INFO: Security Settings and Excel RealTimeData Servers (286259)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 2002
This article was previously published under Q286259

SUMMARY

Excel 2002 provides a new worksheet function, RTD, that allows you to call an Automation server for the purpose of retrieving real-time data. This article describes how RealTimeData servers are affected by security settings in Excel 2002.

MORE INFORMATION

A RealTimeData (RTD) server is invoked in Excel 2002 by using a worksheet formula that resembles the following:

=RTD("RTDServer.App",,"AAA")

The behavior of the RTD server is governed by Excel security settings. To examine or modify your security settings in Excel, on the Tools menu, click Macro, and select Security.
  • When the security is set to High, the RTD server fails silently, and Excel displays #N/A in the worksheet cell.
  • When the security is set to Medium, Excel 2002 displays a warning that the RTD server contains macros and asks the user whether to enable or disable them. If the macros are enabled, the RTD server runs normally. If the macros are disabled, the RTD server fails silently and Excel displays #N/A in the worksheet cell.
  • When the security is set to Low, the RTD server runs normally without any security warnings.
Excel 2002 is designed to work in this manner for security purposes. Because an RTD server can be installed on a computer without the user's knowledge, and because an RTD server requires no user interaction to function, Excel 2002 notifies users when an RTD server is present and allows them to disable it if they wish.

NOTE: There are two cases in which an RTD server may ignore the security settings that are defined by the user:
  • The RTD server has been digitally signed. Just as with digitally signed Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros, a digitally signed RTD server can run even with High security set.
  • The RTD server is running on a remote computer using DCOM. In this case, Excel 2002 depends on DCOM to handle security for the RTD server and assumes that it is safe to run the RTD server if DCOM allowed it to launch.

REFERENCES

For additional information on RTD servers, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

285339 HOWTO: Create a RealTimeData (RTD) Server for Excel 2002

285888 HOWTO: Use an Excel RealTimeData Server with DCOM

286258 INFO: Excel RTD Function Cannot Return An Array

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:4/17/2001
Keywords:kbDSupport kbinfo kbSecurity KB286259
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.