Excel asking to disable macro and filecontains a type of macro version 4.0

[fmdevo]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Power PC

I was opening a file from a partner, and here is the first message:

"The workbook you are opening contains macros..."

so I click on "Disable Macro", easy....

But then, a new prompt message appear:

"This workbook contains a type of macro (Microsoft Excel versio 4.0 macro) that cannot disabled....."

Since I need to open the file (and confident enough that a virus will not work in Mac), then I click "Yes" to open.

Everything is normal at the beginning, but soon as I close this file and open another one, it keeps trying to open the first file with that "macro" alert.

Since then, everytime I open any excel file, it is always asking to open that first file and always come with that "macro" alert.

Tried to open using Office X, Office 2004 and Office 2008, it's all the same.

Do some googling and landed at <http://www.smartcomputing.com/techsupport/detail.aspx?guid=&ErrorID=33707>, but unfortunately it is for Windows.

Using "Recheck Document" tools under Office 2008, but it only display the error but don't solve anything.

Does anyone has the same problem?

and please help.....

 

[John McGhie]

Have a look in /Applications/Microsoft Office 2008/Office/Startup...

That's the standard Excel Startup folder. Anything in there will be opened
at Excel startup.

Same thing for Excel 2004 in the Excel 2004 folder.

Also check in the Excel Preferences, under General. If "At startup, open
all files in..." is not blank, whatever is in there will also be opened at
startup.

Cheers

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Power PC

I was opening a file from a partner, and here is the first message:

"The workbook you are opening contains macros..."

so I click on "Disable Macro", easy....

But then, a new prompt message appear:

"This workbook contains a type of macro (Microsoft Excel versio 4.0 macro)
that cannot disabled....."

Since I need to open the file (and confident enough that a virus will not work
in Mac), then I click "Yes" to open.

Everything is normal at the beginning, but soon as I close this file and open
another one, it keeps trying to open the first file with that "macro" alert.

Since then, everytime I open any excel file, it is always asking to open that
first file and always come with that "macro" alert.

Tried to open using Office X, Office 2004 and Office 2008, it's all the same.

Do some googling and landed at
<http://www.smartcomputing.com/techsupport/detail.aspx?guid=&ErrorID=33707>,
but unfortunately it is for Windows.

Using "Recheck Document" tools under Office 2008, but it only display the
error but don't solve anything.

Does anyone has the same problem?

and please help.....

--

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[fmdevo]

Hi John,

Thank you for the advise.

Unfortunately, there is nothing in that startup folder nor the general preferences.

I guess I explained it incomplete.

In fact, the problem only happen whenever I have that first file opened. As soon as I attempt to close this file, it always give this macro alert and tend to re-open this file again.

I looked at the 'Name Box', then I realize there are 2 names:
Auto_Close
Autpen

But I open Tools > Macro, nothing is there. Even when I re-open the file and click "Enable Macro", there is still nothing under that Tools > Macro.

And yet, the problem is still happening, it keeps trying to open this file everytime I am closing it.

Since then, everytime I open other file, it's always looking that first file to open again, until I exit the excel and then directly open the other files.

Basically, the problem is happening if I am opening that first file during Excel session. It will stop until I exit Excel.

Is there a way to stop this Auto_Close and Autpen action within that file?

 

[John McGhie]

Hmmm... That indicates that the sheet you opened has registered the
Auto-Open and Auto-Close events.

Go into the VBA Editor and look up the Help topic "Worksheet Object Events"

There are several ways they could have done this, you will need to hunt
around.

My "guess" is that they have attached their events to the Application
object, but I can't be certain.

Hope this helps

Hi John,

Thank you for the advise.

Unfortunately, there is nothing in that startup folder nor the general
preferences.

I guess I explained it incomplete.

In fact, the problem only happen whenever I have that first file opened. As
soon as I attempt to close this file, it always give this macro alert and tend
to re-open this file again.

I looked at the 'Name Box', then I realize there are 2 names:
Auto_Close
Autpen

But I open Tools > Macro, nothing is there. Even when I re-open the file and
click "Enable Macro", there is still nothing under that Tools > Macro.

And yet, the problem is still happening, it keeps trying to open this file
everytime I am closing it.

Since then, everytime I open other file, it's always looking that first file
to open again, until I exit the excel and then directly open the other files.

Basically, the problem is happening if I am opening that first file during
Excel session. It will stop until I exit Excel.

Is there a way to stop this Auto_Close and Autpen action within that file?

--

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Hi John,

Thank you for the advise.

Unfortunately, there is nothing in that startup folder nor the general
preferences.

I guess I explained it incomplete.

In fact, the problem only happen whenever I have that first file opened. As
soon as I attempt to close this file, it always give this macro alert and tend
to re-open this file again.

I looked at the 'Name Box', then I realize there are 2 names:
Auto_Close
Autpen

But I open Tools > Macro, nothing is there. Even when I re-open the file and
click "Enable Macro", there is still nothing under that Tools > Macro.

And yet, the problem is still happening, it keeps trying to open this file
everytime I am closing it.

Since then, everytime I open other file, it's always looking that first file
to open again, until I exit the excel and then directly open the other files.

Basically, the problem is happening if I am opening that first file during
Excel session. It will stop until I exit Excel.

Is there a way to stop this Auto_Close and Autpen action within that file?

