xlsafe core user guide
DESCRIPTION
With our flagship product XLSafe CORE you can easily create secure spreadsheets and restrict their distribution at the same time. Our award-winning platform is being used within a multitude of industries across the globe to secure the most complex Microsoft ® Excel projects.TRANSCRIPT
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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
How to Order ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Consulting Services ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Obtaining Support ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Installation ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
System requirements ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Installing the software .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Activating the software......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Uninstalling the software...................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Getting Started ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Folder Structure .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Protection Wizard ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Admin Panel .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Disclaimer Tab .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Token Tab ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Protection Settings Tab .................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Advanced Options Tab ................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Step-by-step Protection Guide ............................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Distributing Protected Files .................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Distributing files via e-mail ................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Distributing files on the cloud ............................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Uploading files to an FTP site .............................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Extending Users License .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Knowledge Base ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
KB101 - Cannot View File Contents .................................................................................................................................................................... 22
KB102 - Cannot Run Macros in Microsoft ® Excel 2007 ...................................................................................................................................... 22
KB103 - Microsoft ® Excel 2010 Protected View ................................................................................................................................................. 22
KB104 - Trusted Locations .................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
KB105 - Digital Macro Signatures ....................................................................................................................................................................... 25
KB106 – Custom UI Editor Installed .................................................................................................................................................................... 26
KB107 – Admin rights to write files .................................................................................................................................................................... 26
KB108 – Trust access to VBA Project .................................................................................................................................................................. 26
KB109 – Making copies and renaming protected files ........................................................................................................................................ 27
KB110 – Protecting Complex & Very Large Files ................................................................................................................................................. 28
Excel Binary Workbook Format, .xlsb ................................................................................................................................................................. 29
Fast-track Protection by DataSafeXL Team ......................................................................................................................................................... 29
KB112 – Troubleshooting Guide ......................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Frequently Asked Questions .................................................................................................................................................................................. 31
Billing FAQ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Technical FAQ ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
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Introduction
Our flagship product XLSafe CORE is the world’s leading security software allowing you to easily create secure spreadsheets and restrict their distribution at the same time. Our award-winning platform is being used within a multitude of industries across the globe to secure the most complex and sensitive Microsoft ® Excel projects.
How to Order
You can purchase our products online by visiting our order page at www.datasafexl.com/pricing
Our preferred method of payment is PayPal. However, you can also choose to pay via check, wire transfer or Purchase Order (PO).
Credit cards accepted:
• Visa • MasterCard • American Express • Discover/Novus • Eurocard
Please note that we offer different pricing plans depending on the license volume you require. For more information feel free to get in touch with our Pre-sales team via e-mail at [email protected]
Consulting Services
We provide a range of bespoke consulting services with regards to employing the XLSafe Core interface in your organisation.
Some examples include:
Securing Microsoft ® Excel Files on your behalf Setting up an online activation server for XLSafe CORE files Developing Customised Macro Security Procedures Microsoft ® Excel Security Training Programs for Employees Environment Risk Assessment and Assurance Reporting
For more information get in touch with our Pre-sales team via e-mail.
Introduction
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Obtaining Support
We provide basic e-mail support free of charge for our single developer and small company licensing plans. To raise a new support ticket please visit www.datasafexl.com/support
You can find more information on our priority support plans and service level agreements by visiting our order page.
Our comprehensive user guide should be your first point of reference and contains answers to most of our customer enquiries.
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Installation
System requirements XLSafe Core supports a diverse range of system configurations and environments:
• Windows XP/ Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8+ (32-bit and 64-bit configurations)
• Microsoft Windows ® Office 2007, 2010, 2013+ (32-bit/ 64-bit)
• All language versions of Microsoft ® Office 2007, 2010, 2013+
Installing the software XLSafe CORE is distributed as a .zip file. You can unpack the .zip file within any folder on your machine. After you unpack the .zip file, double-click on the file named XLSafe-Core.xlsm via windows explorer and click on the button ‘Enable Content’ to enable macros. This will load the protection wizard.
