topic Re: xls libname question about passwords in Microsoft Integration with SAS

xls libname question about passwords

deleted_user — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:19:59 GMT

Hello,

I have another question about the xls libname.

If my excel spreadsheet is password protected how do you get around that? It doesn't seem to work unless I take the password off manually but I need to have it there as the data is confidential. Also I am trying to avoid using dde.

My code is in the last thread if it helps. I am having a bit of trouble looking up much information on the xls libname!

Thanks a lot

Re: xls libname question about passwords

deleted_user — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:58:16 GMT

Does nobody have any ideas? Maybe it isn't possible. How do other people get around the fact that an excel spreadsheet is password protected, do you use dde?

Re: xls libname question about passwords

LinusH — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:01:12 GMT

It's funny. This is not mentioned in any documentation as far as I know. Strange, becuase it seems kind of basic functionality/situation. All I found was a sentence in a Global Forum paper:

http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/forum2007/004-2007.pdf

under section 5. This is not a Institute contributed paper.

So, I think there is no way of reading this without having to disable your password. But if this data is sensitive, I suggest that you copy the Excel file to a safe location, and disable the password in that copy. Wouldn't that be sufficient?

Regards,
Linus

Re: xls libname question about passwords

deleted_user — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:56:08 GMT

Thanks for looking for me Linus. I wonder if the notes are a bit sparse because xls libname is quite a new thing in SAS (I think so anyway - I have only just heard of it.)

Your idea would work except I have been trying to avoid using dde as my excel spreadsheet has a macro in it so if I open it up the pop up comes up asking about do you want to enable macros? which prevents it from being fully automated. I could get around this by setting excel to low macro security but I don't want to do that.

Are there any ways of disabling a password and then later adding a password without having to actually open the file so that I can avoid the pop up. If that exists then that would be an ideal solution to my problem!