Microsoft KB Archive/253300

Knowledge Base

XL2000: How to Avoid Saving Password in Text File When You Get External Data

Article ID: 253300

Article Last Modified on 10/7/2003

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Excel 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q253300

SYMPTOMS

When you use a new database query to retrieve data from external sources into Microsoft Excel, you are asked to save the password twice. If you select either of the following check boxes

• Save my UserID and Password in the data source definition (in the Create New Data Source dialog box)
  

-or-

• Save password (in the External Data Range Properties dialog box)

Excel saves the password into a text file, which creates a potential security problem.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use either of the following methods.

When you create your data source name, click to clear the following check boxes:

• Save my UserID and Password in the data source definition (in the Create New Data Source dialog box)
  

-and-

• Save password (in the External Data Range Properties dialog box)

-or-

Use the following registry key to disable password caching. To do this, follow these steps.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

1. Click Start, and then click Run. Type regedit, and press ENTER.
2. In the left pane of Registry Editor, locate and select the following subkey (folder):

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Common\Security

   NOTE: If this subkey does not exist, right-click the Common folder, point to New on the shortcut menu, and then click Key. Type Security and then press ENTER.
3. Right-click the Security folder, point to New on the shortcut menu, and then click DWORD Value.
4. To name the new DWORD value, type DisablePwdCaching and then press ENTER.
5. In the right pane of Registry Editor, double-click the DisablePwdCaching value that you just created.
6. In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, type 1 in the Value data box (replacing the 0).
7. Click OK.
8. On the Registry menu, click Exit.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Office 2000 SR-1/SR-1a.

Additional query words: Excel XL Excel2000 XL2000

Keywords: kbprb kbfaq KB253300

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