About disabled features

Programmability-related features in Microsoft Excel, including specific functionality in templates, Active-X controls, add-in programs, or custom commands, may be disabled or may not work the way you expect when the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) shared feature is disabled. Many features in Office are created in VBA or depend on VBA support to function correctly. If you choose not to install the VBA feature, these dependent applications and features will be disabled or not installed.

For additional information about the affects of disabling VBA, see the Microsoft Office Resource Kit Web site.

Note   The hyperlink in this topic goes to the Web. You can switch back to Help at any time.

To re-enable VBA, follow these steps:

  1. Run the Office Setup program again.

    How?

    1. Quit all programs.
    2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Microsoft Windows Control Panel.
    3. Do one of the following:

      For Windows 2000 and Windows Millennium Edition:

      • If you installed your Office program as part of Microsoft Office, click Microsoft Office in the Currently installed programs box, and then click the Change button.
      • If you installed your Office program individually, click the name of your program in the Currently installed programs box, and then click the Change button.

      For Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0:

      • If you installed your Office program as part of Microsoft Office, click Microsoft Office on the Install/Uninstall tab, and then click the Add/Remove button.
      • If you installed your Office program individually, click the name of your program on the Install/Uninstall tab, and then click the Add/Remove button.
  2. On the Features to install screen in the Setup program, click the plus sign (+) next to Office Shared Features.
  3. Select Visual Basic for Applications, click the arrow next to your selection, and then click Run from My Computer.

If someone else set up your Office installation for you, contact your System Administrator or Information Technology (IT) Professional to see whether you are running Office with VBA disabled.

Secure Office without removing functionality

For the best protection against macro viruses, you should purchase and install specialized antivirus software. To further protect yourself from macro viruses, you can use the following procedures:

Set macro security level to High

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. Click Macro Security.
  4. Click the Security Level tab, and then select the security level you want to use.

Clear the Trust all installed add-ins and templates check box

Depending on your macro security setting, when you open a macro, you will receive a warning and the macro may be disabled for installed templates and add-ins (including wizards).

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Security tab.

  2. Click Macro Security.
  3. Click the Trusted Sources tab.
  4. Clear the Trust all installed add-ins and templates check box.

Note   All templates, add-ins, and macros shipped with Microsoft Office XP are digitally signed by Microsoft. Once you add Microsoft to your list of trusted sources for one of these installed files all subsequent interaction with these files will not generate messages.

Clear the list of trusted sources

To perform this procedure, you must have Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 or later installed on your computer.

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Security tab.

  2. Click Macro Security.
  3. Click the Trusted Sources tab.
  4. Click the source you want to remove from the list.
  5. Click Remove.