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Protect my work

  1. #1
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    Protect my work

    So, let me make this disclaimer, I am not try to break my co-workers protection. I am trying to learn how to do this so I can do it on my future workbooks.

    I am using a co-workers worksheet but he is telling me that he will be leaving the company soon. His workbook has a protection device that I have never heard of before. He claims to prevent his workbook from be copied to another computer, he protects his work with a code that looks-up the computer serial number. This way, when he installs the excel workbook onto a computer, it cannot be copied and installed to another computer. Oh, he also puts in a expiration date too.

    How can I do this?

    Thanks
    Ted

  2. #2
    Forum Guru Andy Pope's Avatar
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    Re: Protect my work

    What's wrong with your co worker telling you before he leaves?
    Cheers
    Andy
    www.andypope.info

  3. #3
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    Re: Protect my work

    There are commercial security programs out there that will prevent the Excel sheet from properly opening if used on an unauthorized computer by checking IP addresses, etc. I don't have enough experience using them and when testing found that either they had problems with macros, or each license (per computer) was to expensive for my needs. If you google it, you should be able to find companies offering this kind of software. But a warning... before you buy any software, you need to talk to a security expert on how easy it is to circumvent the security measures. There is no reason for you to pay $$$ and suddenly realize that it's not at the level of security that you imagined.
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  4. #4
    Forum Expert royUK's Avatar
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    Re: Protect my work

    Won't work if the workbook is opened without enabling macros.
    Hope that helps.

    RoyUK
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  5. #5
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    Re: Protect my work

    Roy, some that I have seen convert the excel workbook into an Exe file, and therefore can't be opened directly from Excel. Also another program I tried converts all the formulas and text into gibberish. If you don't have the password then when you force it open, you get a bunch of meaningless characters. They are not depending on the inherent security provided by Excel to prevent unauthorized use.

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