Launching a hyperlinked program in excel

I have found a few references to the issue. This may help: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925757 or http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00587_Security_warning_message_when_clicking_a_hyperlink-_-files_might_harm_your_computer-.htm or http://blogs.technet.com/b/emeaoffice/archive/2013/06/13/impact-of-using-forceshellexecute-1-in-office-2007-2010-and-2013.aspx

tq - although your first link can turn off the hyperlink warning (very verbosely - I use a two line "reg" script), none of the links address the "...virus warning" interruption thingy.

thanks for trying - Ed

There is always the upgrade path - support for the 2003 edition will be expiring this spring along with support for XP, leaving these programs in the "exposed" category.

If I could turn off the "ribbon" menus, I'd be there already. (I'm old an used to the old menus.)  But given MS's inability to fix known problems, I hesitate getting rid of one set of problems only to adopt another set and at MY expense to boot.

In this instance however, issuing a warning ...
"Opening (FileName)  
Some files can contain viruses or otherwise be harmful to your computer.
It is important to be certain that this file is from a trustworthy source.
Would You like to open this file? "  is stupid by design.

Reminds me of how useless UAC was/is. I create a bat file on my desktop and launch it 10 times a day, every day. If I had UAC turned on, I'd have to "OK" its launch thousands of times a year. That's stupid. IF the OS remembered my answer, and the file doesn't change, why issue another warning? i.e If it was safe last time . . . ??

( By the way, one of the "FileNames" I'm launching is "C:\Windows\Write.exe" (Wordpad) )

I have a work-around in mind, it'll just take a bit of time.

- sorry for venting. Ed

I just downloaded IBM's Apache Open Office (4.0.1) and holy cow - IT WORKS !! (and looks great too).

Although I agree (in principle) with most of what you say, their problems have always been self-inflicted and mostly due to their arrogance. Their first 25 years or so were a pleasure to watch and benefit from, the last 10 or so, not so much.  I was kinda happy to read about the executions taking place at MS in the last few weeks/months due to the junk they called "Windows 8". Even the "ribbon twins" were buried. RIP
(  www.infoworld.com/print/233279 )

I don't understand your last comment ".. upgrade or take the older systems completely offline to be safe." I'm on Windows 7 pro now, but I think on April 8th I'll rebuild an old system with XP SP3 PC and see how long it'll last with only Malware Bytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) and a firewall to protect me. If I recall correctly, XP's updates caused more problems than they ever cured.  And now that our new OS's come with back doors for the feds or entertainment industry (DRM), what makes you think the new stuff is better?

In any event, I have enjoyed your volleys and efforts. Thank you again for your time and interest.

- Ed

Thanks, Ed. To actually be safe from any intrusion, disconnecting the cable is and always has been the only way to go. But with the XP operating system and Office 2003 edition no longer receiving any support, vendors will soon lose interest in protecting that environment and it will be a dangerous place to conduct business with any sort of confidential or regulated data. Think HIPAA or PCI compliance, etc. Upgrading to something newer than XP and Office 2003 being the point I was making. I am happy with Windows 7 and Office 2010 Pro. They are not that difficult a shift from XP and Office 2003 for most users. Anyone who hasn't already, should simply skip Vista (and then after they tire of Windows 7, skip 8.) I don't think any of the new stuff is better - I've been doing this stuff since 1979. I still have an old DEC 386sx running at 16 Mhz with 1 MB of RAM and a 40 MB hard drive that boots and loads Word Perfect and allows me to print off a letter in the time it takes my AMD 8350 with a Veloricaptor 1 TB drive and 32 GB of RAM to boot to the login screen. But there are some pretty serious productivity issues with the old stuff and eventually the demand for the new features takes precedence. Enjoy!