Information
This policy setting controls whether Excel presents users with a list of data extraction options before beginning an Open and Repair operation when users choose to open a corrupt workbook in repair or extract mode.
The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled.
Rationale:
By default, when users choose to open a corrupt workbook with the Open and Repair command, Excel prompts them to choose between repairing or extracting data. A corrupt Excel file may be indicative of malicious tampering. By allowing the automatic handling of corrupt spreadsheets, malicious code may be introduced to the user's computer and the network.
Impact:
This setting will prevent Excel users from choosing how workbooks are recovered, which could increase desktop support requests.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Excel 2016\Data Recovery\Do Not Show Data Extraction Options When Opening Corrupt Workbooks
Default Value:
Disabled. (Excel prompts to user to either extract or repair.)