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Background

Macros can add a wide variety of custom behavior to Microsoft Excel workbooks, but they also pose a potential security risk. Consequently, each version of Excel has provided ways for users to enable or disable macros by setting the desired level of macro security from Very High to Low; the initial “default” setting provides a relatively high level of protection.

We have provided several custom operations in the Option B Excel eForms for your convenience. These function all require that macros be enabled.  Before you can enable macros, you must set the appropriate macro security level. 

The process for enabling macros depends upon the version of Excel and whether the workbook has been digitally signed.

 

Excel 2000 through Excel 2003 have four macro security levels.
  1. Start Excel.

  2. On the Tools menu, point to Macro and click Security.

  3. In the Security dialog box, click the Security Level tab.

  4. Select the desired macro security setting and then click OK. (Use either Medium or High for Option B.)

  5. Close Excel. (The security-level changes will not take effect until Excel is restarted).

With macro security set to either High or Medium:

  1. Start the Option B program (first usage, see this note).

  2. Choose the type of form and open a Blank Form or reopen a previously saved Existing Form.

  3. When Excel 2000 - 2003 starts, you will be presented with a Security Warning dialog box. It should indicate that the workbook contains macros by Cornell University.
    • If macro security is set to High, you may only enable macros from trusted publishers. The Enable Macros button is disabled until you check “Always trust macros from this publisher”. Check the box, then select Enable Macros.

    • If macro security is set to Medium, you have two choices:

      • Recommended: Check “Always trust macros from this publisher”, then select Enable Macros.
      • Leave “Always trust macros from this publisher” unchecked and select Enable Macros. This approach enables macros only for this workbook and only for this session. You will need to enable macros every time you open an Option B workbook.

       

      If you check “Always trust macros from this publisher”,you only need to do this once; from then on, all Option B forms should open with macros enabled.

Beginning with Excel 2007, there are still four security levels but their meanings are subtly different from those in Excel 2003 and earlier.

  1. Start Excel.

  2. Click the Office Button (the Windows™ logo in the upper left corner).

  3. Select the Excel Options button.

  4. In the left pane of the Excel Options dialog, select Trust Center.

  5. Click the Trust Center Settings button in the right pane.

  6. In the left pane of the Trust Center dialog, select Macro Settings.

  7. In the right pane, select the desired macro security setting. (Use either of the middle two settings; it does not matter for Option B.)

  8. Click OK to close the Trust Center; click OK to close Excel Options.

  1. Start the Option B program (first usage, see this note).

  2. Choose the type of form and open a Blank Form or reopen a previously saved Existing Form.

  3. If you have not previously selected “Trust all documents from this publisher” with an Option B file, the workbook will open with macros disabled and a Security Warning bar between the Ribbon and the spreadsheet.
    • Click the Options… button on the Security Warning bar.

  4. The Microsoft Office Security Options dialog appears showing information about the digital signature for this form. The digital signature should be valid, but may have expired; the macros should be signed by Cornell University. You have two options:
    • Recommended: Select “Trust all documents from this publisher”. (Not available if the signature has expired.) From now on, all Option B workbooks should open with macros enabled.
    • Select “Enable this content”. You will need to enable macros the same way every time you open an Option B workbook.

  5. Select OK to close the Security Options dialog.

Beginning with Excel 2007, there are still four security levels but their meanings are subtly different from those in Excel 2003 and earlier.

  1. Start Excel.

  2. Open the File menu9.

  3. Select the Options button.

  4. In the left pane of the Excel Options dialog, select Trust Center.

  5. Click the Trust Center Settings button in the right pane.

  6. In the left pane of the Trust Center dialog, select Macro Settings.

  7. In the right pane, select the desired macro security setting. (Use either of the middle two settings; it does not matter for Option B.)

  8. Click OK to close the Trust Center; click OK to close Excel Options.

  1. Start the Option B program (first usage, see this note).

  2. Choose the type of form and open a Blank Form or reopen a previously saved Existing Form.

  3. If you have not previously selected “Trust all documents from this publisher” with an Option B file, the workbook will open with macros disabled and a Security Warning bar between the Ribbon and the spreadsheet.
    1. Do Not select the Enable Content button in the Security Warning bar; that will enable macros only for this document. Instead, click the “Macros have been disabled” text to the left of the button (or open Info from the File menu). 

    2. In the Security Warning section of the Info screen, click the Enable Content drop-down button and choose Advanced Options.


  4. The Microsoft Office Security Options dialog appears showing information about the digital signature for this form. The digital signature should be valid, but may have expired; the macros should be signed by Cornell University. You have two options:
    • Recommended: Select “Trust all documents from this publisher”. (Not available if the signature has expired.) From now on, all Option B workbooks should open with macros enabled.
    • Select “Enable content for this session”. You will need to enable macros the same way every time you open an Option B workbook.

  5. Select OK to close the Security Options dialog.

Important Note for Excel 2010

When an Option B workbook is opened, a macro runs that reads some identity information from the Registration form and hides the red “Macros are disabled” warning in the header area of the spreadsheet. In Excel 2010 only (not in other versions of Excel), this macro runs only if Excel is already running when you open the workbook.

Therefore for Excel 2010, we strongly recommend that you start Excel 2010 before opening an Option B workbook.

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