MS09-067: Description of the security update for Excel 2003: November 10, 2009

• Home users:
  http://www.microsoft.com/security/updates/bulletins/200911.aspx
  Skip the details: Download the updates for your home computer or laptop from the Microsoft Update Web site now:
  http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/
• IT professionals:
  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms09-067.mspx

How to obtain help and support for this security update

Known issues with this security update

• Symptom
  
  After you install this security update, you may experience a crash in Excel when freeze panes are enabled, and Excel is in semi-select mode. To temporarily avoid this problem, disable freeze panes. We are working towards potential solutions.
  
  Resolution
  
  After you install this security update, you may experience a crash in Excel when freeze panes are enabled, and Excel is in semi-select mode. To temporarily avoid this problem, disable freeze panes. To resolve this problem, install hotfix 979446. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  979446 Description of the Office Excel 2003 hotfix package (Excel.msp): January 25, 2010
• After you install this security update, you may experience the following issue when you work with Excel 2003 Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro code.
  Symptom
  
  You unprotect a worksheet by using the object model, such as Worksheets("sheet2").Unprotect. If the unprotected worksheet is not the active worksheet, contents from the unprotected worksheet become visible on the current worksheet. This issue continues until there is an action that updates Excel.
  
  Resolution
  
  To resolve this issue, install hotfix 978908. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  978908 Description of the Office Excel 2003 hotfix package: December 29, 2009

  
  
  Workaround 1
  
  Minimize and then maximize the Excel window to redraw or refresh the Excel worksheet.
  
  Workaround 2
  
  Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs.
  If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner or Microsoft Advisory Services. For more information, visit these Microsoft Web sites:
  
  Microsoft Certified Partners - https://partner.microsoft.com/global/30000104
  
  Microsoft Advisory Services - http://support.microsoft.com/gp/advisoryservice
  
  For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS
  
  You can modify the macro code to work around this issue by activating the Excel worksheet before the Unprotect method is run as shown in the following sample code.

  Sub Button1_Click()
      Dim NowActiveSheet As WorkSheet
      Worksheets("sheet2").Protect
      Set NowActiveSheet=ActiveSheet
      ' Activate the Excel sheet before running Unprotect method.
      Worksheets("sheet2").Activate
      Worksheets("sheet2").Unprotect
      NowActiveSheet.Activate
  End Sub 
  

  Workaround 3
  
  Activate all the worksheets in Excel manually or by using a macro after the issue has occurred.

Prerequisites to install this security update

Security update replacement information