Activating the software Activate XLSafe CORE by entering the activation key provided to you with the original purchase instructions.
Uninstalling the software XLSafe CORE does not modify any registry files on your computer. To uninstall XLSafe CORE simply delete the folder which you have used to unpack the .zip installation file.
Note: Any files you have protected with XLSafe CORE will still be usable after deleting the installation folder.
Installation
Note: You can suppress this notification by specifying the installation path of XLSafe CORE as a trusted location in your Microsoft ® Excel settings.
MICROSOFT EXCEL
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Getting Started
Folder Structure In this topic we will provide an overview of each folder that is created when you unzip the XLSafe CORE installation file.
customUI: This folder contains the installation .msi file for the CustomUI Editor for Microsoft Office. You must install this software if it’s not already on your system before using XLSafe CORE.
Template: This folder contains the template file, core.xlsm. This file holds the necessary code which is imported to your protected Microsoft ® Excel files.
Schema: The schema folder contains the .xml files that are used to modify the ribbon of your protected files.
The XML Schema defines which functions users will be able to use with the Microsoft ® Excel ribbon. There are three options:
Minimal: This is the recommended XML Schema. The Minimal Schema essentially disables all controls in the Microsoft ® Excel ribbon.
Standard: Use the standard XML Schema to retain the default controls for the Microsoft ® Excel ribbon.
User Defined: You can program your own XML Schema to include custom controls and procedures in the Microsoft ® Excel ribbon. The files you should edit are inside the schema folder, namely user-defined10.xml (supports Microsoft ® Excel 2007, 2010) and user-defined14.xml (supports Microsoft ® Excel 2013).
Getting Started
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Protection Wizard XLSafe CORE uses an intuitive interface to help you protect your Microsoft ® Excel files.
You can find out more about using the protection wizard in our Step-by-step Protection Guide.
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Admin Panel Each XLSafe CORE file contains an admin panel to customise its security settings. The admin panel will be displayed every time you open the file. You can subsequently access the admin panel by pressing the key combination CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + X and entering your admin password.
Below you will find an overview of each function residing within the admin panel.
Disclaimer Tab The Disclaimer Tab is the welcome screen for everyone accessing XLSafe CORE files. As the administrator of the file you will be able to edit this disclaimer according to your preferences. A user will always view this disclaimer screen when opening an XLSafe CORE file.
ADMIN VIEW
DISCLAIMER TAB
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As you can see from the above screenshots the Disclaimer Tab automatically appears in a different manner for administrators and users of the file.
XLSafe CORE intelligently detects the access level of all types of users when opening the protected file.
Edit Mode: The administrator can use the edit mode to make an unlimited number of changes to the protected file.
Apply Protection: The administrator can use this function to preview how the protected settings will appear to the users of the file.
Note: You will not be able to edit the sample disclaimer if you are using the demo version of XLSafe CORE.
USER VIEW
DISCLAIMER TAB
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Token Tab The Token Tab contains the token generator, token history and user access table.
Expiry Date: Choose the expiry date after which the user will no longer be able to access the contents of the spreadsheet. When the expiry date is reached the user will be presented with the option of either extending the license using another token or quit the file.
Token Valid Period: This is the period for which the token will be active. A user can only use the token within this time period. You can choose between 5 minutes to a maximum of 30 days.
TOKEN TAB
Note: XLSafe CORE will intelligently adjust for any time zone differences between you and your users.
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Editor Privileges: Tick this option to provide editor privileges with the token. Editors will be able to edit all contents of the file (including hidden sheets) until the specified expiry date.
Generate Token: Pressing this button will generate the token with the options you have selected. The token will be added to the token history and will be copied to the clipboard. Tokens are created in the form of encrypted text strings.
You can send tokens to users by pasting them on the body of an e-mail, including them as a text file attachment or uploading them on a website/ftp server depending on your preferences.
