"Connect a smart card" dialog when opening excel file with macros

Ev77 · 27 Jul 2016

I have Excel 2010 installed on Windows 7 and windows 10 (same computer). No problem with Windows 7.
On windows 10 when I open an .xls or a .xlsm file containing self-signed macros and macro security set to block unsigned macros, I get a "Windows Security" dialog asking me to "Connect a smart card". Like I said, does not happen under Win 7.

If I click "Cancel" the dialog goes away and I can use the file normally.

Thanks for any help getting rid of the dialog.

bro67 · 27 Jul 2016

You need to reset Excel Trust Center options. You did something by causing it wanting a Smart Card as a Security device to want you to use it to open the file.

Try this to fix: "All replies (9)Raju S Das
Raju S Das replied on August 16, 2011See post history
Microsoft Forum Moderator Support Engineer
You may refer the link given below which discusses about the same issue:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/w...1-1f0e1d38572c
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NINiravPPatel replied on August 29, 2011See post history
ReplyIn reply to Raju S Das's post on August 16, 2011
The answer in this reply doesnt work and it still keeps on happening.
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Raju S Das
Raju S Das replied on September 1, 2011See post history
Microsoft Forum Moderator Support Engineer
ReplyIn reply to NiravPPatel's post on August 29, 2011
What happens if you try the steps mentioned in the above thread?
Do you receive any error message?
Provide us more information to help you better.
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HEHermanVeerkamp replied on September 2, 2011See post history
ReplyIn reply to Raju S Das's post on August 16, 2011
It works!
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MWmwtpdx replied on September 27, 2011See post history
ReplyIn reply to Raju S Das's post on August 16, 2011
The suggestion at the referenced link worked:
"Navigate to Services.msc and check the settings for the smartcard service (try manual)."

Unfortunately, I had no idea how to get to services.msc - my tech guy had to do this, and of course too fast for me to follow. But it did work.
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CYCyphon replied on April 2, 2012See post history
ReplyIn reply to Raju S Das's post on August 16, 2011
Another possibility is 3rd party vendor software:
If found an issue where folks that have IBM's Rational Doors 9.3 have this issue after they install IBM's software. What clued me in was this article: IBM Installing DOORS causes Microsoft Word to prompt during startup - United States. It should be titled, "These aren't the droids you're looking for." I found that the IBM's, door.dot, template gets placed inside c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\STARTUP; this causes the "inserrt smart card" prompt and triggers a macro warning.
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JOJoelParkinson replied on August 15, 2012See post history
ReplyIn reply to Cyphon's post on April 2, 2012
thank you! it was the doors template for me as well.
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DHDhirenBuch replied on February 16, 2014See post history
ReplyIn reply to Raju S Das's post on August 16, 2011
Dear Mr. Das,

This has not work.

Instead that, the suggestion of putting the following path in Trusted Path is better

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\STARTUP\

Regards
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SHSharonG88 replied on February 18, 2014See post history
ReplyIn reply to NiravPPatel's post on August 29, 2011
The answer in this reply doesnt work and it still keeps on happening.

I know it's a little late; however, none of the above worked for me. I got mine to resolve by removing the check box "Require Application Add-ins to be signed by Trusted Publisher" under Word Options -> Trust Center Settings - > Add-ins.

If your box is greyed out and cannot be unchecked, it is probably set in a group policy. The setting is: "Require that application add-ins are signed by Trusted Publisher". This policy is located under User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Word 2010 -> Word Options -> Security -> Trust Center. Note: I changed mine from Enabled to Not Configured and it took care of the issue.

Also, this setting is under each specific application; ie: Microsoft Word 2010, Microsoft Excel 2010, etc. in the group policy so if you are having that issue for each of the Office Applications, you probably need to turn it off for each."

I just did a search on smart card always asked when opening excel 2010. IBM Doors used to be the issue to cause this, along with Exchange as another culprit. But going in and changing the Trust Center options is where a lot of people make a mistake to cause the error to pop up.

Ev77 · 27 Jul 2016

[QUOTE=bro67;750173]You need to reset Excel Trust Center options. You did something by causing it wanting a Smart Card as a Security device to want you to use it to open the file

I had just installed Windows 10 and had never been to the trust center. However your reply SOLVED the problem. THANK YOU.

The "Smart Card" service was already disabled but the "Smart Card Device Enumeration" service had a start up type of "Trigger". I changed it to "Disabled". Problem gone!!

It actually SOLVED ANOTHER PROBLEM too. I had to set macro security to "Run all macros" to get self signed macros to run on my machine (on which the macros were written & signed). That is no longer necessary.

bro67 · 28 Jul 2016

The trust center has nothing to do with Windows 10. It is only with Microsoft Office. The Smart Card in Services, I just disable it, since I do not use any type of extra Security like that.

Trust Center for Office can cause all kinds of headache if a file that you opened in any of the packages with Office could use a VBA script as a trojan to mess with those settings.