 via Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and
Excel is returned to normal function!

Hopefully this will help others.

Gavin

 

[Rosinant]

Hi,
yesterday after this update some of computer have problem to open files from network. last issue is
the problem (with Office 2003) "take longer" long load times.

 

[Rosinant]

in windows 7 i can't find this update in Add /Remove Program only i see on computers with XP have Microsoft Office File Validation Add-in

 

[Ron_Ellis]

We began accepting the 'high priority' “Microsoft Office File Validation Add-In“ and found to our dismay and after hours of troubleshooting, it was responsible for a delay of 5 to 6 minutes on opening Excel documents over a network share. The same files locally or after removal of the the ofendign 'Add-in' would open in just 4 to 6 seconds (Not minutes)! Once identified we had no trouble removing the offending update, or blocking from future re-installation.

 

[gseales]

Thanks Gavin! That fixed my problem with long delays opening Excel files on DFS. Server 2003 and XP Client.