Office for MAC

[elads]

Don't ask why but I'm using Office on my mini MAC.
Apart from the fact that it is full of bugs there is a really annoying issue with hyperlinks embedded in office file I was hoping someone could help me overcome.
I am using hyperlinks of mp4 files etc in my word and excel files. Those mp4 files are also located on my disk, so all my work is local.
Still, I get messages that the links are dangarous so in most of my files I can't open my own GD hyperlinked files...)-:
A lot of editting work goes down the drain...
Any idea how to overcome this unbeleivable MAC security madness of my own local files ?

Desperate me

 

[Bigwaff]

I get messages that the links are dangarous so in most of my files I can't open my own GD hyperlinked files...)-:

Not Apple issue. MS was berated for lax security measures for years for not providing/allowing warnings like these when linking to files and executables outside Office applications. Now they do. Post screenshot of warning message content. Perhaps there is a workaround the community is aware of.

 

[maflynn]

but I'm using Office on my mini MAC

Why?

 

[bradman83]

Don't ask why but I'm using Office on my mini MAC.
Apart from the fact that it is full of bugs there is a really annoying issue with hyperlinks embedded in office file I was hoping someone could help me overcome.
I am using hyperlinks of mp4 files etc in my word and excel files. Those mp4 files are also located on my disk, so all my work is local.
Still, I get messages that the links are dangarous so in most of my files I can't open my own GD hyperlinked files...)-:
A lot of editting work goes down the drain...
Any idea how to overcome this unbeleivable MAC security madness of my own local files ?

Desperate me

Is the warning blocking you from opening the hyperlink at all or is it just saying that hyperlinks can be sketchy please confirm you want to open it?

The latter warnings are a universal behavior across all Office apps. On Windows you can edit a registry key to disable them but I don’t think there is an equivalent on Mac.

Keep in mind that the hyperlink pointing to a local resource doesn’t necessarily matter from a security perspective; the hyperlink could point to malware that was downloaded alongside of a malicious Office file. This is obviously a rare occurrence which makes life miserable for the 99.99% of legitimate use cases but such is the state of software security measures.

 

[Iwavvns]

Don't ask why but I'm using Office on my mini MAC.
Apart from the fact that it is full of bugs there is a really annoying issue with hyperlinks embedded in office file I was hoping someone could help me overcome.
I am using hyperlinks of mp4 files etc in my word and excel files. Those mp4 files are also located on my disk, so all my work is local.
Still, I get messages that the links are dangarous so in most of my files I can't open my own GD hyperlinked files...)-:
A lot of editting work goes down the drain...
Any idea how to overcome this unbeleivable MAC security madness of my own local files ?

Desperate me

Have you tried the Pages app from Apple to see if it does the same?

 

[ipaqrat]

Running MS Office Version 16.84 (24041420) on Sonoma 14.5.1, tested Word and Excel... There is no setting in the UI to disable that particular security feature.

HOWEVER, I can't seem to trigger that warning on my own...

Created links to a .jpg and .mgp; both popped right open with no warning dialogs, in Preview and QuickTime, respectively. FILE links are not true hyperlinks, which require an HTTP server to respond.

Then I pasted an actual HYPERLINK (web address) (MacRumors' Logo) into the Word and Excel... macrumors-simple-logo-light.svg... and THAT popped right open in a new safari window with no warning.

As recently as Mac Office version 16.79, I find comments about that warning.

 

[elads]

Dear all responders thank you !

I get now that it is probably a MS issue where they don't respect the security protocol of MAC OS.
Office 365 apps should have been asking for a permission to open another application and this would have been displayed in "Privacy and Security / Automation". There is nothing there- i checked. In this case i hear, I should get a warning but still be able to open the hyperlinked file thereafter.

But I get few different scenarios and this is puzzling:

1. At first, when I only create a HL and keep MSWORD open, I can just go ahead and open it. No problem.
2. After closing and repoening Word, I get a warning and then the linked mpeg opens
3. For some links, I get the same warning, hinting the file will open , but then follwed by a No No message and the file simply does not open. I tried to guess why. Failed.

NB: In some hyperlinked files that would not open I found special characters in their name and deleted those, and then they would open. In others that would not open I found absolutely none..and have no clue.

