Prevent Users from Sharing Workbook

Hi JAF,

I suggest you simply remove all the Sharing options from the Excel Tools menus using the toolbar customization feature. Once you go into the customize mode you can simply drag these options off the built-in menus.

Damon

The problem is not workbook specific. It affects ALL excel workbooks on ALL computers on the network, so customising the menu isn't a feasible option. Hi JAF, I suggest you simply remove all the Sharing options from the Excel Tools menus using the toolbar customization feature. Once you go into the customize mode you can simply drag these options off the built-in menus. Damon : I have a file on which the sheets and workbook are both protected with my own password, but some unknown person has come along after the file was set up and selected Tools/Protection/Protect and Share Workbook. In doing this they have specified their own password so I am now unable to unlock the spreadsheet!! : Is it possible to prevent users from protecting and sharing a workbook in this way?? :

Hi again JAF,

Yes, my previous suggestion would require that you load each file you want to protect and customize its menus one workbook at a time. Of course, you could write a macro that would autimatically customize the menus of all the workbooks in a given directory that you have write permission to. I would like to remind you that the customizations you make to the file's toolbars travel with that file, and other users also see and are limited by those customizations.

If you would like to protect a number of workbooks very quickly you could give the files read-only permission. If you have a UNIX server or WSH scripting under Windows you could modify all of your files on the system very quickly with a script. Of course, then other users would not be able to modify them in ANY way. A user could still copy your file and set it up somewhere else for sharing, but would be unable to set up your copy of the file for sharing.

I am curious though. You mention affecting all Excel workbooks on all computers on the network. Do you mean that you want to prevent other users from setting up their own files for shared access? If so, doing this would reguire administrator priviledges since you are essentially taking away others' priviledges.

Damon The problem is not workbook specific. It affects ALL excel workbooks on ALL computers on the network, so customising the menu isn't a feasible option. : Hi JAF, : I suggest you simply remove all the Sharing options from the Excel Tools menus using the toolbar customization feature. Once you go into the customize mode you can simply drag these options off the built-in menus. : Damon