OFF2000: Office Document Automatically Opens When You Click Hyperlink (254835)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 2000
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2000
  • Microsoft Word 2000
  • Microsoft Outlook 2000
This article was previously published under Q254835

SYMPTOMS

When you click a link to an Office document in your Web browser or you double-click an Office document that is attached to an e-mail message in Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express, you are not prompted to confirm whether you want to open the document or save it to your hard disk. Instead, the document automatically opens in the appropriate Office program.

This occurs even if you were prompted to confirm the opening of an Office document before you installed Office 2000.

CAUSE

When you install Office 2000, the Confirm open after download setting in the Edit File Type dialog box is turned off for all Office file types.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use one of the following methods:

Method 1: Download and Apply the Open Office Document Confirmation Tool

The Open Office Document Confirmation Tool turns on the Confirm open after download setting for all Office file types. For additional information about how to download and apply the Open Office Document Confirmation Tool, as well as file types, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

238918 Availability of Microsoft Office Document Open Confirmation Tool

Method 2: Manually Change the "Confirm Open After Download" Setting

If you are concerned about specific file types, you may want to manually change the Confirm open after download setting for one or more file types. To do so, use the appropriate method:

Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, and Windows 95

  1. Double-click My Computer, and then click Options (or Folder Options) on the View menu.
  2. Click the File Types tab, click a specific file type (for example, Microsoft Excel Worksheet) in the Registered file types box, and then click Edit.
  3. Select the Confirm open after download check box, and then click OK.

Windows 2000

  1. Double-click My Computer, and then click Folder Options on the Tools menu.
  2. Click the File Types tab, click a specific file type (for example, Microsoft Excel Worksheet) in the Registered file types box, and then click Advanced.
  3. Select the Confirm open after download check box, and then click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

The Confirm open after download setting is turned off by default because all of the Office programs implement their own security to prevent the spread of macro viruses.

For more information about macro security, click Microsoft Excel Help on the Help menu, type macro security in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For more information about macro security, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type macro security in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For more information about macro security, click Microsoft PowerPoint Help on the Help menu, type macro security in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/24/2003
Keywords:kbnofix kbprb KB254835
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.