Token History: The token history contains details of all the tokens you have created in the past such as the date it was created on, the creator’s username, the expiry date and token valid period as well as the token role.
Copy To Clipboard: You can select any token you have created in the past from the token history and press on this button to copy the token to the clipboard.
Export to file: Click on this button to export the selected token to a text file (.txt). You can then e-mail this text file to your users for extending their license.
Clear Expired: This button will erase all tokens that have expired from the token history.
Clear All: This button will clear all tokens from the token history irrespective of whether they have expired or not.
Access Table: If the XLSafe CORE file is stored on the cloud or a network server, you can browse the current users of the file and their respective expiry dates via the Access table.
Revoke Access: Press this button to revoke access for any user selected from the Access Table. When you revoke access, the user will not be able to view the contents of the file and will be required to enter a new token.
Note: If the file is stored on the cloud, you will be able to revoke access to editors and users at a later stage by using the Access Table tab.
Note: If the valid period has expired you will not be able to copy the token to the clipboard and instead you will be presented with an option to erase it from the token history.
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Protection Settings Tab The Protection Settings Tab contains options for the Expiry Date, Calculation, Hidden Sheets and Trusted Add-Ins.
Expiry Function: By default XLSafe CORE files have the expiry option turned on. This implies that each user will need to obtain a token from the administrator before being able to access the contents of the file.
If you set this option to OFF, users will be able to view the protected contents of the file for an indefinite period.
Grace Period: The grace period is a date in the future before which the user will not be asked for a token to view the contents of the protected file. This is useful if you wish to have a trial period or provide access until a certain date without sending any tokens to your users.
When the grace period is reached, the user must obtain a token from the administrator to continue using the file.
PROTECTION SETTINGS TAB
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Calculation Options: Choose the calculation mode for the formulae in your file.
Automatic: Recalculation occurs when you make any change to the document. All affected parts of the document are recalculated.
Automatic except tables: Recalculation occurs when you make any change to the document. All affected parts of the document except tables are recalculated. A table is recalculated only when a change is made to it. Manual: Recalculation occurs when you press the F9 key, click Options on the Tools menu, click the Calculation tab, and click the Calc Sheet button. Manual / Recalculate before Save: Recalculation occurs when you press F9, or click Calc Sheet on the Calculation tab on the Tools/Options menu, as well as every time you save the file. Reference Style: Use this button to switch between A1 and R1C1 reference style for Microsoft ® Excel.
Hidden Sheets: If you would like to hide any sheets for the users of your file, select them from the drop-down list and click on “Add” button. The sheets will remain hidden from the users at all times.
Enable/Disable Add-Ins: You can choose to disable all Microsoft ® Excel Add-ins for users of your file (although we recommend keeping this option to Enabled).
Trusted Add-Ins: If you would like your users to be able to use certain Microsoft ® Excel Add-ins when all Add-ins are disabled then you can choose these from the drop-down list as Trusted Add-Ins.
Note: Administrators and Editors of the file will always be able to view hidden sheets.
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Advanced Options Tab The Advanced Options Tab contains a number of Procedures, User Operations and Interface Options.
Protect & Hide Formulae: This procedure will lock and hide the contents of all cells containing formulae in your spreadsheet.
Protect Constant Numbers: This procedure will protect the contents of all cells containing constant numbers in your spreadsheet.
Protect Text Labels: This procedure will protect the contents of all cells containing text labels in your spreadsheet.
Protect Blank Cells: This procedure will protect the contents of all blank cells in your spreadsheet.
Note: These procedures will permanently alter the protection settings of the cells contained in the spreadsheet. Changes made will be irreversible.
ADVANCED OPTIONS TAB
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Cell Color: You can choose to specify cells to be unprotected/ protected based on their interior cell color. Simply click on any colored cell and click on the SET button. Then you can run the procedures for either unprotecting or protecting all cells containing this color across all your sheets.
Reset Admin Password: Use this procedure to reset the admin password for accessing the XLSafe CORE admin panel.
