Macro question - I'm sure it's simple...

[chrisgoulden]

I'm using Excel 2000 on a Windows 98 computer (I know it's old, but it'
at work...). I have a worksheet that I've been using for a whil
without trouble. I've sent it back and forth with a colleague ove
email and we've both made changes. All the sudden, every time I try t
type a value and hit the enter key, I get a message saying "Macros hav
been disabled..." blah blah blah.
My problems are:
(a) I don't know what a Macro is, and I don't care. This shee
shouldn't have any.
(b) My security settings are on high which is why I'm getting th
message, but the setting has always been on high, so why all th
sudden? And I don't want to reduce the security anyway.

Please let me know how I can get rid of this message, or find th
offending Macro and get rid of it.
Thanks,
C.G

 

[Dave Peterson]

Debra Dalgleish shows how to clean up all the remnants of macros:
http://www.contextures.com/xlfaqMac.html#NoMacros

(Maybe your colleague started a macro???)

 

[Dave O]

One guess is that the colleague with whom you shared the sprdsht added
macros. They may be standalone macros the user can start, or they may
be triggered by events in the spreadsheet. (For example, you can set a
macro to run when the value in a certain cell changes.)
A macro is a programmed set of steps run by Excel that replicates user
events: mouse moves, highlighted ranges, etc. These can be set up to
automate tedious, routine chores within Excel. Anything you can do
with the keyboard and mouse can be replicated with a macro, which
frankly is why you *should* care about what macros are and what they
can do for you. An advanced user can customize the macro to the point
that it is an actual program that goes beyond replicating
keyboard/mouse activity, which is when things really get interesting.

You can delete a macro by clicking >Tools >Macro >Macros; highlight any
macro name and click Edit. The VBA editor will open; along the left
margin is the Project pane. In the project named for your file, right
click anything called Module#, select Remove Module#, and when prompted
"Do you want to export before removing", select No. This permanently
removes any macros.

If the security warning persists, or if there are no Modules to remove,
then the macros are assigned to spreadsheet events and require a
different removal process. In the Project pane, you'll see Sheet1,
Sheet2, or whatever tab names you have, then This Workbook. Right
click each one and select View Code. If you find code, highlight and
delete it.

 

[chrisgoulden]

There were no macros listed, but I found the code by clicking "View
Code" on my spreadsheet tab, then deleted it. It works fine now.
THANKS!

And all my formulas and lists still work fine. Don't know exactly what
happened...

...but I still don't care what Macros are. This spreadsheet works
great for my business, real world application, we're doing great!