Macro Security Warning changed - how to get old behavior back

[cricketbird]

My IT department applied an update to our Office 2010 installations.

Previously, when a user opened a database for the first time, or from a new location, they would get a “friendly” yellow button warning them that this was not a trusted document, and giving them the option to trust it.

This was easy for everyone to do.


However, with the new update, the users instead get a scary-looking message box that says "A potential security concern has been identified". The main problem is that there is now no easy way for them to trust the database. Either they click “open”, and then the database opens with the code disabled, or they hit cancel and it quits.

Of course, they can manually add a particular location to their trusted locations, but this is long, complicated and I have almost no users who would actually do this. It’s hard enough to get them to use the databases without this issue.

The IT department is mostly network people and aren't sure exactly which setting in the update changed this behavior. Do any of you know what a network admin would set to use the old behavior instead?

Thank you!
CB

 

[CJ_London]

I've not tried it but this link may help

http://www.utteraccess.com/wiki/index.php/AddTrustedLocation

 

[gemma-the-husky]

within the trust centre, you can just set everything to be allowed easily enough, if you want

 

[cricketbird]

CJ_London - thanks for that link. I think I'll keep looking for other options in the hopes of not having to hacking registry files, though (which I'm sure our IT dept. would seriously frown on), but I'll keep that in mind. Our IT dept. doesn't mind changing a setting, they just aren't sure what settings to change that caused the change in behavior. Both old and new systems warned users about security risks. The new system just doesn't let them easily agree to accept those risks.

Dave/Gemma - the problem is that my users don't have desk jobs. They typically swing by a workstation maybe once or twice a day for a few minutes to check the status of something or print a report, and there are dozens of different workstations around that they might use. Even if they trust that location, when they use a different workstation, nothing is trusted anymore.

Before, all they had to do was click the yellow button once and that db would work for them at that station from then on. Now, they have to File > Options > Security > Trusted Locations > Edit > Add new location > Navigate through the file system to a particular location > OK. There is NO WAY I could get any of them to do that on their own. Most struggle to use email - almost none of them could navigate to the C:\ drive on their own. If it was just once, I could walk them through it, but they'll have to do this every time they go to a new station - not going to fly.

Thank you both - I'm still looking for a solution our IT dept could implement, though Otherwise I guess I'll look into hacking registry files (egads...).

 

[CJ_London]

You can't get round the security per se, otherwise there wouldn't be much point in having it. There isn't a setting you can change to get round it other than perhaps setting security level to low (not recommended)

Have you considered having a specific location on the network - perhaps a shared directory on the network, with a folder for each user containing all their front ends?

 

[cricketbird]

For what it is worth, I eventually implemented the solution here. I'm sure the more security-conscious of you are horrified, but it works for us so far with no problems.

 

[CJ_London]

looks like the link I provided....

 

[Solo712]

For what it is worth, I eventually implemented the solution here. I'm sure the more security-conscious of you are horrified, but it works for us so far with no problems.

If you want something really easy take a look at this. You double-click the little utility "AddPath" in the folder the app sits and it adds that folder (and its subfolders) to the Trusted Locations on the machine.

http://www.accessribbon.de/en/?Trust_Center:Trusted_Locations

Best,
Jiri