Excel 2007 Default Security Settings

[Guest JesseP]

We'd like to modify the default security settings for external content in

Excel 2007 hosted on a W2K3 TS. The default for both 'Data Connections' and

'Workbook Links' is to prompt the user. We'd like to change that to 'Enable'

for both of these as a default.

 

In the Excel GUI, this is modified individually here: Office Button -->

Excel Options --> Trust Center --> Trust Center Settings --> External Content.

 

On a standalone workstation, these settings are found in

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security, with DWORD values of

DataConnectionWarnings and WorkbookLinkWarnings. The default value (prompt)

for each is "1." When you enable both of these, the value becomes "0."

 

On the TS, I tried to modify HKCU along with HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows

NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal

Server\Install\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security, thinking this

was pretty straightforward. However, the defaults remain at "Prompt" for new

users.

 

I've checked the OCT/.adm , and they don't seem to include those settings.

 

Users can make this change via the GUI, and that change does stick with

their profile, so this isn't *that* big of a deal. We'd just like to reduce

Help Desk calls by forcing this setting for the handful of users who will be

given Excel 07 on TS.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

Jesse

[Guest Vera Noest [MVP]]

Re: Excel 2007 Default Security Settings

 

You can either create a custom .adm template file and enforce this

through a GPO, or just create a small logon script on the TS and

import the registry setting for each user in their HKCU hive (=

their profile).

 

Using Administrative Template Files with Registry-Based Group

Policy White Paper

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e7d72fa1-

62fe-4358-8360-8774ea8db847&displaylang=en

 

310516 - HOW TO: Add, Modify, or Delete Registry Subkeys and Values

by Using a Registration Entries (.reg) File

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310516

_________________________________________________________

Vera Noest

MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

 

=?Utf-8?B?SmVzc2VQ?= <JesseP@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on

26 mar 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> We'd like to modify the default security settings for external

> content in Excel 2007 hosted on a W2K3 TS. The default for both

> 'Data Connections' and 'Workbook Links' is to prompt the user.

> We'd like to change that to 'Enable' for both of these as a

> default.

>

> In the Excel GUI, this is modified individually here: Office

> Button --> Excel Options --> Trust Center --> Trust Center

> Settings --> External Content.

>

> On a standalone workstation, these settings are found in

> HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security, with DWORD

> values of DataConnectionWarnings and WorkbookLinkWarnings. The

> default value (prompt) for each is "1." When you enable both of

> these, the value becomes "0."

>

> On the TS, I tried to modify HKCU along with

> HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal

> Server\Install\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security,

> thinking this was pretty straightforward. However, the defaults

> remain at "Prompt" for new users.

>

> I've checked the OCT/.adm , and they don't seem to include those

> settings.

>

> Users can make this change via the GUI, and that change does

> stick with their profile, so this isn't *that* big of a deal.

> We'd just like to reduce Help Desk calls by forcing this setting

> for the handful of users who will be given Excel 07 on TS.

>

> Does anyone have any suggestions?

>

> Jesse

[Guest JesseP]

Re: Excel 2007 Default Security Settings

 

Hi Vera,

 

Thanks for your reply. I tried the custom .adm template and found

interesting results. If the TS user running the application doesn't already

have a profile, then it works as expected. However, once that user has a

profile (we use roaming TS profiles), the .adm template settings are not

applied -- although gpresult shows that it should be applied. Any ideas what

might cause this behavior?

 

Jesse

 

 

"Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:

> You can either create a custom .adm template file and enforce this

> through a GPO, or just create a small logon script on the TS and

> import the registry setting for each user in their HKCU hive (=

> their profile).

>

> Using Administrative Template Files with Registry-Based Group

> Policy White Paper

> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e7d72fa1-

> 62fe-4358-8360-8774ea8db847&displaylang=en

>

> 310516 - HOW TO: Add, Modify, or Delete Registry Subkeys and Values

> by Using a Registration Entries (.reg) File

> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310516

> _________________________________________________________

> Vera Noest

> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

>

> =?Utf-8?B?SmVzc2VQ?= <JesseP@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on

> 26 mar 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

>

> > We'd like to modify the default security settings for external

> > content in Excel 2007 hosted on a W2K3 TS. The default for both

> > 'Data Connections' and 'Workbook Links' is to prompt the user.

