Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I have built a Calc spreadsheet that I want to sell. If I password protect it customized to each customer, I find that someone can easily do a SAVE AS, and save it again without password protection, which means they could pass it around for free. I've found links on the web about the possibility of disabling Save As in Excel, but I don't know Macro programming, and don't know how to do this conversion. Or whether this is possible in Calc or not. Or if there is a better way to limit distribution of a program I have worked hard to create.

I am using OpenOffice 3.1, and running it on Windows XP.

Thanks so much to anyone willing to help!

Mindy R

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Does it help: [Solved] Can't figure out how to disable File > Open?

Thanks to add '[Solved]' at beginning of your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.

Thanks for your reply. Sorry to be slow, but this level of programming is not my specialty. Are you suggesting that the same technique for disabling the Open menu can also be used to disable the Save As menu?

It looks like the link you mention was about an XML file. Is it a separate file that resides in the OpenOffice folder itself? How could I have my end users have this command automatically activated by simply downloading my Calc spreadsheet? That's what I need. I can't get them to install a separate file in the program itself I don't think...

Thanks for your patience to connect a few more dots together for me.

- Mindy

Hmm, you're right, I mixed that configuration file with a macro. Sorry.

This discussion might help you further how i can manipulate openoffice writer document event: close/save.... You need macro programming and catch "SaveAs" if that is the right name. But when someone is willing to ship your document to others without pw protection despite the agreement/contract you have made, the step to share it including pw is not so large it is all about ethics. This is difficult up to impossible to manage.

Could be usefull for you, use the Tools/Protect/Document or sheets.
See in the OOo help [F1], searching for "protected contents".
There you can see the diferent protection levels.

If you are looking to entirely remove the Save function VBA is probably your best option, just select Alt + F11, double click "ThisWorkbook" and paste the following into the module sheet:
Sorry if I've misunderstood what you're after but this seems by far the easiest way around your problem (however I don't think this prevents saving in design mode).