Excel macro security fails in directory XLSTART.

[baobob]

Book1.xls contains this autoexec macro:

Sub Auto_Open()
MsgBox ("Macro Auto_Open has launched")
End Sub

My Excel 2002 (10.2614.2625) macro security is set to Medium.

No matter where Book1 resides, Excel’s Enable/Disable macro warning
dialog correctly appears whenever I open it.

*Except* in Excel’s auto-launch directory, C:\Documents and Settings
\Administrator\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART.

In that case, launching Excel automatically launches Book1, as it
should. But security completely fails, and the Sub wrongly launches
and the message displays.

What is wrong? Does Administrator status kill Excel macro security?

Thanks.

***

 

[Norman Jones]

Hi Baobob,

I believe that this is by design: Workbooks,
such as Personal.xls, which reside in the
XLStart Folder are deemed to be safe and,
as you note, are automatically opened at each
Excel session.



---
Regards.
Norman


Book1.xls contains this autoexec macro:

Sub Auto_Open()
MsgBox ("Macro Auto_Open has launched")
End Sub

My Excel 2002 (10.2614.2625) macro security is set to Medium.

No matter where Book1 resides, Excel’s Enable/Disable macro warning
dialog correctly appears whenever I open it.

*Except* in Excel’s auto-launch directory, C:\Documents and Settings
\Administrator\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART.

In that case, launching Excel automatically launches Book1, as it
should. But security completely fails, and the Sub wrongly launches
and the message displays.

What is wrong? Does Administrator status kill Excel macro security?

Thanks.

***

 

[baobob]

Norman:

Thanks much for reply.

If Excel macro security is by design overridden by the mere fact of a
workbook residing in Excel's startup directory, that is execrable.

I'll post a new thread on that.

Thanks again.

***

 

[Peter T]

You might want to study the following first -

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa203729(office.11).aspx

FWIW I have never received a virus in an xls/a attachment, nor have I found
any reference to one being in circulation since c.1996.

Regards,
Peter T

 

[baobob]

You might want to study the following first -

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa203729(office.11).aspx

FWIW I have never received a virus in an xls/a attachment, nor have I found
any reference to one being in circulation since c.1996.

Regards,
Peter T

 

[baobob]

Peter T:

Belated thanks for much for reply, and thanks for MS link, which I
just skimmed.

Altho' it mentions XLSTART, its general treatment of the topic is too
complex for me to understand. Its one mention of XLSTART is:

"It should also be noted that users do not need administrative
privileges to install macros to certain template and startup folders.
Here are two examples of these locations in Excel:

* Documents and Settings\user name\Application
* Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART"

I'm not quite sure whether that confirms that, with macro security set
to Medium, all macros run in XLSTART.

Also, that article is about Excel 2003, which evidently has a new Very
High security level over Excel 2002.

And finally, I'm now wondering whether this XLSTART override of macro
security in XLSTART is new to Excel 2002? I seem to have the feeling
that I never saw that in previous versions.

Thanks again.

***

 

[Peter T]

I suggested the link merely to give an overview that security setting and
folder location are related. Earlier you appeared to have made a pretty
strong negative judgment about the implications of the XLStart folder,
having only just become partially acquainted with the subject.

You also appeared to have misinterpreted what Norman had explained. It
occurred to me you might find it helpful to glean a little more before
venting your opinions in a new thread.

Also, that article is about Excel 2003 ....
And finally, I'm now wondering whether this XLSTART override of macro
security in XLSTART is new to Excel 2002? I seem to have the feeling
that I never saw that in previous versions.

Even in Excel 97, files in the XLStart folder do not trigger the much less
sophisticated macro security warning.

Regards,
Peter T