How to "sign" macro with "digital certificate"?

[Clueless in Seattle]

Lately whenever I use Excel 2003 to try to open an old worksheet I
created with Excel 97 I get a message saying the macros have been
disabled because I don't have a "digital certificate."

I've tried following the instructions in the Excel help files and on
the web to create a digital certificate which I've named "My Digital
Certificate." I think I was able to successfully create the
certificate.

But I can't figure out how to "sign" my macros with it. So my
worksheet has been rendered useless to me until I can sign those
blasted macros.

I'd be grateful to anyone who could explain to me how to get my
worksheet working again.

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

 

[JP]

Will,

Does this help?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/217221
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HP052495571033.aspx

--JP

 

[Clueless in Seattle]

Will,

Does this help?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/217221http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HP052495571033.aspx

Thanks, JP,

As it turns out, that is exactly the set of instructions I have been
trying to follow, but without success

Here's what I've done so far:

A. In Windows 2000 I clicked on Start>Microsoft Office>Microsoft
Office Tools>Digital Certificate for VBA Projects.

B. In the "Create Digital Certificate" box that popped up I entereted
"My Digital Certificate" in the field labeled "Your certificate's
name:" and clicked OK.

C. I got a message saying "Successfully created...etc."

Then I tried to follow the instructions on that same web page you
suggested:

"1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and click the Security tab."

I take this to mean that I'm supposed to open the file I want to sign,
in this case the file containing my Excel worksheet. Did I get that
right? I had already reset the security level from high to medium, in
a previous attempt, so when the worksheet opened up, I got a choice of
disabling or enabling macros. I chose "enable."

"2. Click Digital signatures."

Under "Signatures" the only only the that appears on the list is
Signer:Administrator Digital ID Issued By: Administrator Date:
3/22/2008.

"3. Click Add."

When I click "Add..." I get a message asking me if I want to save the
workbook. I click yes."

"4. Select the certificate you want to add, and then click OK."

I get a list with two certificates, "My Digital Certificate" and
"Administrator." I chose "Administrator because it had an expiration
date in 2106 as opposed to "My Digital Certificate" which has an
expiration date of 2014.

I clicked OK and then OK and then OK yet again.

I reset the Security Level to "High" and then clicked "Save." I got a
warning that said "Saving will remove all digital signatures from the
workbook. Do you want to continue?"

Well, no! I went to all that trouble to add the digital signature.
Why would I want to remove it?

So I don't save the file, I just close it.

But then when I reopen it I'm faced with the "Macros are disabled
because the security level is set to High and a digitally signed
Trusted Certificate is not attached to the macros....etc."

So I'm right back to where I started. And have been going round and
round in circles like this for days and days now.

So where have I gone wrong?

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless

 

[Gord Dibben]

You assign the DC to your workbook/project in the VBE.

Alt + F11 to open VBE. CTRL + r to open Project Explorer.

Select your workbook.project and Tools>Digital Signature>Choose

You should be presented with at least one of your certificates.

Pick one and OK then save your workbook/project.

Close and re-open...............since the DC is not of the "Trusted" type you
MAY be asked if you want to trust the signer.

Select OK

Save and close again.......re-open without any message.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[Clueless in Seattle]

You assign the DC to your workbook/project in the VBE.

Thanks for walking me through that.

It seems to have done the trick!

Will

 

[Gord Dibben]

Good to hear.

This URL that JP supplied earlier would have given you those instructions.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HP052495571033.aspx

Click on "sign a macro project"


Gord