Reset Workbook Password: Use this procedure to reset the workbook password of your spreadsheet.
User Operations: Select the various operations that users are allowed to perform with the contents of your protected file.
Interface Options: You can choose to limit the interface for the users of your file. In particular, you could:
- Hide the Excel Ribbon - Hide the Formula Bar - Hide the Sheets Tab - Disable Cut, Copy and Paste Operations - Disable Print Functionality - Disable Right Click Functionality
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Step-by-step Protection Guide
Follow our step-by-step guide to start protecting your Microsoft ® Excel files with XLSafe CORE.
1. Ensure that you have removed all passwords from your file before protecting it with XLSafe CORE. Such passwords might be: Open File Password Worksheets Password Workbook/ Shared Workbook Password VBA Project Password
2. Open the Protection Wizard by double-clicking on the file XLSafe Core.xlsm and enable macros.
3. The XLSafe CORE Protection Wizard will show up. When you open the Protection Wizard for the first time a number of system checks will run. These are as follows:
Step-by-step Protection Guide
MICROSOFT EXCEL
WINDOWS EXPLORER
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Follow our knowledgebase articles to resolve system check errors: KB106 – Custom UI Editor Installed
KB108 – Trust access to VBA Project
KB109 – File Structure verified
Note: You must fix any system check errors before using the XLSafe CORE Protection Wizard.
PROTECTION WIZARD - XLSafe CORE.xlsm
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4. Click on the button “Select File” and browse for the spreadsheet you would like to protect. At this point the XLSafe CORE interface will be automatically applied to your file. A backup of the original file will also be created – if you experience any issues at this step please see Troubleshooting Guide, Protecting Complex
& Very Large Files.
5. Open the newly created file by double-clicking on its Windows Explorer icon and enable macros. At this stage the XLSafe Admin Panel should appear on your screen.
6. On the XLSafe Admin Panel click on the Advanced Options icon in order to reset the admin and workbook passwords. Choose strong passwords which are longer than 6-characters.
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7. Enter your own Disclaimer text and apply your custom protection settings by using the various options within the XLSafe Admin Panel. More information on the various settings can be found on the Admin Panel overview.
8. Go back to the Advanced Options and click on the procedure Open VBA Editor. Inside the VBA Editor navigate to Tools/ VBA Project Properties… and click on the Protection Tab.
IMPORTANT: Tick the checkbox “Lock project for viewing”. Choose a random 15-character alphanumeric string containing mixed case and special characters as your VBA password. For increased security we recommend using Microsoft ® Excel 2010 and later versions when setting your VBA password.
OPTIONAL STEPS
In STEP 4 you can apply a custom ribbon layout and permanently limit the functionality of the Microsoft ® Excel Ribbon for all users by using the Custom UI Editor.
STEP 5 is only applicable if you have created complex VBA procedures in your file which result in unexpected errors. In this step you will learn how to integrate your VBA Procedures with XLSafe CORE.
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Distributing Protected Files
After following the instructions in our Step-by-step protection guide you are now ready to distribute the protected file to your users. XLSafe CORE uses a pioneering hardware-based activation system to automatically lock your file when this is opened on a new computer machine.
At this point (depending on the security settings you have chosen) you will need to send a license token to the user by using the token generator.
Computer users will have widely different specifications including hardware configuration, Microsoft ® Office version, anti-virus software & other third-party add-ins. XLSafe CORE files have been designed with versatile compatibility in mind and therefore you shouldn't have any issues with any computers meeting the basic system requirements.
All users must save an XLSafe CORE file to their hard drive and enable macros in order to access it. To further enhance your user's experience with XLSafe CORE files and in fact any spreadsheet that you send to a third party we recommend reading the following topics. These will help you minimise any security warnings experienced by users of Microsoft ® Excel. Instruct users to save files in a Trusted Location
Add a digital signature to your Macros
Distributing files via e-mail XLSafe CORE files can be distributed safely via e-mail as they employ the ".xlsm" file extension thus not raising any issues with any anti-virus or firewall software.
