[Solved] Need admin permission to open documents?

[catrescuer57]

When I try to open documents, I get an error stating I need admin permission. I AM the admin. The only thing different is that I went from Windows 10 to Windows 11. I've tried reinstall, update. I need to get to these files. Please help.

[Hagar Delest]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

See if that helps:
[Solved] Ver. 4.1 will now only work as Admin
[Solved] Cannot save or edit documents on desktop (PC)
[Solved] Windows Defender prevents file opening
It may be another security application that interferes.

Please add [Solved] at the beginning of the title in your first post (top of the topic) with the 🖉 button if your issue has been fixed.

[catrescuer57]

So, I found this on the help page, "To add new roles, select Roles from the Admin Options menu to access the Role List page.". Where do I find this?

[Bill]

So, I found this on the help page, "To add new roles, select Roles from the Admin Options menu to access the Role List page.". Where do I find this?

What "help page" are you quoting? I don't recall seeing this in OpenOffice Help.

[catrescuer57]

I found it after a long search. Of course, now I cannot find it, but it was somewhere within their "support" tab.

[Bill]

I found the quote, but it's on a page about administering roles and permissions on the website. It has nothing to do with your problem about administering permissions in Windows 11.

[John_Ha]

You need to tell W11 and/or your AV software that soffice.bin is a safe program. Follow the suggestions in Hagar's post and report back on what happened when you did. [Tutorial]Problems with Windows Defender under Windows 10 explains it.

Showing that a problem has been solved helps others searching so, if your problem is now solved, please view your first post in this thread and click the Edit button (top right in the post) and add [Solved] in front of the subject.

[catrescuer57]

I have tried to try some of the solutions above. None have helped. Probably because I'm just a user needing a word program and do not understand some of the solutions offered. I am using Avast paid version and I temporarily disabled it. Nothing changed. I don't know what else to do. Thank you.

[LastUnicorn]

I have tried to try some of the solutions above. None have helped. Probably because I'm just a user needing a word program and do not understand some of the solutions offered. I am using Avast paid version and I temporarily disabled it. Nothing changed. I don't know what else to do. Thank you.

What you are being asked to do is make 'Exceptions', sometimes referred to as 'Exclusions', in your anti-virus software for OpenOffice.

To do that in Avast: Excluding certain files or websites from scanning in Avast Antivirus and Avast One

To do that in Windows Defender: Add an exclusion to Windows Security. Or this for more detail: How to Set Windows Security Exclusions in Windows 11

The above said, it is worth noting that there have of late been multiple issues reported on this forum of problems with OpenOffice on Windows 10 a 11 systems. Often times the solution is as simple as just switching to LibreOffice. LibreOffice is very similar to OpenOffice and in day-to-day use you probably wouldn't notice much difference. There are several good reasons for making the switch anyway, some of which are given in this thread: [Tutorial] Considering a Switch from OpenOffice to LibreOffice? Some Useful Information

[Hagar Delest]

I don't remember seeing this issue with LibreOffice. You can try to switch to it (or at least try a portable version). It is almost the same as AOO but more actively developed and it may be better recognized by security applications.

[John_Ha]

I'm just a user needing a word program and do not understand some of the solutions offered.

I don't remember seeing this issue with LibreOffice.

I don't think it is a problem caused by AOO. Rather, it seems that Microsoft removes the white listing of AOO soffice.bin during Windows updates so AOO suddenly and mysteriously gets crippled.

[LastUnicorn]

I don't think it is a problem caused by AOO. Rather, it seems that Microsoft removes the white listing of AOO soffice.bin during Windows updates so AOO suddenly and mysteriously gets crippled.

This is what I think too. However, I do wonder if Microsoft is actually up to dirty tricks to collapse OpenOffice — I wouldn't put it past them. They had to be forcibly stopped by European Union legal-pushback from aggressively pushing Internet Explorer years ago, so they do have form as far as I'm concerned. (Or am I just being paranoid?)

[John_Ha]

In Windows 11, use the Privacy page to choose which apps can use a particular feature.

1. Select Start  > Settings  > Privacy & security.

2. Select Access all your files, peripheral devices, apps, programs, and registry..., and choose AOO. (which might mean typing in C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenOffice 4\program\soffice.bin as .bin files may not be selectable).

[John_Ha]

A thought. Perhaps AOO developers are no longer telling Microsoft that AOO should be white listed. How do we ask development to keep on doing that?

On second thoughts, if that was the case, we would presumably get thousands if not millions of requests as every user would be affected whereas it seems only a few are affected.

[Hagar Delest]

I don't think it is a problem caused by AOO. Rather, it seems that Microsoft removes the white listing of AOO soffice.bin during Windows updates so AOO suddenly and mysteriously gets crippled.

I didn't say it was caused by the application.
I agree with the above comments, there must be an update provided to either MS or the security application maintainers for example to give the hash of the new executables.

[John_Ha]

I think it is very likely that Microsoft doesn't like .bin files. When you try to give a program permissions in Windows Defender it doesn't offer .bin files in the folder; it only offers .exe files. You have to type soffice.bin in the field.

[Hagar Delest]

But LO also uses the soffice.bin process. And there is no complaint.

[John_Ha]

Good point. I wonder if AOO development needs to contact Microsoft?

How would we ask development to do that?

[Hagar Delest]

dev mailing list I guess.

[catrescuer57]

I have decided to give up on AOO. I installed LibreOffice, and all is well. Now, to figure out how to put the <solved> in my header.