You are prompted for credentials every two weeks when you try to view a Web resource in Office 2003 (916658)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Students and Teachers Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Basic Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Access 2003
  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
  • Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003
  • Microsoft Office OneNote 2003
  • Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
  • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
  • Microsoft Office Publisher 2003
  • Microsoft Office Word 2003
Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

SYMPTOMS

When you use Microsoft Office 2003 to view a Web resource, you are prompted for credentials. For two weeks you are not prompted to provide credentials when you return to the Web resource. After two weeks, you are prompted for your credentials again when you try to view the Web resource.

CAUSE

If a Web server requires authentication to successfully complete an Office Protocol Discovery OPTIONS request, you may be prompted for credentials to complete the call. After the call is completed, the information that is gathered is cached in your registry hive so that the call does not have to be repeated again for this folder. By default, the information is cached in the registry for two weeks. After two weeks have passed, you must submit your credentials again to complete the OPTIONS call.

RESOLUTION

To change this behavior and to extend the time that credentials are cached in the registry, apply the following hotfix and then change the registry.

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Office 2003 post-Service Pack 2 Hotfix Package that is dated April 21, 2006. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

916657 Description of the Office 2003 post-Service Pack 2 hotfix package: April 21, 2006

How to change the registry

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

To extend the time that credentials are cached in the registry, change the value of the NumWeeksToCache registry key.

The value that is used in the NumWeeksToCache registry key can be any number between 1 and 520. The value 1 is the default value in which credentials are cached for two weeks. Each increment in value adds one week to the default two-week time. For example, the value 2 equals three weeks, the value 3 equals four weeks, and so on up to the maximum value of 520.

Note We recommend that you do not exceed 52 weeks unless a specific business need requires it. When a higher value is set, more space is required to keep the cache entries. Therefore, the search of all entries will be slower for the application. If you require a value more than 52 weeks, consider adjusting the MaxCount setting of the server cache so that you will not run out of room for the longer held entries. Additionally, the bigger the size of the cache, the more time may be required to perform a search of the list. This behavior may affect overall performance when you open documents by using a URL.

To change the NumWeeksToCache registry key, follow these steps:
  1. Exit Office 2003.
  2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
  3. Locate and then click to select the following registry subkey:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common\Internet\Server Cache

  4. After you select the key that is specified in step 3, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
  5. Type NumWeeksToCache, and then press ENTER.
  6. Right-click NumWeeksToCache, and then click Modify.
  7. In the Value data box, type the value that is between 1 and 520 that you want to use, and then click OK.
  8. On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Office Protocol Discovery and why it was added to Office 2003, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

838028 How documents are opened from a Web site in Office 2003

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/26/2006
Keywords:kbExpertiseBeginner kbOffice2003preSP3fix kbQFE kbbug kbfix kbpubtypekc KB916658 kbAudITPRO
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.