Excel (and Word) ignoring pass thru security when clicking on a hyperlink

[yslguru]

NOTE: I'm not a sysadmin user so apologies if I am using terms like authentication in correctly.

DESC: When I have Chrome open and connected to a cloud based application which works with Office365 Pass thru Authentication, if I click on a hyperlink (that is to a web page within that cloud based application) that is within an Outlook Email message a new tab is opened in my existing Chrome Window and that tab is directed to the specified URL in the hyperlink; I do not need to first log into the web based or go thru any authentication process because I am already authenticated. Had I not already authenticated with Microsoft then clicking the hyperlink would re-direct me to the Microsoft login ( Sign in to your account ).

If I click on that exact same Hyperlink within an Excel Workbook (in a cell) a new tab is opened in my existing Chrome browser but I am taken to the apps login page where I must press teh LOGIN button to get back in. In addition to that any existing tabs I had opened and connected to the web based application are disconnected and are re-directed to the apps main login page where I must hit the apps LOGIN button at which point it pulls the info down from Microsoft and takes me to the apps main page. It does not require me to go to

Sign in to your account

login.microsoftonline.com

and re-enter my Microsoft name & password it just requires me to tell the app to re-check with Microsoft and confirm I am already authenticated. This exact same behavior of being auto-logged out can be found clicking on the same Hyperlink/URL within a Word document. I have not tried this with any other Office apps like PowerPoint or SharePoint just with OL, Word & Excel.

SUMMARY: Clicking on a hyperlink in an OL Email Message takes me directly to the specified page without having to do any authentication as long as I am already authenticated but if the same hyperlink (the exact same URL) is being clicked on within an Excel workbook or a Word document than any/all existing authentication on every tab open in Chrome is logged out and the new tab (that is generated by clicking on eth link) is re-directed to the web based applications main login page.

IMPORTANT: When I am disconnected I don't have to go thru the entire process of proving my Microsoft user name & password athttps://login.microsoftonline.com/ I just have to click on the apps LOGIN button and it then logs me back into the app but I am not taken to the page that was in the hyperlink I clicked on but the main/default page you go to after logging in.

If open a new tab and copy teh hyperlink from within Excel and paste it into teh new tab and hit GO I am taken to the specified URL without having to do anything more so the link itself is right it's just when you go to it by hitting the hyperlink in Excel or Word that the already in place authentication is somehow disrupted.

I am using the most recent versions (ie builds) of the local/desktop installs of the Office365 apps provided and not the web based version of OL, Word and Excel.

Things I have already tried include
1) emptying all my cache/history in Chrome
2) Uninstalling/re-installing chrome
3) Using Microsoft Edge as my default browser (had the exact same experience as when using Chrome)

Any feedback is appreciated as no one so far has any idea and I have posted this on a number of office/Excel sites/forums

 

[dougmarkham]

Hi yslguru,

You might also get requests by excel to update the URL links when you open the excel file.

One way to prevent any update to the links when you open the said workbook is to add the following code into the ThisWorkbook section of the workbook's VB Editor

Private Sub Workbook_Open()

Application.AskToUpdateLinks = False
ThisWorkbook.UpdateLinks = xlUpdateLinksNever

'Any other code here

End Sub

Alternatively, if you wish to add the hyperlink after the workbook opens up ---in order to prevent any changes being made to the hyperlink during workbook open, you can use the following code:

Sub Add_Hyperlink()

Call TurnOffStuff

    Worksheets("Sheet1").Activate
    Range("A1").Select
    ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = _
        "Click Link to open the website_____"
    Range("A3").Select
    ActiveSheet.Hyperlinks.Add Anchor:=Selection, Address:= _
        "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport" _
        , TextToDisplay:= _
        "Click Link for: BBC Sport Website"
    Selection.Font.Size = 26
    Selection.Font.Bold = True
    
Call TurnOnStuff
End Sub

'Code to speed up VBA macros
Sub TurnOffStuff()

Application.Calculation = xlCalculationManual
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Application.EnableEvents = False
Application.DisplayAlerts = False

End Sub

Sub TurnOnStuff()

Application.Calculation = xlCalculationAutomatic
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Application.EnableEvents = True
Application.DisplayAlerts = True

End Sub

Whether this will solve the problem depends upon whether there has been any modification or updating of the URL link you've entered into the cell on opening the workbook.

Kind regards,

Doug.