[Office 2007 plugin error] Could not open OOXML file (error reading from: )

[rkg82]

Recently we have been getting the Office 2007 plugin error for certain files PowerPoint .pptx and Excel .xlsx being indexed in offline mode. These files are mirrored from network directories to the local machine on a regular basis for the purposes of indexing, and apparently are now subject to application of network-applied DRM mechanism when being copied from the source directory.

The local copy of these files can be opened and used normally, but the Office application displays a message saying that access is restricted and that only specified users can access this content. The message does not alter access at all, in fact, and the file can be used normally. Also, a "Change permission" button is available, and the option to "Restrict permission to this presentation" can be disabled, and the document can be saved on the local machine.

Is this DRM file protection mechanism the cause for the failed indexing message, as I presume it is? Any tips?

[David]

It isn't something we have heard of before.

Do you know the technical details of how your DRM works?
(e.g maybe the local file isn't actually a copy of the file, but a link to the file on the server and the server applies user based permissions on the file?)

Is Zoom being run under the same User's account as your normal login?
e.g. If Zoom was run as a scheduled job, then maybe it is running under a different account?

[rkg82]

Greetings David,

Don't know much about the DRM details, but I can confirm that the local copy is a physical file copy. And the Zoom instance always runs under my normal login, with full admin rights on the local machine. These jobs are indeed scheduled, but in this most recent case I launched it manually.

[David]

Hard to offer advice when we know nothing about the DRM product.
Maybe the DRM vendor has some suggestions? The only thing Zoom is doing is opening the file and reading the content.

[rkg82]

That's the strange thing. Zoom can't open the file, but I can without any problem.

At random, from the list of failed files, I can open a Word document with no restricted access set in its properties. If I edit and save the file, Zoom can index it.

I can also open a file that does have "restricted access" permissions set, which I presume Zoom cannot access it. Again, if I disable restricted access, save the file, Zoom can index it.

But that is not viable workaround given the number of files affected, and the need to mirror the files daily from the SharePoint server. So I need a way to automate the process, since upon opening the file it's a simple matter, apparently, of switching off restricted access and saving the file.

[David]

Lets double check that DRM is causing the problem and not something in the files themselves. Can you Email us an example of a file that throws an error.

[rkg82]

I'm afraid the files are all confidential. The next time I have the opportunity, I will create a test file stripped of all confidential information, put it through the SharePoint upload and synchronized download cycle, and see If I can reproduce the error with the test file, which I could forward for examination.