Preventing copying an EXCEL file

  • Thread starter Thread starter Grace
  • Start date Start date
G

Grace

Occasionally, I have to demo a proprietary EXCEL file at a potential
client's location, but do not have a laptop and need to use one of their
computers to do the demo, using a CD of mine, which I am careful to remove
from their machine as soon as I am done. While I am doing the demo, I do
not want their computer to be able to somehow copy or save a copy of my file
on their machine. If they have autosave off, is that all I need to be safe?

Next, let's assume that, sometimes, I do not want to be seen to be changing
their autosave settings on their machine. In that case, is there some other
way to ensure that my EXCEL workbook cannot be, somehow, autosaved or saved
on their computer?

Lastly, is there some way to install a front end, so that, even if they did
save a copy, they would not be able to use it without some sort of password?
That is, something more secure than the ordinary password protection in
EXCEL, which I now know is easily broken.

Thanks!
G
 
Hi Grace..........

Perhaps you could incorporate a "Before-save" macro that would delete or
corrupt key ranges...........that way even if they did save, it would not do
them any good.

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3
 
Perhaps you could incorporate a "Before-save" macro that would delete or
corrupt key ranges...........that way even if they did save, it would not do
them any good.
Click to expand...
...

But this approach requires that macros be enabled *and* that event handling also
be enabled. Both are child's play to disable.

It's make far more sense to apply a File Open password to these files. Unlike
internal passwords, File Open passwords are very difficult to crack, though not
impossible.

However, if the OP doesn't trust her clients/customers, then by all means she
should never trust their PCs and should *always* bring her own laptop for
presentations - no excuses.
 
This file open password sounds like it would do the trick, Can you kindly
direct me to where it tells me how to do this?

Thx,
Grace
 
File|SaveAs|Tools|General Options
or
File|SaveAs|Tools|Options

depending on your version of excel.

And you may want to check to see the version of excel that your customer is
running. If it's different than the version you're running, try to get access
to that version to test run your workbook before you show up.

It might save a little embarrassment.
 
Just as a point of interest...........the Company I work for runs 4
different versions of Excel.......

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3
 
What I more fear is that they get a copy they can use. Are you saying the
password may not block them? Or are you just saying that it might block me
from opening it, i.e., when I try to open it on their machine. If the
latter, I might take that chance, and keep an unprotected emergency copy,
just in case I can't open the passworded one.

And, an earlier question: If they have autoasave on, will it, indeed, try
to save a copy of my workbook to their hard-drive, while it is on the
screen, or would it just try to save it to where the file came from, which
would be my CD, which would be OK?

Thanks
Grace
 
If you save it with a password to open (that's not easily guessed),
then that's about the best you can do. If the workbook is saved via
autosave, then it'll still have that password--so that shouldn't cause
a problem.

My real point was that if this workbook were developed in a newer
version of excel and you run it on an earlier version, then some
things _may_ not work.

There are features/enhancements in each new version. If your workbook
relied on those enhancements, and your customer had an earlier
version, then your workbook may have portions that don't work as
intended.




Grace said:
What I more fear is that they get a copy they can use. Are you saying the
password may not block them? Or are you just saying that it might block me
from opening it, i.e., when I try to open it on their machine. If the
latter, I might take that chance, and keep an unprotected emergency copy,
just in case I can't open the passworded one.

And, an earlier question: If they have autoasave on, will it, indeed, try
to save a copy of my workbook to their hard-drive, while it is on the
screen, or would it just try to save it to where the file came from, which
would be my CD, which would be OK?

Thanks
Grace
Click to expand...
 
Ok, I got ya! Thanks.

G

Dave Peterson said:
If you save it with a password to open (that's not easily guessed),
then that's about the best you can do. If the workbook is saved via
autosave, then it'll still have that password--so that shouldn't cause
a problem.

My real point was that if this workbook were developed in a newer
version of excel and you run it on an earlier version, then some
things _may_ not work.

There are features/enhancements in each new version. If your workbook
relied on those enhancements, and your customer had an earlier
version, then your workbook may have portions that don't work as
intended.




"Grace" <[email protected]> wrote in message
Click to expand...
 
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