How To Remove Security Warning Messages In Excel?

Want to remove security warnings message bar which is frequently appearing on your Excel spreadsheet but don’t know how to disable security warnings in Excel.

Even if you don’t know such things. Don’t get worried…!

You can fix this issue on your own just by making few changes in the setting.  To know what changes, you need to perform go down to this post.

As the post covers complete information about, three most commonly encountering security warnings in Excel. Moreover, it also acknowledges you about how to disables Excel security warning messages.

About Security Warning Message Bar In Microsoft Excel

Security Warning Message Bar mainly encountered in three situations.

  • When you have Excel read-only file which you want to edit. To do so you need to enable the editing option.
  • At the time of opening a workbook, Excel gives warning you’re your workbook is having macros. So, the application takes your confirmation whether you want to enable them.
  • when excel spreadsheet contains potentially unsafe active content like ActiveX controls in the excel file you are trying to open.

Fix ActiveX Controls Has Been Disabled Security Warning

Fix Macro Has Been Disabled Security Warning In Excel

Disable Protected View In MS Excel 1

In these cases, security warning message bar appears yellow, red along with the shield icon. These warning messages are just to alert you about the potential problems.

To stop these warning messages pop-up on your Excel screen you have to disable the message bar. We will discuss about steps to disable each of these Excel warning messages one by one.  So, go through it…!

Fix “ActiveX Controls Has Been Disabled” Security Warning In Excel

This particular excel security warning message appears when you open a file containing ActiveX controls. You will see a message “Activex control has been disabled” along with a shield icon and Enabled Content button. All these are packed within a yellow box.

After being completely confirmed that the controls are from trusted source, follow up the instructions:

  • from the appearing Message Bar, tap to the Enable Content this will open file and it is a trusted document.

Below shown image, displays the Message Bar when ActiveX controls are present in your Excel file.

Fix ActiveX Controls Has Been Disabled Security Warning

Enable ActiveX controls in the Backstage view

Alternatively, you can enable ActiveX controls in Excel file through the Microsoft Office Backstage view. Well this backstage view appears after clicking on File tab, at the time of appearance of the yellow Message Bar. For here is the complete step to perform this procedure. Follow this carefully.

  • Hit on the File
  • Now in Security Warning message area, hit Enable Content

Fix ActiveX Controls Has Been Disabled Security Warning 2

  • Within Enable All Content, tap to the Always enable this document’s active content

Fix ActiveX Controls Has Been Disabled Security Warning 3

After doing this step the file is counted as a trusted document.

Fix “Macro Has Been Disabled” Security Warning In Excel

In Excel macro is used to automate repetitive task. So, whenever you need to perform that task you just have to run the macro. Here is this section we will learn about how to fix “Macro Has Been Disabled” Security Warning in Excel.

Fix Macro Has Been Disabled Security Warning In Excel

Change macro settings in the Trust Center

Well this issue can be fixed by changing the Macro settings located in trusted center. If you are working in the organization, then chances are also that system administrator have changed macro default settings. Usually this is done to prevent third person from making any changes in the settings.

Important:

Changing macro settings from Trust Center, only applicable for currently using MS Office program not for all office programs.

  • Hit on the File
  • Tap to the Options.
  • Now hit on the Trust Center, after then tap to the Trust Center Settings.

Fix Macro Has Been Disabled Security Warning In Excel 2

  • From the Trust Center, tap to the Macro Settings.
  • Select anyone out of these options. Use the information in the following section to learn more about macro settings.

Fix Macro Has Been Disabled Security Warning In Excel 3

  • Disable all macros without notification:

Choosing this option will disable the macros and security alerts regarding macros

  • Disable all macros with notification:

This option will disable only the Macros not the security alerts.

  • Disable all macros except digitally signed macros

In this case also Macros is only disabled but not the security alerts. If the available macro in you excel spreadsheet is digitally signed by any trusted publisher then it will run. Otherwise, notification starts coming for enabling the signed macro and trust the publisher.

  • Enable all macros (not recommended, potentially dangerous code can run):

Through this option all type of macros will run. Choosing this setting will makes your PC susceptible to potentially unsafe code.

  1. After making selection tap to the OK

How To Disable “Protected View” In MS Excel

Excel triggers some specific “protected view” settings by default. This is just to prevent any user from downloading or opening any potentially infected file. Either coming from internet or sent by anyone from Email etc.

Disable Protected View In MS Excel 1

WARNING — it’s highly recommended to disable “Protected View” settings in MS Excel setting only if the file is a trusted one.

Steps To Disable Protected View

  • First of all, open the Excel application. After then select the “File”menu option.
  • Choose the “Options”
  • Now select the “Trust Center” option and tap to the “Trust Center Settings
  • Now it’s time to select the “Protected View” from left sidebar. Read the three options carefully and un-check the desired options.

Disable Protected View In MS Excel 2

After making such changes now you can enjoy opening any of your Excel files without any “Protected View” security warning.

Enable Or Disable Security Alerts On The Message Bar For All MS Office Applications

The steps mentioned in this section is applicable for all MS office application. So, you don’t have to go through each application and make such changes.

  1. In the Office program, tap to the File
  2. Hit the Options.
  3. Select the Trust Center. On the same opened page, you will see the option Trust Center Settings, tap on it.
  4. Now tap to the Message Bar. This will open the dialog box ”Message Bar Settings for all Office Applications. Here you will see two options:

Enable Or Disable Security Alerts On The Message Bar

  • “Show the Message Bar in all applications when document content is blocked.”

It is a default option. The security warning Message Bar appears when any potentially malicious content has been disabled.

  • Never show information about blocked content

If you choose this option then it will disable the security warning Message Bar. After then no alerts regarding security issue will appear on your Excel spreadsheet.

Conclusion:

Hopefully you have got enough idea on how to remove excel securing warning message bar. So, from now onwards don’t get annoyed with such, just follow down the steps and turn it off.

Apart from this, we advise you to don’t make any security settings in trust center. As this may leads to loss of data, data theft, security vulnerabilities on your PC.



Priyanka is a content marketing expert. She writes tech blogs and has expertise in MS Office, Excel, and other tech subjects. Her distinctive art of presenting tech information in the easy-to-understand language is very impressive. When not writing, she loves unplanned travels.