Knowledge Base

Error message when you try to open an Excel 2007 workbook: "Scripts in this XML document are disabled"

Article ID: 908556

Article Last Modified on 11/27/2007

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Office Excel 2007

Important This article contains information that shows you how to help lower security settings or how to turn off security features on a computer. You can make these changes to work around a specific problem. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this workaround in your particular environment. If you implement this workaround, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect the computer.

SYMPTOMS

When you open a Microsoft Office Excel 2007 workbook that references a style sheet, you receive one of the following error messages:

Scripts in this XML document and/or references to other documents are disabled.

To help protect your security, one or more items in the XML document have been disabled. The XML document contains a reference to script, another document, or an Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) style sheet.

More information about this error message online.

To determine the unique number that is associated with the message that you receive, press CTRL+SHIFT+I. The following number appears in the lower-right corner of this message:

700994
XML Error
An XML error has occurred. Please correct the problem and try again.

Click the Details button for a more specific description of the problem.

Details
Description : Security settings do not allow the execution of the script code within this stylesheet.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because the Excel 2007 workbook references a style sheet that is blocked for security reasons.

WORKAROUND

Warning This workaround may make a computer or a network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at your own risk.

Reduce the security level for the XSL style sheet

To work around this issue, you must reduce the security level for the XSL style sheet. Use this workaround only if you trust the source of the Excel 2007 workbook and if you trust the source of the XSL style sheet. We recommend that you change the security level of only the XSL style sheet for the Excel 2007 workbook. After you finish using the workbook, set the security level of the XSL style sheet back to the highest security level.

To reduce the security level for the XSL style sheet, follow these steps:

Start Registry Editor:
- Windows Vista
  Click Start, type REGEDIT in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
  
  If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
- Microsoft Windows XP:
  Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
In Registry Editor, locate and then click the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\XSLSecurityLevel
On the File menu, click Export.
In the File name box, type Backup_XSL_Settings.reg, and then click Save.
On the Edit menu, click Modify.
Type 1, and then press ENTER.

Restore the security level for the XSL style sheet

When you finish using the Excel 2007 workbook, you must set the XSL style sheet security level back to the highest level. To do this, follow these steps:

Start Registry Editor:
- Windows Vista
  Click Start, type REGEDIT in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
  
  If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
- Microsoft Windows XP
  Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following key in the registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\XSLSecurityLevel
On the Edit menu, click Modify.
Type 0, and then press ENTER.

Additional query words: xl2007 xl12 12

Keywords: kberrmsg kbtshoot kbregistry kbsecurity kbprb kbopenfile kbexpertiseinter kbofficealertid kbproductlink KB908556

Microsoft KB Archive/908556

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