PPT2000: How to Reduce the Chances of Macro Virus Infection (307168)

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To reduce the chances of contracting a macro virus infection, use one or more of the following methods.

NOTE: Use of these methods does not provide a 100 % guarantee that your computer will not contract a macro virus.

Method 1: Use Anti-Virus Software

For a long-term solution to macro viruses, install anti-virus software that is specifically designed to detect macro viruses.

NOTE: After you install an anti-virus software program, you must keep it updated to ensure that new macro viruses are detected and removed. For more information about updating your anti-virus software program, please contact your anti-virus software vendor.

Method 2: Increase the Security Level

PowerPoint offers the following levels of security to reduce the chances that a macro virus will infect your worksheets, templates, or add-ins.

Security Level	Description
High	You can run only macros that have been digitally signed and that you confirm are from a trusted source. Before trusting a source, you should confirm that the source is responsible and uses a virus scanner before signing macros. Unsigned macros are automatically disabled, and PowerPoint opens the presentation without any warning.
Medium	PowerPoint displays a warning whenever it encounters a macro from a source that is not on your list of trusted sources. You can choose whether to enable or disable the macros when you open the presentation. If the presentation might contain a virus, you should choose to disable macros.
Low	If you are sure that all the presentations and add-ins you open are safe, you can select this option--it turns off macro virus protection in PowerPoint. At this security level, macros are always enabled when you open presentations.

To change the security level, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu in PowerPoint, point to Macro and then click Security.
2. On the Security Level tab, select the security level you want and then click OK.

For more information about security levels, click Microsoft PowerPoint Help on the Help menu, type security level in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

Method 3: Lock the Presentation

To lock your PowerPoint presentation with a password to reduce the possibility of unauthorized access by a macro virus, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor.
2. In the Visual Basic Editor, click VBAProject(Presentation#) in the Project window.
   
   NOTE: If the Project window does not appear, click Project Explorer on the View menu.
3. On the Tools menu, click VBAProject Properties.
4. On the Protection tab, click to select the Lock project for viewing check box.
5. Type a password in the Password box.
6. Type the same password in the Confirm password box.
7. Click OK.
8. On the File menu, click Close and Return to Microsoft PowerPoint.

For more information about locking your VBA project, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type protection tab in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.