Vsdx File

pedz

pedz

Registered
I do customer support and got a vsdx file from a customer. Libre Office might be able to open it but my Mac is screaming at me "Do you really want to do this?". The text of the warnings includes "execute". Can these files actually execute? Will Libre Office offer me an option to not allow whatever is trying to execute? I've seen that type of message with some spreadsheets that have macros in them.

This may not be the best place to ask but I thought of you guys first when I bumped into this.

Thank you,
pedz
 
I don't think you should have any issues opening a Visio format file using Libre Office. That's the app that is first mentioned when you need to open the occasional visio file.
You could also try File Viewer, which should just let you view the file, and, even if there's some weird code in the file, should just view the file.
http://www.fileinfo.com/software/mac_file_viewer
Visio, being a Windows app, might have an executable in the structure of a file, which would be important to know in Windows. It's unlikely to do anything in OS X - although it ALSO probably won't have some feature when opening on your Mac.
If you are still concerned - can you give the exact text of that warning, word for word? That might just be a generic message that the file can't open - or one you can simply ignore....
 
When I first double clicked it, it did not know which app to use so I picked Libre Office. Now, when I double click the file I get:

"foo.vsdx" can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.
Your security preferences allow installation of only apps from the Mac App Store and identified developers.
Mail downloaded this file today at 1:14 PM.

And the dialog box just has "Ok" to close it.

If I right click and pick open, I get a dialog box that says:

"foo.vsdx" is from an unidentified developer. Are you sure you want to open it?
Opening "foo.vsdx" will always allow it to run on this Mac.

with a button to allow and a button to cancel. What bothers me is the use of the words "app" and "run". It thinks its an app (at least kinda sorta) -- to me at least.
 
That simply sounds like your Mac (and Gatekeeper) complaining about an app that you haven't opened yet, and you received it through a method that your Mac, by default, does not trust automatically.
If you know and trust the source for that file (and it sounds like you know who created it), then right-click on the file, choose "Open", and that should open the app, along with the file.
If you often get files like that, you can change your security settings...
System Preferences/Security & Privacy - General tab. Unlock that pane by clicking the padlock.
Change "Allow Apps Downloaded from:" to "Anywhere"...
However, that does drop your security level. A good one-time fix is to just right-click on the file, and choose "Open". That allows that app from that time, but only that one app. That allows you access, but doesn't leave your security settings changed, except for that one file.
 
Thank you for the replies.

I believe you are correct. What is odd to me is the new file, to me at least, is a data file and not an app. Indeed, the file itself does not have execute permissions.

I thought maybe I had never opened Libre Office since the last update but I can start Libre office without any complaints.

What I decided to do is start Libre Office and then open the file from Libre Office. There were no complaints when I did that.

Thank you again
 
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