XLS Padlock 2026.1 is now available
We have released XLS Padlock 2026.1, a maintenance update for the 2026.0 version shipped last month. It clears up a few issues reported in protected applications built with 2026.0, makes the Web Update feature noticeably more dependable, and irons out several code signing situations.
If your maintenance is active, this is a free upgrade and we recommend it to everyone. Keep in mind that most of the fixes live inside the runtime embedded in your protected application, so re-pack and redistribute your workbooks once you have updated. Your existing activation keys and offline license keys are untouched, and nothing needs to change on your activation server or integration kits.
What changed in 2026.1
For members who are not yet familiar with the product:
XLS Padlock turns a Microsoft Excel workbook into a standalone Windows application (an EXE file). Your formulas and VBA code stay hidden and cannot be copied, and you get built-in licensing, activation, and trial management, so you can distribute or sell your spreadsheet solutions while keeping control over your work.
To upgrade, or to try it for the first time, download the latest version here:
Download XLS Padlock 2026.1
As always, your feedback is welcome. Tell us how the update works for you.
We have released XLS Padlock 2026.1, a maintenance update for the 2026.0 version shipped last month. It clears up a few issues reported in protected applications built with 2026.0, makes the Web Update feature noticeably more dependable, and irons out several code signing situations.
If your maintenance is active, this is a free upgrade and we recommend it to everyone. Keep in mind that most of the fixes live inside the runtime embedded in your protected application, so re-pack and redistribute your workbooks once you have updated. Your existing activation keys and offline license keys are untouched, and nothing needs to change on your activation server or integration kits.
What changed in 2026.1
- Fixes for deployed apps: applications that pair a license agreement with registry-stored activation keys no longer ask the user to accept the agreement on every launch, and the "WUPDATE.INI not found" error that some 2026.0 apps hit during Web Update is resolved.
- More dependable Web Update: updates now install correctly when your app lives in a protected folder such as Program Files, even when a different administrator account approves them, and the download-then-restart sequence is cleaner, with a short retry when a file is still locked.
- Smoother code signing: Azure Artifact Signing no longer shows a false red status, the automatic "sign my exe file" option now covers Azure Artifact Signing along with custom SignTool and JSign setups, and the two-EXE mode (separate 32-bit and 64-bit files) signs both files.
- Tougher offline keys: offline license-key validation is now harder to forge, with no change to the key format, so keys already issued keep working as before.
For members who are not yet familiar with the product:
XLS Padlock turns a Microsoft Excel workbook into a standalone Windows application (an EXE file). Your formulas and VBA code stay hidden and cannot be copied, and you get built-in licensing, activation, and trial management, so you can distribute or sell your spreadsheet solutions while keeping control over your work.
To upgrade, or to try it for the first time, download the latest version here:Download XLS Padlock 2026.1
As always, your feedback is welcome. Tell us how the update works for you.