> > We'd like to change that to 'Enable' for both of these as a

> > default.

> >

> > In the Excel GUI, this is modified individually here: Office

> > Button --> Excel Options --> Trust Center --> Trust Center

> > Settings --> External Content.

> >

> > On a standalone workstation, these settings are found in

> > HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security, with DWORD

> > values of DataConnectionWarnings and WorkbookLinkWarnings. The

> > default value (prompt) for each is "1." When you enable both of

> > these, the value becomes "0."

> >

> > On the TS, I tried to modify HKCU along with

> > HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal

> > Server\Install\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security,

> > thinking this was pretty straightforward. However, the defaults

> > remain at "Prompt" for new users.

> >

> > I've checked the OCT/.adm , and they don't seem to include those

> > settings.

> >

> > Users can make this change via the GUI, and that change does

> > stick with their profile, so this isn't *that* big of a deal.

> > We'd just like to reduce Help Desk calls by forcing this setting

> > for the handful of users who will be given Excel 07 on TS.

> >

> > Does anyone have any suggestions?

> >

> > Jesse

>

[Guest Vera Noest [MVP]]

Re: Excel 2007 Default Security Settings

 

I think that the behaviour that you see is explained in the White

Paper I mentioned, under the "True policies versus Preferences"

section.

_________________________________________________________

Vera Noest

MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

 

=?Utf-8?B?SmVzc2VQ?= <JesseP@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on

08 apr 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> Hi Vera,

>

> Thanks for your reply. I tried the custom .adm template and

> found interesting results. If the TS user running the

> application doesn't already have a profile, then it works as

> expected. However, once that user has a profile (we use roaming

> TS profiles), the .adm template settings are not applied --

> although gpresult shows that it should be applied. Any ideas

> what might cause this behavior?

>

> Jesse

>

>

> "Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:

>

>> You can either create a custom .adm template file and enforce

>> this through a GPO, or just create a small logon script on the

>> TS and import the registry setting for each user in their HKCU

>> hive (= their profile).

>>

>> Using Administrative Template Files with Registry-Based Group

>> Policy White Paper

>> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e7d72fa

>> 1- 62fe-4358-8360-8774ea8db847&displaylang=en

>>

>> 310516 - HOW TO: Add, Modify, or Delete Registry Subkeys and

>> Values by Using a Registration Entries (.reg) File

>> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310516

>> _________________________________________________________

>> Vera Noest

>> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

>> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

>> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

>>

>> =?Utf-8?B?SmVzc2VQ?= <JesseP@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote

>> on 26 mar 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

>>

>> > We'd like to modify the default security settings for

>> > external content in Excel 2007 hosted on a W2K3 TS. The

>> > default for both 'Data Connections' and 'Workbook Links' is

>> > to prompt the user. We'd like to change that to 'Enable' for

>> > both of these as a default.

>> >

>> > In the Excel GUI, this is modified individually here: Office

>> > Button --> Excel Options --> Trust Center --> Trust Center

>> > Settings --> External Content.

>> >

>> > On a standalone workstation, these settings are found in

>> > HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security, with

>> > DWORD values of DataConnectionWarnings and

>> > WorkbookLinkWarnings. The default value (prompt) for each is

>> > "1." When you enable both of these, the value becomes "0."

>> >

>> > On the TS, I tried to modify HKCU along with

>> > HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal

>> > Server\Install\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security,

>> > thinking this was pretty straightforward. However, the

>> > defaults remain at "Prompt" for new users.

>> >

>> > I've checked the OCT/.adm , and they don't seem to include

>> > those settings.

>> >

>> > Users can make this change via the GUI, and that change does

>> > stick with their profile, so this isn't *that* big of a deal.

>> > We'd just like to reduce Help Desk calls by forcing this

>> > setting for the handful of users who will be given Excel 07

>> > on TS.

>> >

>> > Does anyone have any suggestions?

>> >

>> > Jesse