Change registry policy settings

[AlanMelly]

Im using office pro 2003. I'm attempting to open a doc and i get an error
message saying"you are attempting to open a document created in an earlier
version of office. this file type is blocked from opening by your registyry
policy setting."

 

[Jay Freedman]

This is caused by a security-related part of Service Pack 3, which was
probably installed on your computer by Microsoft Update in the last
week or so. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941636/, particularly
the Workaround section that refers you to
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938810/.

 

[JTR]

I downloaded Office SP3 yesterday and now can no longer access Lotus files.
(I get the "blocked by your registry policy setting" error) I looked at the
KB938810 document and in the instructions for "Excel" it says to look for the
"LotusandQuattroFiles" registry entry. I used the search feature and it
couldn't be located.

I was able to get to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel, but there was no
"Security" or "FileOpenBlock" sub-folders within "Excel". I also couldn't
find "FileOpenBlock" using the registry search feature.

Any suggestions?

 

[JTR]

OK, I found another document, KB922848, this provides instructions for a
"work around" for Excel 2003, but requires that you stipulate which directory
folders you want to "exempt" from restrictions. The "work around" stipulates
the addition of a new key and string values under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common

This folder was on my registry.

 

[JTR]

Update to my earlier post.
Yes, I can now open the Lotus files, but unfortunately I cannot save them.
Despite following the instructions in KB922848, not only do I get the 'You
are attempting to save a file that is blocked by your registry policy
setting" message, but when I close the file, and am asked if I want to save
the changes, it destroys the saved file! My old Lotus file is now corrupt
and can't be "undeleted". Only if I change the file type, in "save as" to an
Excel file, can I keep the file.

This is not a good situation.