Distributing files on the cloud XLSafe CORE files have been specifically designed to work on a wide range of cloud environments. Simply save the file on a network location whilst each user accessing the XLSafe CORE file will have different privileges based on the token you have sent to them. You will also be able to revoke access for any user by using the XLSafe CORE admin panel whilst the file is located on the network location.
Uploading files to an FTP site
Another common method to distribute large XLSafe CORE files is to upload them to an FTP site using an FTP client software. You can provide the URL to your users in order to download the file and begin using it. The contents of the XLSafe CORE files will always remain protected as each user will require an activation token whilst using the default settings.
Distributing Protected Files
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Extending Users License
When a user opens an XLSafe CORE file for the first time, he/she will need to enter a token to access the contents of the file (based on the default protection settings).
The token specifies the period for which the user is allowed to access the file. When this period is reached, the user can obtain access to the spreadsheet again by entering a new token.
To enter a token the user clicks on the “Extend License” button. He will then be presented with two options for entering the token, “Paste from Clipboard” and “Import from File”. After successful activation of the token, the user will obtain access to the protected contents of the file.
Extending Users License
Note: If the XLSafe CORE file is stored on the cloud or a network drive, you can specify different expiry periods for each user for the same file.
Note: If the user tries to move the activated file to a different machine, he/she will be required to enter a new token to access the file.
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Knowledge Base
Our knowledge base contains common user questions and troubleshooting information.
KB101 - Cannot View File Contents XLSafe CORE files are only usable when macros are enabled. To enable macros open the XLSafe CORE file by double clicking on its file icon via Windows Explorer. At this point a prompt should appear in Microsoft ® Excel which asks you to enable macros. Click on “Enable Macros” to use the file.
If the problem persists ensure that the XLSafe CORE file is saved on a physical hard drive or a network location.
KB102 - Cannot Run Macros in Microsoft ® Excel 2007 In order to open any XLSafe CORE file you need to enable macros. If you happen to see the security alert "This file contains encrypted macros that have been disabled because there is no anti-virus software installed that can scan them. To run these macros, remove the encryption or permission restrictions on the file", then you need to follow the 'Workaround' procedure described in this Microsoft bulletin: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927150 Alternatively, ensure that your system has an anti-virus application installed which is capable of scanning Microsoft Office files. This is a known issue relevant to the Windows Microsoft ® Excel 2007 application and is not a cause of the XLSafe CORE files. This issue has since been rectified by Microsoft via a security patch.
KB103 - Microsoft ® Excel 2010 Protected View By default Microsoft ® Excel 2010 will open any documents that meet one of the following criteria in the protected view mode:
• Fail validation • Have been downloaded from the internet • Are located in potentially unsafe location • Have been downloaded as Outlook attachments
As such, this will compromise the functionality of all Microsoft ® Excel files including files protected with the XLSafe CORE interface. Microsoft ® Excel 2010 might also give you a false warning that the file is corrupted.
Note: Although not required, If you are sending an XLSafe CORE file to a user via the internet we recommend instructing the user to save the file in a trusted location.
Knowledge Base
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The simplest and most secure method to get around this issue is to simply click the “Enable Editing button”, on a per-document basis, when you open an XLSafe CORE file that has been downloaded from the internet. Alternatively you can instruct the user to disable the protected view of Microsoft ® Excel 2010. To do this, go to “File Menu” (Office Backstage) and select “Options”. Select “Trust Center” from the left sidebar and then click “Trust Center Settings” button in the main window. Now in the Trust Center dialog window, select “Protected View” from the left sidebar and disable protected view for any desired option.
When done, click on “OK” button and restart Microsoft ® Excel 2010 for the changes to take effect. You should now be able to open your Microsoft ® Excel spreadsheets without any warnings.
