Of the known problems, one which warrants special mention as it crops up so often: the matter of "Excel macro security".  This problem is highlighted below -- it's very easy to solve. (If you don't have the time right now to solve the macro problem, ask one of the kids to do it, or grandma if she's not busy making an apple pie (never ever disturb someone who's making an apple pie).)

 

Excel macro security

 

Lertap's computer code, written in Visual Basic, is nested in a set of code modules referred to as 'macros' by Excel. In order to run Lertap, Excel has to be told that it's okay to 'enable' the macros found within Lertap. If this is not done, the Lertap tab for Excel 2007/2010 will not be displayed, and without the tab you can't do any Lertapping.

 

The Lertap tab for Excel 2007/2010 looks something like this:

 

 

Here's what happens when you open the Lertap5.xlsm workbook without having enabled macros -- you get a "Security Warning", as seen here:

 

 

Note that there's no Lertap tab. Not yet. This is something of a problem, to be sure. But all is not lost:

 

Click on the Options... option as seen in the Security Warning above.  The warning will change to an "Alert", displaying something this:

 

 

Now, if you click in the little circle next to Enable this content, good as gold is what you'll be. You may see the Lertap tab, or you may see a collapsed ribbon, one without expanded tabs. Here's an example of the collapsed ribbon in Excel 2007:

 

 

Click on Lertap and away you'll be. (The Lertap tab will display, giving access to all its wonders.)

 

A mild problem, we might call it a bother, is that you have to go through this rigmarole every time you start Lertap. Unless, that is, you wisely decide to put your faith in:

 

The Trust Center

 

No doubt you noticed the small offer from Excel to "Open the Trust Center"? It's seen in the very lower left of one of the screen shots just above. Looks like this:

 

 

You can use the Trust Center's options to change things so that Excel considers your Lertap5.xlsm file to be in a "trusted location". When you open a file that's in a trusted location, Excel will not give any of its security warnings.

 

This is handy. It's so handy that it's worth getting the kids or grandma back in for a moment. Ask them to do these things: find the folder where the Lertap5.xlsm file is on your computer, and then get Excel to recognize this folder as a trusted location.

 

 

The screen shot above shows Lertap5.xlsm nested in a folder called Lertap57, which in turn is nested within a folder called ASC (for Assessment Systems Corporation), a folder found on the computer's C: drive.

 

Okay. Now go back to Excel and take that option to Open the Trust Center. The following series of screen snapshots shows what to do:

 

 

 

There you go! Now, henceforth and forevermore Lertap will start up without Excel giving any sort of security warning. Handy handy.