Microsoft KB Archive/230881

= OFF2000: Error Message: "Unable to Open . A Security Problem Has Occurred." =

Article ID: 230881

Article Last Modified on 1/28/2005

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 2000 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Word 2000 Standard Edition

-



This article was previously published under Q230881



SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Office, when you attempt to connect to a Web site or open a file through a hyperlink, you may receive the following error message:

Unable to open https:// /. A security problem has occurred.

-or-

Unable to open https:// /. A security problem has occurred.

where  is the name of the Web server that you are attempting to access, and   is the name of the file that you are trying to open.



CAUSE
This error message occurs when the following conditions are true:

The hyperlink is pointing to a secure Web server that requires User Certificates.

-and-

Your default Web browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0.

-and-


 * You have not previously accessed the secured Web server that requires the User Certificates.

-or-


 * The Internet Explorer 5.0 Temporary Internet Files and History have been purged on the computer.



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, connect to the secured Web server that requires User Certification in Internet Explorer 5.0, prior to trying to gain access to the secured Web server through a hyperlink in Microsoft Office:


 * 1) Start Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0.
 * 2) In the Address box, type the address of the secured Web site. An example of this would be https:// where   is the name of the secured Web site.
 * 3) When prompted for a User Certificate, click the User Certificate that the Web Administrator of the secured Web site has issued you. If you do not have a User Certificate, you must obtain one from the Web Administrator of the secured Web site.
 * 4) When the browser displays the secured Web site, quit Internet Explorer 5.0.
 * 5) Start one of the programs mentioned at the beginning of this article.
 * 6) Open the document that contains the hyperlink that points to the secured Web site. When you click the hyperlink, you are able to connect to the secured Web site without receiving the error messages listed in the "Symptoms" section of this article.

