WD2000: Macros Are Disabled or You Are Prompted to Disable Macros When You Start Word (326540)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Word 2000
This article was previously published under Q326540

SYMPTOMS

When you use Word 2000 or Microsoft Outlook 2000 with Word as your e-mail editor, you may experience one or both of the following symptoms:
  • When you start or quit Word or Outlook, or when you perform common tasks--such as printing, saving, opening, or closing files--you receive the following message:

    File_name contains macros.

    Macros may contain viruses. It is always safe to disable macros, but if the macros are legitimate, you might lose some functionality.

  • You cannot use the functionality of an add-in program.

CAUSE

This behavior may occur if both of the following conditions are true:
  • Word macro security is set to Medium or High.
  • The add-in program contains a macro.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, determine whether the add-in program with the macro is one that you want to have running, and if it is, set the macro to run without prompting you. Use the following methods, as appropriate.

Determine the Name and Location of the Add-in Program

If your macro security setting is set to High, follow these steps to determine the name and location of the add-in program that contains the automatic macro, or "auto" macro. (Auto macros include AutoExec, AutoNew, AutoOpen, AutoClose, and AutoExit.)
  1. On the Tools menu in Word, point to Macros, and then click Security.
  2. Click Medium, and then click OK.
  3. Quit Word. Quit Outlook if you are using Word as the e-mail editor.
  4. Restart Word.
  5. When the macro message appears, the first line displays the file name and location of the file that contains the auto macro. Note the path.
  6. Click Disable Macros.
To restore the High macro security setting, follow these steps:
  1. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Security.
  2. Click High, and then click OK.

Enable Macros in the Add-in Program

After you determine the name of the add-in program, you may recognize this file and decide to keep using it. If so, use one of the following methods to use the add-in program, prevent the macro message from appearing, and allow the macro to run.

NOTE: Macros may contain viruses. If you do not recognize the add-in program, delete it to prevent the macro message from appearing. For help with deleting the file, click Start, click Help and Support, and then search for the "deleting files" topic.

Method 1: Change the Word Startup Path to the Folder That Contains the Add-in Program

  1. On the Tools menu in Word, click Options.
  2. Click the File Locations tab.
  3. In the File types list, click Startup, and then click Modify.
  4. Click the folder that contains the add-in program with the auto macro, and then click OK.
  5. Click OK.
  6. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Security.
  7. Click the Trusted Sources tab, and then click to select the Trust all installed add-ins and templates check box.
  8. Click OK, and then restart Word to verify that the macro message does not appear, and that the add-in program functions correctly.

Method 2: Move the Add-in Program to the Word Startup Path

The following are the default locations for the Word startup path:

Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP:

C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP

Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me):

C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP

Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition (Me) with user profiles:

C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP

Microsoft Windows NT 4.0:

C:\WINNT\Profiles\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP

To verify the Word startup path before you move the add-in program, follow these steps:
  1. On the Tools menu in Word, click Options.
  2. Click the File Locations tab.
  3. In the File types list, click Startup, and then click Modify.
  4. Click the arrow next to the Look in box to see the complete location of the folder.
  5. Click Cancel in the Modify Location dialog box.
  6. Click Close in the Options dialog box.
After you know the file name and location of the add-in program, and the Word startup path, move the add-in program from its current location to the folder that is specified in the Word startup path.

For information about how to move a file, click Start, click Help and Support, and then search for the "moving files" topic.

NOTE: If you reinstall the software that includes the Word add-in program, the add-in program is placed back in its original location, and the macro message may appear again. To prevent this, contact the vendor of the software for a version of the add-in program with a valid digital signature. Digitally signed macros can run in Word, even with the High macro security setting.

For information about how to contact third-party vendors, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K

60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P

60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z

Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Word 2000 automatically loads any document template (*.dot) or Word add-in library (*.wll) that is saved in either of two Startup folders.

One of these Startup folders is in the directory that contains the Microsoft Office 2000 program files. The other is in the directory that contains the Windows operating system files, or the directory that contains the user's profile on computers that use user profiles.

Word 2000 trusts all add-in programs in either of these Startup folders if the Trust all installed add-ins and templates check box is selected in the Security dialog box.

Word 2002 trusts only one folder, which is the folder that is specified as the Word startup path in the Options dialog box. To prevent having to perform added work later if you upgrade to Word 2002, move any add-in programs that you trust into the specified folder in Word 2000.

REFERENCES

For additional information about macro warnings in Word 2002, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

302632 WD2002: 'Macros in This Project Are Disabled' Starting Word

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/6/2006
Keywords:kbprb KB326540
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