Webpart security + disable web part connections– SharePoint 2010

One of our developers has reported that he is trying to setup connection between two webparts but somehow the connection option is disabled.

There might be a possibility that you will not get a connection menu also.

By using Web Part connections, you can create or enhance your Web Part Pages. You connect Web Parts so that when you perform an action in one Web Part, it changes the contents of another Web Part.

Now the next question will arise as:

1)   Why the connection option is disabled?

2)   Why the connection menu is greyed out?

3)   Why the connection menu is not available?

4)   Is there any setting at the site collection level or at the web application level by which we need to turn on any feature/activate something…

Let me tell you guys there is a setting which is present at the web application level so need to whether its enabled or not.

How to enable this option?

1)   Open the central administration

2)   Application management

3)   Web applications

4)   Manage web applications

5)   Select the web application for which you would like to enable the option

6)   On the top-Ribbon-You will find an option as ‘webpart security’

7)   Click on it and you will get one frame window which specifies ‘security for web pages

8)   Here you will find the option of Web part connections

9)   Select the option “Allows users to create connections between Web Parts”

Click OK and that’s it. You are done. 

After doing this, still not able to setup connection between two webparts?

Let me refer you this article: http://office.microsoft.com/en-in/sharepoint-server-help/connect-data-in-web-parts-HA010024105.aspx

In which Microsoft has specified several reasons in which web part menu may not be enabled or visible on your web part page / The Connections submenu is hidden or unavailable:

1)   You are not using the correct browser. You must use Internet Explorer version 5.5 or later to create, modify, or delete a connection between Web Parts.

2)   The Web Part you are trying to connect from does not allow connections. You can try to find or import another Web Part that does what you want and that allows connections.

3)   The zone that contains the Web Part does not allow connections.

4)   The Web Parts were connected in shared view and so the connection cannot be changed in personal view. If you can, switch to shared view.

5)   You do not have permission to make Web Part connections.

6)   Web Part connections are not supported at the site.

Some other possibilities:

Only compatible Web Parts are available from the Connections submenu. This situation can occur for one or more of the following reasons:

The Web Part you are trying to connect to does not support making connections. Not all Web Parts are designed to be connected.

1)   The Web Part you are trying to connect from is not compatible with the Web Part you are trying to connect to because it has an incompatible Web Part type. This can occur for the following reasons:

2)   You are in personal view, the Web Part you are trying to connect from is a shared Web Part or personalized Web Part, and the Web Part you are trying to connect to is a private Web Part on the same Web Part Page.

3)   The Web Part you are trying to connect from is a private Web Part, and the Web Part you are trying to connect to is a shared Web Part or personalized Web Part on the same Web Part Page.

4)   The Web Part you are trying to connect to or from allows only one connection. To create a new connection, you must first remove the current connection from that Web Part.

5)   The Web Part you are trying to connect to is already connected to the Web Part you are trying to connect from through a different connection type. Web Parts can have more than one connection, but each connection must be to a different Web Part.

6)   The Web Part you are trying to connect to is not compatible with the Web Part you are trying to connect from because the Web Part is required to run on either a client or server. There are two situations that can apply:

7)   The Web Part you are trying to connect to currently runs on the client, and the Web Part you are trying to connect from runs on the server.

8)   The Web Part you are trying to connect to currently runs on the server, and the Web Part you are trying to connect from runs on the client.

In this case, the Web Parts you are trying to connect must both run either on the client or on the server.

For assistance, contact the site administrator.

If you have any queries/questions regarding the above mentioned information then please let me know. I would be more than happy to help you as well as resolves your issues, Thank you.