I posted another item but now I have more information, so I want to state
the problems better.

-- Using Excel 2007, Windows XP SP 2 with all Windows and Office 2007
updates as of 12/29/2007.

-- Trust center settings:
a) Message bar: "Show Message Bar in all applications when content
has been blocked"
b) Macro settings: "Disable all macros with notification"

I should get notification if something is blocked, right? :-)

-- Add a trusted folder location (I used C:\MacroTest) in the Excel trust
center.

-- Create an Excel file with a macro. (I use the interesting line of
code "x=9". The content of the macro doesn't matter.)

-- "Prepare" the file and select "Encrypt Document", and supply a
password.

-- Save the file as a macro-encrypted workbook in the trusted folder.

-- Close the file.

-- Open the file. Notice that macros are SILENTLY DISABLED. There is no
way to enable them, as far as I can tell. There is nothing in the
message bar telling me that content has been disabled. **Bug number 1**

-- With alt/F8, or using the Developer tab, try to run the macro that you
created earlier. You'll get a message that says "Because of your
security settings macros have been disabled. To run macros, you need to
reopen the workbook, and then choose to enable macros. ..." Um, I'm not
GIVEN the choice to enable macros. This is **Bug number 2** (the
incorrect wording of the message: if I can't choose to enable macros when
I open the workbook, then the message box shouldn't tell me to do this).

-- If you remove the folder location from the list of trusted locations,
you'll get the message bar saying that the macro has been disabled. If
you click the Options button on the message bar, you'll see a dialog that
says:

"This file contains macros that have been disabled because there is no
antivirus software installed that can scan them. To run these macros,
remove the encryption or permission restrictions on the file"

You're given a strange one-choice radio button list that says "Help
protect me from unknown content (recommended)". It's not only
RECOMMENDED, it's the only option.

I am using Windows Live OneCare 2.0 as my antivirus software. I have
read that to get rid of this error, I need to install antivirus software
that can use the Windows APIs to scan protected content. Windows Live
OneCare 2.0 can't do this? (I realize that is a question for a different
newsgroup.)

So, 1) a workbook with a macro (an xlsm file) can't have usable macros if
it's encrypted by Excel with a password. 2) If it's stored in a trusted
location, the macros are SILENTLY disabled. 3) If the location is not
trusted, you are told that macros have been disabled, and you can't
enable them.

Comments are welcome.


David Walker

I have the exact same problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Same problem for me, I am NOT using any antivirus from Microsoft, but the
problem is the same...

Any help would be welcome!

"David Walker" wrote:

I posted another item but now I have more information, so I want to state
the problems better.

-- Using Excel 2007, Windows XP SP 2 with all Windows and Office 2007
updates as of 12/29/2007.

-- Trust center settings:
a) Message bar: "Show Message Bar in all applications when content
has been blocked"
b) Macro settings: "Disable all macros with notification"

I should get notification if something is blocked, right? :-)

-- Add a trusted folder location (I used C:\MacroTest) in the Excel trust
center.

-- Create an Excel file with a macro. (I use the interesting line of
code "x=9". The content of the macro doesn't matter.)

-- "Prepare" the file and select "Encrypt Document", and supply a
password.

-- Save the file as a macro-encrypted workbook in the trusted folder.

-- Close the file.

-- Open the file. Notice that macros are SILENTLY DISABLED. There is no
way to enable them, as far as I can tell. There is nothing in the
message bar telling me that content has been disabled. **Bug number 1**

-- With alt/F8, or using the Developer tab, try to run the macro that you
created earlier. You'll get a message that says "Because of your
security settings macros have been disabled. To run macros, you need to
reopen the workbook, and then choose to enable macros. ..." Um, I'm not
GIVEN the choice to enable macros. This is **Bug number 2** (the
incorrect wording of the message: if I can't choose to enable macros when
I open the workbook, then the message box shouldn't tell me to do this).

-- If you remove the folder location from the list of trusted locations,
you'll get the message bar saying that the macro has been disabled. If
you click the Options button on the message bar, you'll see a dialog that
says:

"This file contains macros that have been disabled because there is no
antivirus software installed that can scan them. To run these macros,
remove the encryption or permission restrictions on the file"

You're given a strange one-choice radio button list that says "Help
protect me from unknown content (recommended)". It's not only
RECOMMENDED, it's the only option.

I am using Windows Live OneCare 2.0 as my antivirus software. I have
read that to get rid of this error, I need to install antivirus software
that can use the Windows APIs to scan protected content. Windows Live
OneCare 2.0 can't do this? (I realize that is a question for a different
newsgroup.)

So, 1) a workbook with a macro (an xlsm file) can't have usable macros if
it's encrypted by Excel with a password. 2) If it's stored in a trusted
location, the macros are SILENTLY disabled. 3) If the location is not
trusted, you are told that macros have been disabled, and you can't
enable them.

Comments are welcome.


David Walker

The only workaround I found has been to save the workbook under Excel
2003. Thank you, Microsoft, for some hours of doubt and
desparation ...