Remove protected view from Excel sheet opened programmatically in Access - vba

Question

I have a spreadsheet I open programmatically using the VBA in Access:
Set xl = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
With xl
Call RunASCFormatting(xl, wb, strPath)
'More code
Sub RunASCFormatting(xl As Excel.Application, wb As Excel.Workbook, strPath As String)
With xl
If .ProtectedViewWindows.count > 0 Then
.ActiveProtectedViewWindow.Edit
End If
Set wb = .Workbooks.Open(Trim(strPath) & "ASC.xls", True, False)
wb.Sheets(1).Rows("1:1").Delete Shift:=xlUp
.ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs FileName:=Trim(strPath) & "ASC.xlsx" _
, FileFormat:=xlOpenXMLWorkbook, CreateBackup:=False
End With
End Sub
I have added in the "If" statement in the sub as I was hoping it would remove the "Protected View - Editing this file type is not recommended due to your File Block settings in the Trust Center" message. What I'm trying to achieve is to get the "Enable Editing" button removed, so this macro can enable editing and run as planned.
Currently, the code falls at the "Set wb" line. What is the proper way to achieve what I'm after?

Answer 1

One possibility is to change the macro security settings programmatically to the lowest before you open the Excel workbook. After manipulating your data, re-enable the previous setting of the macro security.
Here's some revised code which I found at http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/excel-questions/631545-change-trust-center-settings-visual-basic-applications.html:
Public Sub MySubroutine()
Dim lSecurity As Long
lSecurity = Application.AutomationSecurity
Application.AutomationSecurity = msoAutomationSecurityLow
'''''''''''''''''''''
' Run code here '
'''''''''''''''''''''
Application.AutomationSecurity = lSecurity
End Sub
As a side comment, VBA implements Integer as Long, so it could actually be slightly more performance degrading to declare Integer variables as it has to reinterpret the Integer keyword. When I learned that, I started declaring an Integer as Long instead. I actually read this in some Microsoft documentation, but I lost the link to it years ago.

Answer 2

Sub trusted_locations(path_to_add)
Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
Dim oRegistry
Dim sDescription 'Description of the Trusted Location
Dim bAllowSubFolders 'Enable subFolders as Trusted Locations
Dim bAllowNetworkLocations 'Enable Network Locations as Trusted
' Locations
Dim bAlreadyExists
Dim sParentKey
Dim iLocCounter
Dim arrChildKeys
Dim sChildKey
Dim sValue
Dim sNewKey
Dim vers As Variant
'Determine the location/path of the user's MyDocuments folder
'*******************************************************************************
Set oRegistry = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\default:StdRegProv")
bAllowSubFolders = True
bAlreadyExists = False
vers = Application.Version
sParentKey = "Software\Microsoft\Office\" & vers & "\Excel\Security\Trusted Locations"
iLocCounter = 0
oRegistry.EnumKey HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sParentKey, arrChildKeys
For Each sChildKey In arrChildKeys
oRegistry.GetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sParentKey & "\" & sChildKey, "Path", sValue
If sValue = spath Then bAlreadyExists = True
If CInt(Mid(sChildKey, 9)) > iLocCounter Then
iLocCounter = CInt(Mid(sChildKey, 9))
End If
Next
'Uncomment the following 4 linesif your wish to enable network locations as Trusted
' Locations
bAllowNetworkLocations = True
If bAllowNetworkLocations Then
oRegistry.SetDWORDValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sParentKey, "AllowNetworkLocations", 1
End If
If bAlreadyExists = False Then
sNewKey = sParentKey & "\Location" & CStr(iLocCounter + 1)
oRegistry.CreateKey HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sNewKey
oRegistry.SetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sNewKey, "Path", path_to_be_added
oRegistry.SetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sNewKey, "Description", description_of_path
If bAllowSubFolders Then
oRegistry.SetDWORDValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sNewKey, "AllowSubFolders", 1
End If
End If
End Sub

Answer 3

You can try turning off protected view settings in the Trust Center
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/what-is-protected-view-HA010355931.aspx#BM5
http://www.howtogeek.com/60310/enable-editing-for-all-office-2010-documents-by-disabling-protected-view/
This may be harmful.
Additionally you should set trusted locations.

Answer 4

Sub fileBlock(value As Long)
Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
Dim oRegistry
Dim sParentKey
Dim vers As Variant
Dim item As String: item = filetype_to_change_fileblock
'Determine the location/path of the user's MyDocuments folder
'*******************************************************************************
Set oRegistry = GetObject("winmgmts:\.\root\default:StdRegProv")
vers = Application.Version
sParentKey = "Software\Microsoft\Office\" & vers & "\Excel\Security\FileBlock"
oRegistry.SetDWORDValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sParentKey, item, value
End Sub