Powerpoint: Read-Only button not available

[pat]

Hi, I've got an odd problem that has been presented many times in
this group but never fully answered to what I have found.

Essentially, my user profile is messed up in a way that doesn't allow
me to open password protected files in Powerpoint 2003 or 2007. I get
the box that prompts me for a password, but the read only button is
not present. On the same machine I can log in as a different user
and open the same file and get the read only button to be shown and
open the file.

Aside from deleting and re-creating the profile, is there anything I
can edit (probably in the registry?) to resolve this?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi, I've got an odd problem that has been presented many times in
this group but never fully answered to what I have found.

Essentially, my user profile is messed up in a way that doesn't allow
me to open password protected files in Powerpoint 2003 or 2007. I get
the box that prompts me for a password, but the read only button is
not present. On the same machine I can log in as a different user
and open the same file and get the read only button to be shown and
open the file.

Aside from deleting and re-creating the profile, is there anything I
can edit (probably in the registry?) to resolve this?

Have you done Help, Detect and Repair (in 2003)?

 

[pat]

Yes, and in 2007. I really don't think it's a problem with Office
itself, more of a user problem. Probably in the registry for that
user, however nothing stood out to me when I was browsing around.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hmm. Just a wild guess, but it seems to me there's a Cryptographic service that
might be involved here.

Try this:

Start, Run
Type "services.msc" (w/o the quotes) and click OK

Look for the crypto service and verify that it's not disabled and that it is
already running.

 

[pat]

Hi, the service is indeed running... Any other ideas?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I'm out of ideas, I'm afraid. It might be time for a call to MS tech support.

One other thing though; are these ordinary password-protected files (ie, File,
Save As, choose Tools, Security Options and assign a password? As opposed to a
setup using rights management, that is.

 

[pat]

Yes, I can open the same file with the read only button on multiple
other computers.. and I can create another user on the same computer
and open it just fine. (which is the workaround I currently am using)

At this point I'll probably just go ahead and blow away the profile
and recreate it. Thanks anyway!

 

[Echo S]

FWIW, I have seen this issue, and the only resolution we could come up with
was what you've decided -- recreate the profile.

I've no idea what causes the problem in the first place, but it is
maddening, I know!

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Rats. OK, what you might try is to use the Files And Settings Transfer wizard to
save your existing user settings and transfer them to the new user. I'm not sure
whether it'll do this but if it does, it might save lots of setup time.

I'm guessing that it might leave behind whatever screwup's causing the problem but
save the good stuff.