Applies to: All products, releases 7.0.0 and Up

Error at Launch:

product cannot be started because of the following Office security setting in the registry:

software\policies\microsoft\office\common\security!automationsecurity=3

 

Cause:

The Group Policy setting "Automation Security" is not allowing the @RISK/DTS software to run.

This setting determines whether an add-in is allowed to add helper add-ins. 

The Risk.xla add-in loads helper add-ins, as do our other product files.

Microsoft recommends that the "Automation Security" setting be valued as 1.
If it is set to 3, Excel will not allow add-ins to load other add-ins, and @RISK fails with the message above.

 

Solutions:

1. Run Regedit, if your Windows login has permission.

   • Check the two keys HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\Common\Security and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Common\Security.

   • Under each one, delete AutomationSecurity or change its value to 1.

   • If you can't make that change, or if it doesn't remain when you restart Windows, ask the IT department to make the change for you.

   • They may also need to remove the "Automation Security" policy setting from the Group Policy editor or Office Customization Tool.

2. As a temporary workaround, you can try enabling @RISK for each session of Excel.

1. 1. Close Excel if it's open. 

   2. Reopen Excel.

   3. Press Alt+F11 and then Ctrl+G to go to the Immediate Window in Visual Studio

   4. Paste Application.AutomationSecurity = msoAutomationSecurityLow into the Immediate Window and press Enter.

   5. Close the Visual Basic Editor but keep Excel open. Launch @RISK from the desktop icon or via Start » Programs » Palisade DecisionTools.

 

Related Article:

Group Policy and Office Customization Tool Settings: Technical Reference