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Archive for December, 2015

How to automate removing MS-Office VBA project protection for multiple files

  1. Problem:
    1. Need VBE extensibility to implement some tools and practices of the modern SDLC.
    2. Software consists of not only 1000s of Word templates which are anything but DRY, but also highly protected even during what should be the SDLC
      1. Not solvable by VBA automaton for security reasons:
        1. VBE password protection (OK, there is Sendkeys, but that is considered harmful).
        2. digitally signed.
      2. Developer tab read-only protection: this one is not covered here, since it can be dealt with through regular VBA automation.
  2. Workaround: PowerShell for starters:
    1. Get Unlock-OfficeMacro.ps1  – including the addition in the comments.
    2. Wrap the downloaded script like so:
    3.    
      Get-ChildItem -Include *.do?m* -Exclude *_unlocked* -Path "G:\imf\word templates\Quarterly Releases_unprotected_ps"  -Recurse |`  
      
      foreach{ $_.IsReadOnly = $false   $output_filename =  $_.Directory.ToString() + "\" + $_.BaseName + '_unlocked' +  $_.Extension .\Unlock-OfficeMacro.ps1 $_.FullName  $output_filename 
      }
      Exit 
       
  3. NextProblem: The script removes the warning dialogues on opening the altered MS-Word files remain. This still hampers automation.
  4. Next workaround: this script automates the GUI:
    1. “OK”’ing the warning dialogue: “The project file ‘C:\Users\tplagwitz\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\documaker.dotm’ contains invalid key ‘DPx’.–Continue Loading Project?” 
      image
    2. making minor changes and saving the file (this also bypasses the "discard certificate" warning, if the file was also signed (as is my case).  image
    3. Prerequisites: none, other than putting your word files in a folder the script (which the script will prompt you for, and for an (optional) substring, to filter file names) .

    4. Limitations:
      1. I  used to have also have, per module in the VBA project, warnings: “Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Unexpected error (40230) ” and try to bypass these also, but since I cannot replicate the warnings, this remains untested.image
      2. A superior approach (enabling round tripping) would be to attempt to automate entering the password, but the traditional SendKeys approach is unreliable, and  newer approaches (using SendMessage from the the Win32 API or bypassing the intended negative effects of password protection, via an in-memory substitution).
    5. And here is the AutoIt script:
  
include <Array.au3>
#include <debug.au3>
#include <File.au3>
#include <log4a.au3>
Opt("WinTitleMatchMode", 2)
Opt("MustDeclareVars", 1)
Dim $file, $runpath, $iPID, $i, $folderpath, $pattern, $files, $filepath, $files, $ret, $oAppl, $oDoc, $sFilter
_log4a_SetEnable()
_log4a_SetOutput($LOG4A_OUTPUT_BOTH)
$pattern = InputBox("File Pattern?", "Enter file pattern,  beyond (before) *.do?m (= Files with macros), that files have to match.", "_unlocked")
$folderpath = InputBox("Where?", "Enter folder to find files in...")
$sFilter = "*" & $pattern & "*.do?m|~*,Backup*"
If Not (FileExists($folderpath) And StringInStr(FileGetAttrib($folderpath), "D")) Then
	MsgBox(1, "Error", " The path you entered does Not seem To exist Or is Not a folder. Exiting....")
	Exit
Else
	$files = _FileListToArrayRec($folderpath, $sFilter, $FLTAR_FILES, $FLTAR_RECUR, $FLTAR_SORT, $FLTAR_RELPATH)
	For $i = 1 To UBound($files) - 1
		$file = $files[$i]
		If (StringRight($folderpath, 1) <> "\") Then $folderpath = $folderpath & "\"
		$filepath = $folderpath & $file
		Local $iPID = Run('"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\WINWORD.EXE" /q /a /m "' & $filepath & '"', "", @SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED)
		$ret = WinActivate("- Word", "")
		$ret = WinWaitActive("- Word", "", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then
			_log4a_debug("cannot load: " & $filepath & @TAB & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
			$ret = ProcessClose($iPID)
			ContinueLoop
		Else
			_log4a_debug("processing: " & $filepath & @TAB & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		EndIf
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		Send("{SHIFTDOWN}{SHIFTUP}")
		Sleep(100)
		Send("!{f11}")
		$ret = WinActivate("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "invalid key")
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "invalid key", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then
			_log4a_debug("nothing to do with invalid key, will close word and continue next file: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
			$ret = ProcessClose($iPID)
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
			ContinueLoop
		EndIf
		If $ret <> 0 Then
			$ret = ControlClick($ret, "", "Button1")
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		Else
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		EndIf
		Sleep(1000)
		$ret = 0
		Sleep(5000)
		While (0 <> WinActivate("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "Unexpected error (40230)"))
			$ret = ControlClick("[CLASS:#32770
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		WEnd
		Sleep(3000)
		$ret = WinActivate("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "")
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		If ($ret = 0) Then WinActivate("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "")
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		$ret = ControlSend("Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications", "", "VbaWindow1", "'dummy" & @CRLF)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		Sleep(1000)
		Send("!q")
		Sleep(1000)
		Send("!{f4}")
		Sleep(1000)

		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		If ($ret = 0) Then $ret = WinActivate("Microsoft Word", "")
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		If ($ret <> 0) Then
			Send("!s")
			Sleep(1000)
			$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "discarded", 5)
			If ($ret = 0) Then
				_log4a_debug("the certificate dialogue is not up yet", True)
				$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "", 5)
				If ($ret <> 0) Then
					_log4a_debug("failure with !s: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
					Send("{Enter}")
				EndIf
			EndIf
			Sleep(1000)
		Else
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		EndIf
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "discarded", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		$ret = WinActivate("Microsoft Word", "discarded")
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		$ret = WinWaitActive("Microsoft Word", "discarded", 5)
		If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		If ($ret <> 0) Then
			$ret = ControlClick("Microsoft Word", "", "Button1")
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
			If $ret = 0 Then Send("!d")
		Else
			If ($ret = 0) Then _log4a_debug("failure on: " & @ScriptLineNumber & @CRLF)
		EndIf
		Sleep(1000)
		Send("{BACKSPACE}")
		Sleep(1000)
		Send("^s")
		Sleep(3000)
		ProcessClose($iPID)
		Sleep(1000)
	Next
	Sleep(1000)
EndIf