Index: XWord/AddinSettingsForm.cs
===================================================================
--- XWord/AddinSettingsForm.cs	(revision 18302)
+++ XWord/AddinSettingsForm.cs	(working copy)
@@ -112,6 +112,14 @@
             Addin.password = Password;
             LoginData loginData = new LoginData();
             Addin.Client = new XWikiHTTPClient(ServerURL, UserName, Password);
+            // if the login fails, then disables the ribbon buttons
+            // which allows the user to work with the documents from XWiki server
+            // else enbles them
+            if (!Addin.Client.LoggedIn)
+                Globals.Ribbons.XWikiRibbon.disableAllConnectionNeededButtons();
+            else
+                Globals.Ribbons.XWikiRibbon.enableAllConnectionNeededButtons();
+
             //TODO if login fails then...
             //AddTaskPanes(); TODO: Sync all taskpanes
             if (Addin.XWikiTaskPane != null)
Index: XWord/XWikiAddIn.cs
===================================================================
--- XWord/XWikiAddIn.cs	(revision 18302)
+++ XWord/XWikiAddIn.cs	(working copy)
@@ -537,6 +537,10 @@
                 if (result == DialogResult.OK)
                 {
                     Client = new XWikiHTTPClient(serverURL, username, password);
+                    // if the login fails, then disables the ribbon buttons
+                    // which allows the user to work with the documents from XWiki server
+                    if (!Client.LoggedIn)
+                        Globals.Ribbons.XWikiRibbon.disableAllConnectionNeededButtons();
                     AddTaskPanes();
                 }
             }
@@ -586,6 +590,11 @@
                 username = credentials[1];
                 password = credentials[2];
                 client = new XWikiHTTPClient(serverURL, username, password);
+                // if the login fails, then disables the ribbon buttons
+                // which allows the user to work with the documents from XWiki server
+                if (!client.IsLoggedIn)
+                    Globals.Ribbons.XWikiRibbon.disableAllConnectionNeededButtons();
+
                 AddTaskPanes();
             }
             return canAutoLogin;
Index: XWord/XWikiRibbon.cs
===================================================================
--- XWord/XWikiRibbon.cs	(revision 18302)
+++ XWord/XWikiRibbon.cs	(working copy)
@@ -36,7 +36,63 @@
         {
 
         }
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Disables all the buttons from the ribbon, that need a connection to a XWiki server
+        /// in order to be functional
+        /// The uploadAtt and downloadAtt options, are special, they don;t need only a connection
+        /// so they are not treated here
+        /// </summary>
+        public void disableAllConnectionNeededButtons()
+        {
+            btnNewPage.Enabled = false;
+            btnEditPage.Enabled = false;
+            btnPublishDocument.Enabled = false;
+            btnAddPage.Enabled = false;
+            btnEditPage.Enabled = false;
+            btnUpload.Enabled = false;
+            btnDownload.Enabled = false;
+            btnDownloadAndOpen.Enabled = false;
+            btnShowAttachments.Enabled = false;
+            btnShowPages.Enabled = false;
+            btnViewInBrowser.Enabled = false;
 
+            galMyRecentlyCreated.Enabled = false;
+            galMyRecentlyModified.Enabled = false;
+            galMyRecentlyViewed.Enabled = false;
+            galTeamRecentlyCreated.Enabled = false;
+            galTeamRecentlyModified.Enabled = false;
+            galTeamRecentlyView.Enabled = false;
+        
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Enables all the buttons from the ribbon, that need a connection to a XWiki server
+        /// in order to be functional
+        /// The uploadAtt and downloadAtt options, are special, they don;t need only a connection
+        /// so they are not treated here
+        /// </summary>
+        public void enableAllConnectionNeededButtons()
+        {
+            btnNewPage.Enabled = true;
+            btnEditPage.Enabled = true;
+            btnPublishDocument.Enabled = true;
+            btnAddPage.Enabled =  true;
+            btnEditPage.Enabled = true;
+            btnUpload.Enabled = true;
+            btnDownload.Enabled = true;
+            btnDownloadAndOpen.Enabled = true;
+            btnShowAttachments.Enabled = true;
+            btnShowPages.Enabled = true;
+            btnViewInBrowser.Enabled = true;
+            
+            galMyRecentlyCreated.Enabled = true;
+            galMyRecentlyModified.Enabled = true;
+            galMyRecentlyViewed.Enabled = true;
+            galTeamRecentlyCreated.Enabled = true;
+            galTeamRecentlyModified.Enabled = true;
+            galTeamRecentlyView.Enabled = true;
+        }
+
         private void SyncSaving_Click(object sender, RibbonControlEventArgs e)
         {
             if (syncSaving.Checked)