By G.D.G. Software
XLS Padlock 2026.2 is available today. It is the second maintenance release of the 2026 line, following 2026.1 in July. It restores the correct recalculation of protected formulas in applications created with 2026.0 or 2026.1, fixes a long-standing crash of protected applications when a Windows file dialog opens, hides Excel’s Automate tab again when Office Scripts are not allowed, translates the Web Update wizard, and adds an Exclude credentials option for workstations where Azure Artifact Signing fails after az login.
We recommend that every customer with active maintenance upgrade to 2026.2 and re-pack the workbooks they distribute. Most of the fixes below live in the runtime embedded into your protected application, so your end users only get them once you re-compile with this release. Existing activation keys and offline license keys keep working unchanged, and no change is required on your activation server or integration kits.
Protected formulas return the correct values again
This is the most important fix of this release if you use formula protection. In applications created with XLS Padlock 2026.0 or 2026.1, a protected formula that references other cells could return a wrong but plausible value, with no error shown. The compiled workbook no longer told Excel which cells the formula depends on, so protected cells could be recalculated in the wrong order.
Dependency detection is also more accurate: Excel function names containing digits (LOG10, ATAN2, DAYS360), worksheet names in cross-sheet references, table names in structured references, and text inside quoted strings are no longer mistaken for cell references, which could produce a dependency list that Excel rejected in the compiled application. Named ranges keep being detected as before.
Re-pack your workbook with 2026.2 and distribute the new EXE: no change to your formulas is required. If you had deliberately selected “No Dependency” for some cells with 2026.0 or 2026.1, check those cells in the Protect Formulas window: that choice was not saved, and they now use dependency detection.
No more crash when a file dialog opens
On some computers, a protected application (and Excel with it) could close instantly, with no error message, as soon as a Windows file dialog opened inside the application: the secure “Save As” dialog, Insert > Pictures > This Device, and similar commands. This long-standing issue was more frequent when some security software was active. It is fixed in the runtime, and the secure save dialog is the standard Windows file dialog again. Re-pack the workbook with this release to fix deployed applications.
Code signing: Exclude credentials for Azure Artifact Signing, plus two Designer fixes
Azure Artifact Signing (formerly Azure Trusted Signing) tries several Azure credential types in a fixed order. On some workstations, a credential earlier in the chain fails and aborts the whole signing call before the Azure CLI credential, the one actually authenticated with az login, is ever tried.
The EXE Code Signing page now has an optional Exclude credentials field for the Azure Artifact Signing method, so those credential types can be skipped, as documented by Microsoft. Entries are checked against the nine valid credential type names, and the Exclude all except Azure CLI button fills in the recommended list for a computer authenticated with az login. Leaving the field empty produces the same signing metadata as previous releases. See How to Code Sign Your EXE File.
Two other code signing fixes ship in the Designer:
- With the SignTool Commands method, the
{$OUTPUTFOLDER$}marker is now replaced wherever it appears in a command, including when it is directly followed by a backslash or a closing quote, or placed at the end of the line. Previously it was only replaced when followed by a space, so a command such as"{$OUTPUTFOLDER$}\my-metadata.json"passed the literal marker to SignTool and signing failed. - The browse button next to the PFX File Path field opens the file selection dialog again. It had not worked since XLS Padlock 2025.2, so the path had to be typed or pasted by hand.
Automate tab hidden again when Office Scripts are not allowed
In protected applications built with “Disable all ribbons and toolbars” enabled and “Allow Office Scripts and Power Automate” disabled on the Cloud & AI page, an unnamed ribbon tab containing Excel’s Automate commands (Office Scripts, Power Automate) could still appear next to File. The tab is now hidden as intended, as it was before XLS Padlock 2026.0. Enabling “Allow Office Scripts and Power Automate” still shows the fully functional tab. Re-pack the workbook with this release to fix deployed applications.
A better translated experience for your end users
- Web Update wizard in the application language. The wizard opened by the “Check for Updates” button or by the automatic check at startup now appears in the language selected for the protected application, using the translations already embedded in it. Previously its buttons and messages stayed in English even when the rest of the application was translated. No extra translation work is required on your side.
- Launcher welcome screen in the Windows display language. In the EXE + XPLAPP bundle format, the welcome screen shown when the Launcher EXE is started without its .xplapp file now appears in the Windows display language, in any of the 10 supported languages, instead of English only. Once the protected application is opened, the language selected on the Localization page applies as before.
Both fixes live in the runtime: re-pack the workbook with this release to apply them to deployed applications.
The complete list of changes is in the changelog.
Get XLS Padlock 2026.2
👉 Existing users: XLS Padlock 2026.2 is a free upgrade if your maintenance is active. Download it, install it over your current version, and re-pack your workbooks. If your maintenance has expired, you can renew it at a discount from your account.
👉 New users: download the free trial to protect a workbook end to end, or buy XLS Padlock when you are ready.
As always, tell us what you think and what you would like to see next through our feedback forum or our contact form.