MAC OS Sonoma 14.5 (mini MAC m2)
Word Version 16.85.2

# 2 option looks like this

# 3 option :

-->>

Cheers !

 

[bogdanw]

Any idea how to overcome this unbeleivable MAC security madness of my own local files ?

Have you tried to give Full Disk Access to Word?

 

[AZhappyjack]

Open Office? iWork Suite?

 

[elads]

Have you tried to give Full Disk Access to Word?

Sadly yes. Word has full access. 10x

 

[bogdanw]

I think the problem comes from the files being wrongly inserted or identified as links.
In Word 16.85.2 I see this dialog for a mp4 file that has been dragged & dropped into a document. The permission persists once granted, even for external drives.

 

[bradman83]

I think the problem comes from the files being wrongly inserted or identified as links.
In Word 16.85.2 I see this dialog for a mp4 file that has been dragged & dropped into a document. The permission persists once granted, even for external drives.
View attachment 2384774

Out of curiosity does dragging and dropping into the document embed a copy of the file into the Word document or simply link it? Based on my past experience in a corporate setting (on Windows) the files were always embedded as copies in the document which might not be what the OP is looking for.

 

[ipaqrat]

... Based on my past experience in a corporate setting (on Windows) the files were always embedded as copies in the document which might not be what the OP is looking for.

In Windows Active Directory based enterprise settings, many dozens of MS Offie settings can be defaulted/enabled/blocked by so-called "Group Policy Objects" (GPOs). Same/similar on Macs, too. One such setting is to default file imports to be linked or embedded, and how the link should appear.

Office 365 apps should have been asking for a permission to open another application and this would have been displayed in "Privacy and Security / Automation".

Privacy and Security > Automation setting isn't for simply opening files by type (that is handed off to the OS.) Automation refers to app command & control. For example, permitting FileMaker Pro commanding Mail to creating a new message, add an address, insert subject, place merged body copy, attach files, set return address, then send.

Using the Insert tab, "chain" link button creates a file link (not really hyper), linking acts the same for the internal drive as for removable media (your Sandisk OS drive). For files on removable media, I do get the prompt for permission to access, as @bogdanw illustrated. But still no "web security warning."

I might be grabbing at ****, here, but...

Are you sure you have the actual binary data files stored on your that local Sandisk SSD, as opposed to just aliases or symlinks that point to a web server someplace, or to a NAS or SAN appliance?

Can you test by copying the files to your internal hard drive and creating a new doc with links to them? What are the file sizes?

Can you test by cutting your machine off the network/internet completely, and see if the file links behave differently?

 

[bogdanw]

Out of curiosity does dragging and dropping into the document embed a copy of the file into the Word document or simply link it?

Based on size, just a preview image of the video is included in the docx file, not the mp4 video file.

 

[elads]

@ipaqrat,​

Are you sure you have the actual binary data files stored on your that local Sandisk SSD, as opposed to just aliases or symlinks that point to a web server someplace, or to a NAS or SAN appliance? Yes, as they were created by me

Can you test by copying the files to your internal hard drive and creating a new doc with links to them? What are the file sizes? Working on the internal drive does not solve it

Can you test by cutting your machine off the network/internet completely, and see if the file links behave differently? Did cut, same bahavior

I am using the "chain" link symbol.
Before I used to drag and drop mp4 files and word just "lost the link". The first frame of the mp4 was displayed as a picture, and upon clicking on it, Word would open a "select file menu" with all the files selectable in the source directory and have me manually look for the file and select it, again and again and again. This is even though it had the linked file name in the link. Really..🤬

The files sizes are between 3-25 MB, but the ones not opening are not necessarily the bigest

 

[decafjava]

Why?

Well in my case my workplace has an Office 365 subscription and we are required to use it. My main work computer is a Thinkpad laptop running Windows 11 and Office. When I do stuff from home I use my iMac, but that is less often partly because my iMac is getting long in the tooth and partly because MS have not optimized Office for MacOS. Anyway I usually work at the office (mainly as it is a job that needs face to face presence). OTOH some of my colleagues use Mini Macs and Office runs fine on their machines.

 

[maflynn]

Well in my case my workplace has an Office 365

Woosh

you totally missed the joke

 

[decafjava]

Woosh

you totally missed the joke
View attachment 2384994

D'oh!!