Excel help

[airdvr 210]

I spent hours designing a SS for my personal use. Foolishly I gave a copy to another person in the organization to use. Now it's all over the place and everyone loves it. Pisses me off because there was alot of hard work.

Q. Is there any way to prevent this...some type of embeeded file that deactivates it after a certain number of uses. I don't want to PW protect it because that's a pain to do everytime I open it. Alwso, I'm thinking I could get others to pay me for it's use.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[simplyputsi 0]

I think the easy answer here is it's too late.

Sorry.

Skymama's #2 stalker -

[BillyVance 34]

Well, he can design a better SS for himself and taunt his workmates "na na NA na, you can't touch this!"

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Squeak 17]

dont be a selfish fuck, say to everyone, Glad you like my progam, next time were in a PUB BUY ME A BEER TO SAY THANKS

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[NWFlyer 2]

Fuck everyone else in your company. I'd really like you to come work for me. We can use some team players like you around here.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[DougH 270]

Corporate back biting at its best. LOL

If you make the Spread Sheet on their time, it is their spread sheet any way.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[rehmwa 2]

Personal use of company software and time could you get fired. If you designed it on company time for work-related use, then it belongs to the company.

People that create tools for everyone to be more productive get promoted.

Another thing you can try to do is to slash all the other employee's tires. You'll look really good as the only employee that shows up on time.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[airdvr 210]

I'm an independent agent. My software...my time. I guess I'll just have to wait un til the new rate increases come out

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

I'm an independent agent.

That changes the mix a bit in my mind. My apologies for thinking you were petty about coworkers.

Now it's a legal ownership of intellectual property issue. Then the contract you have with with that company applies.

You might have standing or not to force everyone to delete that spreadsheet - what's in your contract? However, mostly, when we hire contract people, the stuff they invent when working on our stuff, under contract to us, is our property or joint ownership.

If you have no contract defining this one way or the other, you are out of luck.

One thing, even if you have standing in this, legally, would it be worth it to screw with the company that hired you over a spreadsheet construction? If they really like your inventions/tools, you will get more contracts.

And, the cat's out of the bag, at this point, someone could reinvent your tool anyway if it's that neat.

Spreadsheet constructions are a dime a dozen. Go make a better one.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[SuperKat 0]

Quote

Q. Is there any way to prevent this...some type of embeeded file that deactivates it after a certain number of uses. I don't want to PW protect it because that's a pain to do everytime I open it. Alwso, I'm thinking I could get others to pay me for it's use.

The best thing to do is to protect or lock the cells. If you lock the cells and set a password to modify the SS where only the creator can modify the cells then all people can do is look at it. If they were to copy it, they'd have to use your original SS as a thumbnail and redo the cells in a different workbook. That's probably your best bet.

What's the most you ever lost in a coin toss, Friendo?

[gemini 0]

In addition to password protecting the cells, you can tie all the formulas to a protected "date stamp" formula that expires if the SS ages beyond a particular date. For example if you create the SS on May 1st, 2007:

Cell AA1:
=if(today()>date(2007,05,01)+30,"Expire","Run")

Then a forumula at a critical point or alll your formulas could reference AA1 to see if they should run or expire:

=if(AA1="Run",A1+b1,"N/A")

=if(AA1="Run",sum(A:A),"N/A")

=if(AA1="Run",if(A1>B2,A1*b2,A1),"N/A")

Otherwise you can write a VB script/macro to kill the formulas at a critical point.

Blue skies,

Jim

[airdvr 210]

Jim...thanks! That's what I was looking for.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[SuperKat 0]

Quote

In addition to password protecting the cells, you can tie all the formulas to a protected "date stamp" formula that expires if the SS ages beyond a particular date. For example if you create the SS on May 1st, 2007:

Cell AA1:
=if(today()>date(2007,05,01)+30,"Expire","Run")

Then a forumula at a critical point or alll your formulas could reference AA1 to see if they should run or expire:

=if(AA1="Run",A1+b1,"N/A")

=if(AA1="Run",sum(A:A),"N/A")

=if(AA1="Run",if(A1>B2,A1*b2,A1),"N/A")

Otherwise you can write a VB script/macro to kill the formulas at a critical point.

