How do I enable macros?

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Guest

I just upgraded fro Office 97 to 2003. When I run Word, I get a warning that
macros are disabled. Because of this, I cannot insert equations.

I found a page in Help titled "Macro language support is disabled". It says
to run the Setup program again and check Office Shared Features, Visual Basic
for Applications. It was already checked, but I unchecked it and checked it
again. I also tried lowering the security level. Nothing is working. I do
not appear to be having the same proble with Excel.
 
When you get a warning that macros are disabled, you also get a message
telling you to check Word's Help file for information on this.
Unfortunately, this instruction is couched in language that most users don't
understand (something like "refer to the application's online
documentation"), and if you type "enable macros" into the Answer Wizard, the
Help topic you mention is the first one listed. The topic you really need
(sort of) is the second one listed: "Change the security level for macro
virus protection." Unfortunately, it tells you just the opposite of what you
want to do! A better choice is the omnibus topic "Troubleshoot macro
security and warnings."

If you work your way down through this, you'll ultimately get to this bottom
line:

1. On the Security Level tab of Tools | Macro | Security, change the
security level from High to Medium. This will assure that you get a message
allowing you to enable macros if you choose (you can still opt not to).

2. On the Trusted Sources tab, check the box for "Trust all installed
add-ins and templates." This will automatically enable macros in all
templates in your User Templates and Workgroup Templates folders (that is,
ones that you have created), as well as all templates and add-ins in Word's
Startup folder. Unfortunately, this trust does not extend to the Office
Startup folder, but any add-ins that are located there will usually be ones
from mainstream add-ins that you can choose to trust: that is, they will be
signed macros, and you will be given the option to "Trust all macros from
XYZ Corporation." Doing so will add that publisher to your Trusted Sources.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
No, that's not working for me. I had tried that before I wrote, and I tried
it again just now. I am still getting the same warning about macros being
disabled. Now I find that I am unable to paste anything into a document.
Thank you for the suggestion, but I am still without a solution.

Paul
 
In my earlier reply, I said that there was still trouble. Since then, I have
shut down Word and restarted it. Everything seems fine now. My thanks to
Suzanne S. Barnhill.

Paul Kunkel
 
Yes, I think you would have to restart Word to enable this change in
options.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
I can't lose this problem, I have reinstalled office several times, and still
could not fix it. no matter how many times I follow the directions given by
MS. I read an article in PC magazine and their answer was "why bother, it
will never be fixed" and the article title was "Kill MS Word"
 
Exactly what problem are you having?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
I have an add-in in my startup folder which puts some buttons on Word that
connects to my bible study program (E-sword). I saw that you said in this
post that, "Unfortunately, this trust does not extend to the Office
Startup folder."
I want to remove my add-in safely from the startup folder because I don't
like dealing with the window to enable macros every time I start Word, and I
don't use by bible study feature very much. Do I just delete it from the
startup folder or is there something else I must do? Thanks, Duane B
 
You can move the Add-In to Word's own startup folder if you want. Otherwise,
I would recommend uninstalling E-sword, and then, if necessary, deleting the
..dot file from the Office Startup folder.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.
 
I would suggest moving the add-in to a different folder. It could be Word's
Startup folder as Charles suggests, but if you use the add-in only
infrequently, put it somewhere else that you can find it easily. When you
want to use it, use Tools | Templates and Add-ins to load it for just one
session.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
Paul, I had the same problem. The message from Suzanne S. Barnhill helped me
get this figured out. After following Suzanne's instructions I received a
message when opening Word about "enabling macros". At the top of the message
was the name (& location ... i.e. path) of a macro that was in my "Startup"
folder. I didn't create the macros nor was I using it/them. I followed the
path (using Windows Explorer) & deleted the the macros in my "Startup"
folder. This rid me of all "macros" messages when starting Word. Hope this
helps someone. TGD
 
I get a message beginning "The document contaions macros. Macro language
support for this application is disabled . . .", but dont see any path of a
macro. How would I find a list of all macros in my startup file?
 
You would do better to create a new question rather than append yours to an
ancient thread.
If macros are disabled, you have the macro security (tools > options >
security) set to High. Set it to medium to get the opportunity to run macros
in documents. Be very sure what that macro does before running it, as macros
from third party sources can contain malicious code.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
Me too

I have done all that has been so nicely discussed. I was even able to create a new macro but when reloaded Word the new normal.dot file it created with it in triggered the Macro Language support is disabled again.

I have macro security on low.

I have reinstalled Office/Word upteen times with the VBS shown to run from computer.

All I can do is let it save a new normal.dot file without any micro to be able to get in to docs again.

It use to work fine on an old computer, just got a new OfficeXP for new. The documents themselve were created with prior OfficeXP where the macros worked fine but don't think that is issue... It seems to all be caused by normal.dot if it has a macro in it causes the error. Even though VBS support is installed and with low security.

Added: I did find an old dot file in the start up folder. Deleted it. Restarted Word. Made a new micro. Closed Word. Reopened Word with same warning Macro languaged not supported.

Have no spyware or virus's - did deep checks.

SOLUTION:
I will post if it might help others... after many more hours of experimentation.

One handy thing is the event viewer/applications in the Administration section. While the Office installer said it had completed with no warnings, the even log showed the VBS thing failed. Even stranger it showed at the same time I was reinstalling Office Standard it was also running Office Professional which failed!!!! Nothing on the screen to suggest Office Professional which isn't even installed ... was running... yah...

BUT... I had tried to relocate my old Office Professional from prior computer and it still shows in control panel/add or remove programs but had no installation file to uninstall so was just there but could not get rid of it and I had deleted all the Office Prof directories.

Doing more web research I found a microsoft program to remove such bad entries. I ran it got rid of it in the progarms to add/delete menu and...

vola. I set up a micro and on next reload it didn't say couldn't run and it works. So that problem solved.

Another one that may be of interest is when I tried to send to an e-mail address in Word using Control, it says something like it isn't set up to send e-mail and to see Administrator (me).

After a few more hours of hair pulling and web searching (I have given myself all authority under Admin in Windows), the solution to that was illogical but simple. I use Firefox not IE (love the tabs and many other extensions), but found an article doing a serach on the error message that you need to reset the associations setting in IE (even if wasn't running). I loaded IE and it was showing the correct mail program but I did the reset and that cured the problem of not being able to send e-mail to an e-mail address showing in Word.

Sigh.. well its almost 6am , time to go to bed after another all nighter trying to get all this to work on wonderful new computer (Polywell with AMD FX60 fastest chip etc)
 
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