EXCEL OPTIONS
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KB104 - Trusted Locations What are trusted locations? A trusted location is typically a folder on your hard disk or a network share. Any file that you put in a trusted location can be opened without being checked by the Trust Center security feature. This article explains why trusted locations can be useful and how you create them. When should I use a trusted location? You should use a trusted location to store a file when you don't want that file to be checked by the Trust Center security feature when you open the file. When you open the file from the trusted location, it is not checked by the Trust Center security feature, you won't receive any security alerts, and the macros are enabled. Predefined trusted locations If you work in an organization, your administrator might have created trusted locations for you. Contact your administrator for more information about using those trusted locations. Creating a trusted location 1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Excel Options. 2. Click Trust Center, click Trust Center Settings, and then click Trusted Locations. 3. If you want to create a trusted location that is not local to your computer, select the Allow trusted locations on my network (not recommended) check box. 4. Click Add new location. 5. In the Path box, type the name of the folder that you want to use as a trusted location, or click Browse to locate the folder. 6. If you want to include subfolders as trusted locations, select the Subfolders of this location are also trusted check box. 7. Click OK.
TRUST CENTER
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KB105 - Digital Macro Signatures You digitally sign a file or a macro project, so that users who run the macro can be assured of the identity of the creator of the macro and that the macro has not been altered since it was created. Because virus-like behaviour can be created by using macros, digital signatures offer a safe way to continue the use of macros. Using Digital Signatures A digital signature is an electronic, encryption-based, secure stamp of authentication on a macro or document. This signature confirms that the macro or document originated from the signer and has not been altered. When you add a signature to a macro, you use a digital certificate, which is an attachment for a file, macro project, or e-mail message that vouches for the authenticity of the macro, provides secure encryption, or supplies a verifiable signature. Adding a Digital Signature to a Macro Project 1. Open the XLSafe CORE file that contains the macro project that you want to sign. 2. Press ALT + F11 to open the VBA Editor. 3. In the Project Explorer, select the project that you want to sign. 4. On the Tools menu, click Digital Signature. 5. Do one of the following: * If you did not select a digital certificate, or if you want to use a different digital certificate, click Choose, select the certificate that you want, and then click OK twice. * Use the current certificate, and then click OK.
Note: If your organization does not have a digital certificate, you can purchase one from this list of vendors. Note that XLSafe CORE files do not require a certificate to operate on users' computers.
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KB106 – Custom UI Editor Installed The Custom UI Editor for Microsoft Office is required in order to change the ribbon layout of your protected files. You must install the software to its default installation path. Windows 32-bit: C:\Program Files\CustomUIEditor\CustomUIEditor.exe Windows 64-bit: C:\Program Files (x86)\CustomUIEditor\CustomUIEditor.exe
During the first time of using XLSafe CORE you will be prompted to install the software automatically. You can also manually install the software by browsing to the customUI folder and opening the CustomUIEditor.msi file.
KB107 – Admin rights to write files In order to generate protected XLSafe CORE files, you must have administrative rights to create new files in the specified output folder.
If you are unsure how to do this, please consult with your IT administrator.
Alternatively, you can try disabling UAC by following these instructions.
KB108 – Trust access to VBA Project In order to generate protected XLSafe CORE files you must enable the preference “Trust access to VBA project” in the Microsoft ® Excel options. To do this you must:
1. Close down all Microsoft ® Excel files and quit the Microsoft Excel application. Open a new instance of Microsoft ® Excel.
2. Click on the Microsoft Office button and then ‘Excel Options’.
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3. Click on the ‘Trust Center’ tab and then click on the button ‘Trust Center Settings’.
4. Click on the tab ‘Macro Settings’ and ensure that the tick box for “Trust access to the VBA project object model” is checked.
5. Press OK twice and then exit Microsoft Excel.
KB109 – Making copies and renaming protected files In order to make copies and rename XLSafe CORE protected files you must use Windows Explorer as the “Save As” functionality in Microsoft Excel is disabled for security. Simply select an XLSafe CORE file and rename it through Windows Explorer or copy and paste it to a different location. The duplicate file will carry all protection settings of the original file.