Whoa! Wow! You are definitely Guru status! I'm not worthy!

What's the most you ever lost in a coin toss, Friendo?

[DickMcMahon 0]

With LOTUS (which is similar to Excel) it's easy to write a "suicide"
macro that will erase everything on a certain date.

Website: Dick’s Stuff
Do atheists ever use the expression, “Goddamit”?

[benblee 0]

Nice work with the today function and if statements. I have a SS posted for Cypres2 maintenance and expiration to help our club better know when things are going out of date so we can put in way ahead of time for funding. I'm not worried about protecting it, but I'm curious as to whether or not the code works well enough.

If anyone wants to play with it and see if they find errors, I'd be very interested and will probably buy beer next time I run into you.

Cypres2 Maintenance Schedule

Aside from putting dates in backwards, I think it works pretty well. It also checks for the previous maintenance and then counts up from the DOM for the next maintenance date. That's the part that made it confusing.

It's for the Georgia Tech Club.

Ben Lee
www.CollegeSkydiving.com

[RPC1117 0]

This will certainly help keep your formulas protected. However, the best thing to do would be to have a macro that can easily be run at the opening of the workbook that will allow you to protect and unprotect all of the sheets in the workbook at once. Therefore, you could hide the contents or lock the cells and only the person with the password can modify anything.

I've attached a workbook that has exactly this type of protection. Currently it is protected without a password, so feel free to copy the coding and apply it to your workbook.

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

so feel free to copy the coding and apply it to your workbook.

I marvel at the irony

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[michalm21 2]

I think everybody forgets how easy it is to disable or erase macros form a file...
There really isn't a perfect way to protect a file. It all can be broken.

[RPC1117 0]

Quote

I think everybody forgets how easy it is to disable or erase macros form a file...
There really isn't a perfect way to protect a file. It all can be broken.

While this is certainly true, disabling or deleting a macro the simply password protects and unprotects all sheets in the workbook isn't going to do you any good if the sheet is sent out password protected.

You can find password breaker macros on the internet...but I don't think that most people go to that extreme.

[michalm21 2]

Quote

You can find password breaker macros on the internet...but I don't think that most people go to that extreme.

i'm sure people would go there if they need something badly... but that's just my opinion

[Elisha 1]

Doesn anyone here know the keyboard shortcuts for double-clicking and right-clicking in a SS? I want to avoide using the mouse when possible. Thanks.

[benblee 0]

I have an Excel file that is full of tips and tricks if anyone is interested. It's a bigger file then what's allowed for an attachment here, so PM or email me if you would like me to send it to you. It has enough info in it to help anyone at any level. It's pretty intense and was put together by the top Excel people at a major corporation.

Hit me up for it!
benblee@hotmail.com

Ben Lee
www.CollegeSkydiving.com

[dmace 0]

Don't know if there is a keyboard shortcut but you can use the following workaround:

e.g.

In "ThisWorkbook" add the following code

Public Sub Workbook_SheetBeforeDoubleClick(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Range, Cancel As Boolean)

Dim ws As Worksheet
Set ws = Sh

If ws.Name = "Sheet1" And Target = Cells(1, 1) Then
MsgBox "Hello"
End If
End Sub

Then create a module and put the following code in it

Sub auto_open()
Application.OnKey "+^{H}", "test"
End Sub

Public Sub test()

ThisWorkbook.Workbook_SheetBeforeDoubleClick ActiveSheet, ActiveCell, False

End Sub


Everytime you hit Ctrl + Shift + H together it will simulate a mouse double click event.
In this example if you "double click" with the keyboard shortcut on cell A1 of sheet 1 a message box will appear saying "hello". "double click" with the keyboard shortcut anywhere else and nothing will happen.

You can do the same for right click as well using the "Workbook_SheetBeforeRightClick" event.