CHALLENGE: Make Add-In "Project is Unviewable"

Sure post away

bighead,
i didnt find anything on the link.

Nice Challenge, try this:

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1) Save xls file as an add-in (No password) (Keep the xls file, you will need it)

2) Open the new xla file and press Alt + F11

3) Give the add-in's vba project a password

4) Double-click the add-in's "ThisWorkbook" module > Press F4

5) Change the IsAddin property to FALSE

6) Activate the Excel application window

7) TOOLS > SHARE WORKBOOK (Check the "Allow other users......" checkbox)

8) Press OK to save and share the file

9) Press OK to acknowledge the fact that macros cannot be viewed in a shared workbook

10) Save this workbook again as an add-in. Select File>Save As..., then delete the quotation marks and the .xla extension from the filename. Select add-in from the "Save as type:" dropdown list

11) Press Save, then press "Yes" to overwrite existing file add-in file

12) When the add-in is loaded, trying to access the vbe project will result in a "Project Unviewable" message
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This is an bit of a bug in Excel maybe, but a useful one nonetheless. Note: You need to keep the original xls file because once you do this, it is done. The addin's project cannot be unprotected, etc... you can guess the limitations.

Works in 97, 2000, 2002. Cannot say for versions above (2003)

Hows this Malcom?

Justin,

How the %$^& did you figure that out?

I'm, trying that in the morning!

Smitty

(Reminds me of the old STYX? song - "Too much time on my hands")

TIEASY!

Well, as much as I personally abhor Shared-Workbooks, you cannot access the vbe projects in them. It was just a matter of getting a "shared workbook" converted to an add-in. Took a bit , trust me.

Justinlabenne,
EXACTLY...
thats what i do on my code..
every after slight modification, i produce an Add-In which i share to others..
finally, i'd say, im not alone on this..
but i highly encourage all of us to use this one.. so far, i didnt find ways to view the code with this form of security.. the very reason y most/all MVP's dont know bout this is because this is a bug.. not an intended purpose..

Note: You need to keep the original xls file because once you do this, it is done.

Click to expand...

no problem for this.. just always keep your original excel workbook file.. and never show it to others.. the one which cannot be undone is the add-in file..

if anyone knows of a way to view the code of the Add-In, please post here...

BTW, i believe this works for all versions.. im using XP and it works fine for me...

Justinlabenne, where did u know about this? did u figure it out urself?

i heard from an expert that this form of security will assure secured from 98% of excel users/programmers... which means that there is still that 2%.. im not quite sure how to do that.. if u know, please share..

I build a lot of projects at work for use by others, and for some reason I had a certain person who kept saving all of the workbooks they used as "Shared Workbooks" Come time to update, and I had to remove sharing, etc.. I never use that feature, but one property that was nice was that the vbe project became unviewable: I just had to figure out how to do it with an add-in.

A couple long nights later, I came across a method that worked.

You would most likely need decompiler to convert it back, and the only one I know of is here:
http://www.straxx.com/excel/decompiler/xla_decompile.html

Take care.......