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KB110 – Protecting Complex & Very Large Files XLSafe CORE has been built to support extremely complex files exceeding hundreds of megabytes. However, due to the inherent complexity of large Excel files we recommend reading the additional guidelines below to ensure the protection process is as smooth as possible.
• Ensure the Calculation Mode in Excel Options is set to Manual before opening the Protection Wizard, XLSafe CORE.xlsm
• Test your file to ensure that its file structure is not corrupted. The easiest way to do this is to manually try and copy a blank sheet from another workbook into your file. If this process takes too long to complete then your file might be problematic.
• Comment out any procedures you might have on the auto_open and auto_close events. You
can incorporate your procedures back to your file once it has been protected with XLSafe CORE.
• Convert your file to the .xlsb format. Excel Binary Workbook files store information in binary format instead of the XML format like with most other Excel files. Since XLSB files are binary, they can be read from and written to much faster, making them extremely useful for very large spreadsheets.
• If the Protection Wizard, XLSafe CORE.xlsm hangs up while trying to apply the protection interface to your file (i.e. the process takes longer than 10 minutes), please contact our support team to go through the steps of manually applying the XLSafe protection to your file (please ensure that you have TeamViewer installed on your computer and invite us for a remote session to expedite the process).
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Excel Binary Workbook Format, .xlsb After the protection process is successfully applied to your file, you will notice that the Protection Wizard will have created the protected file with the .xlsm extension. If you have a complex file (generally over 30MB) you might wish to manually “Save As” the newly protected file with the .xlsb extension (Excel Binary Workbook Format).
To do this simply open the newly protected file with macros disabled and choose to “Save As” the file with an .xlsb extension from the Excel File Menu.
Fast-track Protection by DataSafeXL Team We provide a 24-hour priority turnaround process for protecting a spreadsheet on your behalf for an additional fee. Our expert team can protect any spreadsheet irrespective of its file size, complexity and VBA processes. The benefits of using this service are as follows:
• Save time in troubleshooting the protection process • Attain peace of mind that all protection options have been applied per your requirements • Our expert team can identify possible security flaws in your file and recommend
appropriate solutions • Our expert team will recommend specific security settings for the intended use of your file
To obtain a quote for our fast-track service please contact our support team.
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KB112 – Troubleshooting Guide If you are experiencing difficulties with protecting your spreadsheets with XLSafe CORE you can look up our troubleshooting list below to isolate the problem.
Pre-checks
Close down all open spreadsheets and Microsoft ® Excel instances. Ensure your anti-virus does not interfere with Microsoft Office files containing macros.
Ensure you have administrative rights to create and write files in the output folder location.
Ensure that the User Control Account (UAC) is not interfering with the creation of new files in the output folder location.
Ensure that none of your other Microsoft ® Excel Add-ins is interfering with XLSafe CORE.
Ensure that you have no hidden workbooks which load up in the XLStart folder of your Microsoft ® Excel application.
Before protecting your spreadsheets with XLSafe CORE, ensure that you have removed all passwords from your spreadsheet. Such passwords include:
- Password to open file - Workbook password - Sheet(s) password(s) - VBA Editor password - Shared workbook password
Excel is crashing when trying to protect a file
If you are using Excel 2007 ensure that you have followed the fix for the known issues as described in this bulletin http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927150/en-us
Restart your system to clear the memory allocated to Microsoft ® Excel
If you are still experiencing issues please raise a support ticket by following this link.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Billing FAQ
1. Which XLSafe CORE license should I purchase and how much will it cost?
You can find out more information on our pricing structure by visiting our order page at www.datasafexl.com/pricing
Please note for corporate plans we offer different pricing structures depending on the license volume you require. For more information feel free to get in touch with our pre-sales team via e-mail at [email protected] 2. Is there an extra cost for distributing protected files to my customers?
