Forum Discussion
As of Noon January 3, 2024, macros have stopped working in Word 365. How can this be corrected?
Yes, these are recorded macros that I have used for years.
I was able to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications and there is no information on there. In a left hand columnn there is Project - No Open, a few inches down Properties, under that Alphabetic and Categorized.
I wish I could send screen shots of what I'm seeing.
Microsoft has confused things with their naming.
Microsoft 365 is a subscription product that sometimes is used to describe the web version and can also include the traditional applications which have to be downloaded and installed.
If you have access to the visual basic editor, you are using the traditional downloaded applications.
Do you have a copy of your old Normal.dot file from Word 2003? That is where your macros were recorded.
If so, you could simply save it in your Word Startup Folder and you should have access to the macros.
I recommend opening that file in Word and then, in the visual basic editor renaming the project and module. Your macros should be in the NewMacros module. I again urge you to look at the article on organizing your macros. You may also want to look at Organizing your Add-Ins by Greg Maxey and VBA Basics by Greg Maxey.
Many of the Macro tools can be found on the Developer Tab.
Hi, Charles. Reading your response to CarolV007 -- specifically, "Do you have a copy of your old Normal.dot file from Word 2003? That is where your macros were recorded." -- I soon was wondering what relevance, or utility, such old Normal.dot files could have, in this situation where a Microsoft update has apparently kneecapped all VBA users.
It turns out I do have such a copy, because -- ever fearful of losing something important -- I'd committed all the contents of my old Dell XP to my relatively massive Windows 10 hard drive.
So: what is the special utility of such old .dot (or .dotm) files to this particular, current, massive screwup by Microsoft?
If you are using macros for text snippets, you are using the wrong Word feature. You should be using AutoText, which can also have keyboard shortcuts.
Both AutoText and AutoCorrect can be used for text snippets. These are different features and are both valuable. I use both virtually every time I use Word.
AutoText can have keyboard shortcuts and can AutoComplete; AutoCorrect acts on trigger words as you type. Here are some more resources:
- Exploiting AutoCorrect by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP
- Using Autotext to deal with repetitive text - Legal Office Guru
- Create reusable text snippets
- Word for Wordperfect Users
- AutoFormat and AutoCorrect (Tame AutoFormat) by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP
For anyone who uses Word more than occasionally, I recommend the series of short tutorials prepared by Shauna Kelly a while back. Basic Concepts of Microsoft Word - from Shauna Kelly
If you haven't been using AutoText or AutoCorrect, I would guess that you may not have been using Styles to your advantage, either. The Importance of Styles in Microsoft Word
If you want to track down more on your macros, I recommend looking at some of the threads you will find on the Microsoft Answers forum. Here are three searches there:
- https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/search/search?SearchTerm=macros%20stopped%20working&tab=&status=...
- https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/search/search?SearchTerm=can%27t%20record%20macro&tab=&status=al...
- https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/search/search?SearchTerm=macros%20broken&tab=&status=all&advFil=...
Other resources:
- I do not have a my old Normal.dot file from Word 2003.
I did finally locate the startup folder. It's empty.
I think I've read everything you've linked me to. My macros are still not working in Word.
If so, you could simply save it in your Word Startup Folder and you should have access to the macros.I see you posted in the Microsoft Answers forum.
Let's continue this there.
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