I am working in an environment where certain spreadsheets are password
protected, but the developers do not know the passwords. Even if we did,
writing them into the code would be against policy as well.

For now, we are running Excel 2000. Our code can modify password-protected
sheets by setting UserInterfaceOnly = True, which does not require a password.

What about when we move to Excel 2002? Setting UserInterfaceOnly will no
longer work for us since we cannot provide a password.

Is there an alternative in Excel 2002 that will allow the code to make
changes to the spreadsheets that the end-user is not allowed to make?

Thanks!

Lee

You could break the password...
(Visit JE McGimpsey's site: http://mcgimpsey.com/excel/removepwords.html)

and keep track of the password that broke it and then protect it using that
password (with interfaceonly turned on).


or maybe you could convince your company that you want to embed the
password--but encript it so that anyone seeing the code/password wouldn't know
how to decript it.

or maybe you could put the password in a hidden name or on a hidden worksheet.

Lee S wrote:

I am working in an environment where certain spreadsheets are password
protected, but the developers do not know the passwords. Even if we did,
writing them into the code would be against policy as well.

For now, we are running Excel 2000. Our code can modify password-protected
sheets by setting UserInterfaceOnly = True, which does not require a password.

What about when we move to Excel 2002? Setting UserInterfaceOnly will no
longer work for us since we cannot provide a password.

Is there an alternative in Excel 2002 that will allow the code to make
changes to the spreadsheets that the end-user is not allowed to make?

Thanks!

Lee

--

Dave Peterson

My point with JE's site was that even if your company says not to take a chance
sharing the password, it ain't that difficult to break.

Maybe if you showed them that site, it'll be easier to convince them that
embedding the password isn't that much of a risk.

Lee S wrote:

I am working in an environment where certain spreadsheets are password
protected, but the developers do not know the passwords. Even if we did,
writing them into the code would be against policy as well.

For now, we are running Excel 2000. Our code can modify password-protected
sheets by setting UserInterfaceOnly = True, which does not require a password.

What about when we move to Excel 2002? Setting UserInterfaceOnly will no
longer work for us since we cannot provide a password.

Is there an alternative in Excel 2002 that will allow the code to make
changes to the spreadsheets that the end-user is not allowed to make?

Thanks!

Lee

--

Dave Peterson

Yes, just today I showed the password-keepers just how easy it is for me to
modify data in their "password-protected" sheets -- without me having to
hack, crack, or break a thing, and using only Office tools.

They were a little unnerved.

I am trying to build the argument that by withholding the passwords from the
devleopers, they aren't protecting a thing, just making our jobs harder.

I figure if I store the passwords in the code in a manner that is just
slightly less convenient for someone to get at than using a cracker tool,
that's good enough.

NONETHELESS: I was kinda hoping to discover that Excel 2002 had something
comparable to "Friend" protection level that would allow the code inside a
workbook to change the contents of its own sheets.

-- Lee

"Dave Peterson" wrote:

My point with JE's site was that even if your company says not to take a chance
sharing the password, it ain't that difficult to break.

Maybe if you showed them that site, it'll be easier to convince them that
embedding the password isn't that much of a risk.

Lee S wrote:

I am working in an environment where certain spreadsheets are password
protected, but the developers do not know the passwords. Even if we did,
writing them into the code would be against policy as well.

For now, we are running Excel 2000. Our code can modify password-protected
sheets by setting UserInterfaceOnly = True, which does not require a password.

What about when we move to Excel 2002? Setting UserInterfaceOnly will no
longer work for us since we cannot provide a password.

Is there an alternative in Excel 2002 that will allow the code to make
changes to the spreadsheets that the end-user is not allowed to make?

Thanks!

Lee

--

Dave Peterson

The Friend idea is interesting. If you're in the workbook's project, I would
think that you should be trustworthy. But MS didn't implement it that way.

And to make it as flexible as possible (different passwords for different levels
of access), I guess it makes sense the way MS did it.

And lots of people are surprised at how easy the worksheet protection can be
broken. If they're really putting sensitive data into those
workbooks/worksheets, you may want to show them why it isn't a good idea.



Lee S wrote:

Yes, just today I showed the password-keepers just how easy it is for me to
modify data in their "password-protected" sheets -- without me having to
hack, crack, or break a thing, and using only Office tools.

They were a little unnerved.

I am trying to build the argument that by withholding the passwords from the
devleopers, they aren't protecting a thing, just making our jobs harder.

I figure if I store the passwords in the code in a manner that is just
slightly less convenient for someone to get at than using a cracker tool,
that's good enough.

NONETHELESS: I was kinda hoping to discover that Excel 2002 had something
comparable to "Friend" protection level that would allow the code inside a
workbook to change the contents of its own sheets.

-- Lee

"Dave Peterson" wrote:

My point with JE's site was that even if your company says not to take a chance
sharing the password, it ain't that difficult to break.

Maybe if you showed them that site, it'll be easier to convince them that
embedding the password isn't that much of a risk.

Lee S wrote:

I am working in an environment where certain spreadsheets are password
protected, but the developers do not know the passwords. Even if we did,
writing them into the code would be against policy as well.

For now, we are running Excel 2000. Our code can modify password-protected
sheets by setting UserInterfaceOnly = True, which does not require a password.

What about when we move to Excel 2002? Setting UserInterfaceOnly will no
longer work for us since we cannot provide a password.

Is there an alternative in Excel 2002 that will allow the code to make
changes to the spreadsheets that the end-user is not allowed to make?

Thanks!

Lee

--

Dave Peterson


--

Dave Peterson