No, you pay for the license to create XLSafe CORE files per each user. Therefore you can distribute an unlimited number of protected files to your customers at no additional cost.
3. Do you provide a money back guarantee?
We offer a 30-Day money back guarantee for our single developer’s license products. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with the product you purchased from us or it just does not meet your expectations, you should notify us within 30 days from the date of the purchase and we will process your refund. Important Read: 1. A request for a refund must be submitted via e-mail to us. Requests directed to other contact addresses or phone calls are not accepted for cancellation. In addition, we cannot refund the commission kept by any of our payment providers including Regnow.com and PayPal. 2. A non-refundable administration fee of $60 is applicable for each and every refund. 3. Please notice that on receiving money back you are obligated to remove the software and all related files from your computer and every data medium; your further use of the software will be regarded as illegal unless you obtain a license again. 4. Our refund support team may ask you to provide necessary evidence that the software has not operated the way it was designed. 5. If you have received dedicated technical support from us through an online video session, the respective technical support costs will be subtracted from the value of the refund. 6. Please note that the money back guarantee does not apply for customised versions of XLSafe CORE, small enterprise and corporate licenses, development fees and advisory services that we might provide to our clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
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4. I am not a Microsoft ® Excel expert but I must protect sensitive data in our spreadsheets. Can
DataSafeXL take care of the whole process for me?
Yes, in fact we provide a wide range of security consulting services with regards to information stored in Microsoft ® Excel spreadsheets. We rigorously identify all underlying security risks in your working environment, provide assurance reporting and mitigate these risks with our innovative security software and customised solutions for our clients.
5. Do you provide training for the proper usage of XLSafe CORE?
Yes, we do provide comprehensive training plans to employees in an organisation for the proper usage of XLSafe CORE. Please contact our pre-sales team for more information.
6. Can DataSafeXL customise XLSafe CORE with additional features?
Yes, the XLSafe CORE interface is highly scalable and customisable according to your specific requirements. We can modify the XLSafe CORE interface with additional VBA procedures, customise the Microsoft ® Excel ribbon and provide a comprehensive range of auxiliary services. 7. Do you provide priority support at an additional cost?
We provide basic e-mail support free of charge for our single developer and small company licensing plans. For more information on our priority support plans and service level agreements feel free to get in touch with our pre-sales team via e-mail at [email protected]
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Technical FAQ
1. What is the difference between XLSafe CORE and VBASafe?
XLSafe CORE is our flagship product which is used to protect and limit distribution of your spreadsheets and their respective contents. VBASafe is a separate add-in that scrambles your VBA code and makes it unreadable to the human eye.
You can use VBASafe in conjunction with XLSafe CORE files.
2. What happens if a spreadsheet is already activated and my client makes a copy of that file?
The copied XLSafe CORE file will be protected and the customer can use it in the same way as the original file on his own computer. The client will not be able to transfer the copied file to another computer without obtaining an authorisation token from you. 3. What happens if my client shares a spreadsheet on the cloud (e.g. Dropbox)?
XLSafe CORE uses an award-winning hardware activation process to authorise each different machine. Therefore if a client stores an activated spreadsheet on the cloud, each additional user must obtain a unique token from the license administrator to be able to access the file. Notice that the license administrator can specify a different expiry period for each user for the same XLSafe CORE file. 4. I have developed a template file and my client needs to use this to make multiple copies. Can
XLSafe CORE work with this scenario? Yes, you will need to instruct your client to make a copy of the protected XLSafe CORE file through Windows Explorer/ Apple Finder. The resulting file will be protected and the client could rename the file according to his preferences. The copied file will have exactly the same protection properties as the original file. 5. Does an XLSafe CORE have any limitations?
No, XLSafe CORE files support all original features and functionality of Microsoft ® Excel. XLSafe CORE is used in a multitude of industries to secure the most complex spreadsheets (>100MB) such as financial and operational models with full support for VBA/ VB.NET code.
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