Contributor Mode - SharePoint Designer (2007)

Sometimes I find myself trying to troubleshoot some SP Sites and need to handle some items via the SPD, but most of the times you [or I] cannot access the complete features of a Site (i.e. workflows due they are inside a hidden folder). So here's a little workaround. As soon as I find the source where I learned this trick I'll give credits properly.

Contributor mode??

Yes.... Contributor Mode (hyperlink is an overview of this mode), in this mode your'e almost only a viewer of the most useful features of SPD, such as WorkFlow's, Master Page editing... etc). This mode IS NOT a security setting, it's a very 'common sense' scope for people who aren't Site Owners (or Farm Administrators, or Site Collection Administrators), but only Content Authors, and also a very effective way to protect everything that is not content.

But back to the point.

This means you're actually importing authentication credentials from the IE (the version i talk on this one is IE7), as far as I've tried simply logging off won't do the trick. This workaround implies a change on the Security Settings of your Internet Explorer (don't worry, it's actually increasing them, not opening a breach). Enough said, here's the work around:

On your IE Tools

Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level > Settings

Scroll all the way down to the User Authentication

and select:

Prompt for Username and Password

What this will do??

This configuration will ask for your credentials EVERY TIME you visit ANY site that requires authentication (Remember the No Security Breach from before?) but this time if you have a privileged account (AKA Admin account) you now can be sure SPD won't carry over your credentials, instead it'll pop up a login box, again use your privileged account and there you go... the site you need to work with ready and with all the features SPD has for you.

Hope this helps!

Regards, Art-Uhr