How do I block a user from opening an excel spreadsheet in word?

[Guest]

We have several users that keep opening an excel spreadsheet in word, and
even tho word pops up a box telling them its a spreadsheet, they still go
ahead and open it and instead of just closing it, they save it, destroying
the spreadsheet. Is there a way to not allow them to open an excel
spreadsheet in word?

We are currently using Office 97, and we are getting ready to update to
Office 2003, so help with either version would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi GrannyM

One way around this may be to paste the Excel into Word as a picture. Copy
the range in Excel, then in Word do Edit > Paste Special and choose to paste
as an Enhanced Metafile picture. You can still link this to the original
Excel file if you need to. But it is a picture, and can't be opened as an
Excel spreadsheet.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

 

[Guest]

Sorry, I'm not wanting a way to work with an inserted spreadsheet, I just
want to block them from using Word to open an existing spreadsheet. We have
over 200 users and there a few that keep destroying spreadsheets because the
light hasn't clicked on that you open a spreadsheet in excel and a document
in word.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Granny,

Put this macro into a template (http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm)
and store the template in the Startup location for Word on the user's
machine (see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/WhatTemplatesStore.htm).

Sub AutoOpen()
If Right$(ActiveDocument.FullName, 4) = ".xls" Then
ActiveDocument.Close SaveChanges:=wdDoNotSaveChanges
MsgBox "Stop trying to open spreadsheets in Word!"
End If
End Sub

Each time they try to open a .xls file in Word, after they plow their way
through the conversion dialogs, the spreadsheet will open for about a
quarter of a second and immediately close, followed by the nastygram. If
they complain about it, fire them. ;-)

 

[Guest]

Thanks Jay! I had thought about hijacking the FileOpen dialog box and
putting this condition in there, but I thought there had to be a way of just
turning the conversion feature off. I'll give this a try. As for firing
them, if only I had that power!!! Anyone can click on the wrong file and
accidently open it in the wrong application, but to save something that looks
like a complete disaster - it's beyond my understanding!

Thanks again!