It appears that you have a workbook with an XLM macro sheet. Unhide all the
sheet tabs until you find the XLM sheet. The name definition for AutoOpen
and Auto_Close will help find the sheet. It is also possible that the
Auto_open macro has trapped the File Close menu command.

By completely disabling the macros, you workbook may not operate properly.
It is important that you understand what the macros are supposed to do
before deleting them.

 

[fmdevo]

Hi John, I did look at that VBA editor, but nothing can retrieve out of it.

But, as Bob has suggested, (thank you Bob), un-hide the hidden sheet is extremely an eye opener for me.

So, there is a hidden sheet, named as "~", and here is the content:

* ** Khoi dau *** ERROR(FALSE;$E$3)
=ECHO(FALSE)
=SET.VALUE($G$2,GET.DOCUMENT(88))
=WORKBOOK.HIDE($G$1,FALSE)
=ON.SHEET(,"Auto_Close")

* ** Virus nay chep sao luu file bi nhiem vao thu muc hien hanh voi ten LuuNgay
va ngay duoc luu
* ** Day la virus co loi
* ** Ta rat ghet nhung virus pha hoai nguoi khac

=RETURN()

While wondering what sort of **virus(?)** is that, I just deleted this "~" sheet and .... yes, I am free from having that 'macro' alert anymore.

But, wait....

when I attempt to Save As & close the file, there is this new error:

* *** Cannot find #REF!$C$1, which has been assigned to run each time [Filename.xls]SheetName is closed. Continuing could cause errors. Cancel closing [Filename.xls]SheetName?
* ***

I guess Bob is correct, that by disabling the macros, it may not operate properly, but looks like this error message is not related with that Auto_Close or Autpen process, is it?

For sure, there is no more "Auto_Close" label in Name box, nor any macro appears in Tools > Macro ..., nor VBA Editor.

Any other suggestion on help, please?

 

[fmdevo]

O ya, as additional remark, I can open the file and close it, and nothing loose in data, but always to deal with that **cannot find#** message.

Still annoying....

 

[John McGhie]

Hmm... Pretty standard old-fashioned Macro Virus

Search all the formulas for a reference to $C$1. In one of them, you will
find a call to a macro routine on the sheet that you have just deleted

Just remove the formula.

You might like to have some strong words with whoever sold you that
spreadsheet. You could, for example, invite them to explain to your lawyer
just exactly what that virus DOES, and just exactly where it sent the data
it gathered!

Cheers

Hi John, I did look at that VBA editor, but nothing can retrieve out of it.

But, as Bob has suggested, (thank you Bob), un-hide the hidden sheet is
extremely an eye opener for me.

So, there is a hidden sheet, named as "~", and here is the content:

* ** Khoi dau *** ERROR(FALSE;$E$3)
=ECHO(FALSE)
=SET.VALUE($G$2,GET.DOCUMENT(88))
=WORKBOOK.HIDE($G$1,FALSE)
=ON.SHEET(,"Auto_Close")

* ** Virus nay chep sao luu file bi nhiem vao thu muc hien hanh voi ten
LuuNgay
va ngay duoc luu
* ** Day la virus co loi
* ** Ta rat ghet nhung virus pha hoai nguoi khac

=RETURN()

While wondering what sort of **virus(?)** is that, I just deleted this "~"
sheet and .... yes, I am free from having that 'macro' alert anymore.

But, wait....

when I attempt to Save As & close the file, there is this new error:

* *** Cannot find #REF!$C$1, which has been assigned to run each time
[Filename.xls]SheetName is closed. Continuing could cause errors. Cancel
closing [Filename.xls]SheetName?
* ***

I guess Bob is correct, that by disabling the macros, it may not operate
properly, but looks like this error message is not related with that
Auto_Close or Autpen process, is it?

For sure, there is no more "Auto_Close" label in Name box, nor any macro
appears in Tools > Macro ..., nor VBA Editor.

Any other suggestion on help, please?

--

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[fmdevo]

Hi John,

I wish it could be as simple as "Find" $C$1 in formula, but nothing resulted so far.

So, it's still a mind bugling for me at the end.

As I did "Recheck Document" using Excel 2008, it gives me a long list of Source File when I click on "Fix" upon alert message = "Macintosh-specific links to files might not work in Excel for Windows". List of files that I never know where.

Tried to "Change Source" or "Break Link" but nothing works.

You are right, give strong words to the sender might one step, thank for the advise, but I guess I really need to kill this virus, since I've noticed it's already affected my other files since then.

Any better suggestion to kill this $C$1 error?

YES, I did "Trace Dependents" from each C1 cell existing, and still nothing seems to connect to them anymore.

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Hi John,

I wish it could be as simple as "Find" $C$1 in formula, but nothing resulted
so far.

So, it's still a mind bugling for me at the end.

As I did "Recheck Document" using Excel 2008, it gives me a long list of
Source File when I click on "Fix" upon alert message = "Macintosh-specific
links to files might not work in Excel for Windows". List of files that I
never know where.

Tried to "Change Source" or "Break Link" but nothing works.

You are right, give strong words to the sender might one step, thank for the
advise, but I guess I really need to kill this virus, since I've noticed it's
already affected my other files since then.

Any better suggestion to kill this $C$1 error?

YES, I did "Trace Dependents" from each C1 cell existing, and still nothing
seems to connect to them anymore.

I lost track of the original thread with all the details. Can you post
exactly what error message you get and when. Did you also look in the
defined names for Autpen and Auto_close?