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congrimojen's avatar
congrimojen
Copper Contributor
Mar 20, 2025

Recording a macro in a Mac

I keep getting a "Microsoft Excel not responding" error when setting up a macro. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Gold Contributor

    If Microsoft Excel is freezing or becoming unresponsive when you try to record a macro on Mac, here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try:

    1. Check if Macros are Enabled

    Ensure that macros are enabled in Excel:

    Go to Excel > Preferences > Security & Privacy.

    Make sure Enable all macros is selected.

    2. Try a Different Macro Recording Approach

    Instead of recording, try writing the macro manually:

    Open Excel.

    Press Option + Command + T to open the VBA Editor.

    Manually create a macro in a new module.

    3. Update Excel

    Make sure you're using the latest version of Excel:

    Open Excel, go to Help > Check for Updates, and install any available updates.

    4. Disable Add-ins

    Some add-ins can cause Excel to crash:

    Go to Tools > Excel Add-ins and disable them.

    5. Use a Simpler Macro

    If Excel crashes while recording a macro, try recording a very simple one (e.g., selecting a cell and changing the font). If this works, gradually build up complexity.

    6. Reset Excel Preferences

    If Excel continues to freeze, resetting preferences may help:

    Close Excel.

    Open Finder and go to ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/

    Delete com.microsoft.Excel.plist (this will reset your preferences).

     7. If none of these work, try reinstalling Excel.

     

    My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

     

    Hope this will help you.

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