Enable Content Security Warning

[Techsupport13]

Is there a way to automatically enable content on every workbook? The instructions I find show to turn off protected view but even after doing that I have to enable content once on each workbook that I open. Other information shows to change the settings on the message bar but it never explains if that is just doesn't show the message or if it allows the content as well. We use Excel 2013 & 2016 and we don't want to see "enable content" warnings but we do want to see the prompt to update links (don't want that automatic). Thanks

 

[RoryA]

Welcome to the forum.

If you're talking about macros, you need to change the Trust Center macro settings to always enable, which is not recommended.

 

[Techsupport13]

Thanks Rory for that quick response. We are not trying to always enable macros. Here is what happened. A user did not click on the "enable content" warning therefore the next "box" asking to update links or not never showed up and we reported financial numbers incorrectly. We want to bypass the step where "enable content" shows but we do want to see the "box" about updating links or not.

 

[Lazarus416]

There is one other possibility (depending on what is causing the "enable content" message). If it is an add-in that is causing the message, then instead of clicking on "enable content", click on the message itself. This will bring up a window that will give you the option to "enable all content by this Publisher". This will make the messages stop if it is being caused by an "untrusted" Publisher, which, ironically, is sometimes Microsoft itself. However, trusting publishers will not affect how the worksheet manages its data links.

 

[Techsupport13]

Thank you Lazarus. The exact warning in this case is "automatic update of links has been disabled - Enable Content. It does not let me click on the message itself.

 

[Lazarus416]

Ok, that is different. In that case, go to the Data tab, click on "Edit Links", and in the window that pops up, click on "Startup Prompt" in the bottom left corner. This will give you some options including "Don't display the alert and don't update automatic links." I think I remember that fixing the alert. (Its been a while...)


Yeah, I just tested it. That will do what you want, except that you have to go into "Edit Links" if you want to manually update the values. There is an option under Edit Links to make them manual, but that is greyed out for me and I am not sure why...

 

[Techsupport13]

Thanks again Lazarus. Yes that gets rid of the warning. However, it also gets rid of the prompt to update links or not. Without that reminder they would probably never remember to do that.
I'm looking for a way to stop the warning but keep the update link prompt.

 

[Lazarus416]

Ok, don't know why this works, but just tried it (twice) and it does. If you select the "Don't display" option, save the spreadsheet, and then go back and select the "let users decide" option, it takes away the error, but gives them the prompt.

 

[Eric Golf]

Hi,

I'm confused. In your original post you say:-

... we don't want to see "enable content" warnings but we do want to see the prompt to update links (don't want that automatic). ...

but then you state the message is "automatic update of links has been disabled - Enable Content?". It is asking that question because automatic updating has been disabled. I don't see how you can have it both ways.

Regards,

Jim M.

 

[Techsupport13]

Eric that is an interesting question because when I check the update links setting it is not set on disabled, it is set to "prompt to update. So maybe that setting is also considered "disabled"

Carmen