Word > Security and privacy

Enable or disable macros in Office files

A macro is a series of commands that you can use to automate a repeated task, and can be run when you

have to perform the task. This article has information about the risks involved when you work with macros,

and you can learn about how to enable or disable macros in the Trust Center.

In this article

Enable macros when the Message Bar appears

Enable macros in the Backstage view

Enable macros for one time when the Security Warning appears

Change macro settings in the Trust Center

Macro settings explained

What is a macro, who makes them, and what is the security risk?

Enable macros when the Message Bar appears

When you open a file that has macros, the yellow Message Bar appears with a shield icon and the Enable

Content button. If you know the macro, or macros, are from a reliable source, use the following

instructions:

1. On the Message Bar, click Enable Content.

2. The file opens and is a trusted document.

The following image is an example of the Message Bar when macros are in the file.

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Enable macros in the Backstage view

Another method to enable macros in a file is via the Microsoft Office Backstage view when the yellow

Message Bar appears.

1. Click the File tab. The Backstage view appears.

2. In the Security Warning area, on the Enable Content button, click the down-arrow.

3. Under Enable All Content, select Always enable this document's active content.

4. The file becomes a trusted document.

The following image is an example of Enable Content button options.

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Enable macros for one time when the Security Warning appears

Use the following instructions to enable macros for the duration that the file is open. When you close the

file, and then reopen it, the warning appears again.

1. Click the File tab. The Backstage view appears.

2. In the Security Warning area, on the Enable Content button, click the down-arrow.

3. Select Advanced Options.

4. In the Microsoft Office Security Options dialog, select Enable content for this session for

each macro.

5. Click OK.

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Change macro settings in the Trust Center

Macro settings are located in the Trust Center. However, if you work in an organization, the system

administrator might have changed the default settings to prevent anyone from changing settings.
IMPORTANT   When you change your macro settings in the Trust Center, they are changed only for the

Office program that you are currently using. The macro settings are not changed for all your Office 2010

programs.

1. Click the File tab. The Backstage view opens.

2. Under Help, click Options; the Options dialog box appears.

3. Click Trust Center, then click Trust Center Settings.

4. In the Trust Center, click Macro Settings.

5. Make the selections that you want. Click OK.

The following image is the Macro Settings area of the Trust Center.

Use the information in the following section to learn more about macro settings.

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Macro settings explained

o Disable all macros without notification   Macros and security alerts about macros are

disabled.

o Disable all macros with notification   Macros are disabled, but security alerts appear if

there are macros present. Enable macros on a case-by-case basis.

o Disable all macros except digitally signed macros   Macros are disabled, but security

alerts appear if there are macros present. However, if the macro is digitally signed by a trusted

publisher, the macro runs if you have trusted the publisher. If you have not trusted the publisher,

you are notified to enable the signed macro and trust the publisher.

o Enable all macros (not recommended, potentially dangerous code can run)   All macros

run. This setting makes your computer vulnerable to potentially malicious code.
o Trust access to the VBA project object model   Disallow or allow programmatic access to

the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) object model from an automation client. This

security option is for code written to automate an Office program and manipulate the VBA

environment and object model. It is a per-user and per-application setting, and denies access by

default, hindering unauthorized programs from building harmful self-replicating code. For

automation clients to access the VBA object model, the user running the code must grant access.

To turn on access, select the check box.

 NOTE    Microsoft Publisher and Access have no Trust access to the VBA project model object option.

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What is a macro, who makes them, and what is the security risk?

Macros automate frequently used tasks to save time on keystrokes and mouse actions. Many were created

by using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and are written by software developers. However, some

macros can pose a potential security risk. A person with malicious intent, also known as a hacker, can

introduce a destructive macro in a file that can spread a virus on your computer or into your organization's

network.

See Also

Active content types in your files

Add, remove, or modify a trusted location for your files
Add, remove, or view a trusted publisher
Trusted documents
What is File Block?
What is Protected View?