Macros Warning for a text I copied from a text based website

[frau]

I belong to a message board that lists recipes. I copy and paste those
recipes into a Word document. When I open the document I get the
warning message that my file contains macros or customizations and some
macros may contain viruses.

If I click disable macros I can't edit any of the recipes.

When I click enable macros and go to TOOLS > MACROS and then select
Macros in [file name], there are no macros showing.

I have saved this as a txt only file, opened a new file, imported the
txt file and saved it. All is fine until I copy and paste another
recipe into the doc file and the cycle repeats.

Am I really copying and pasting a virus into my doc file when I copy
and paste the recipes?
If I'm not, what macro am I bringing along with the recipes?
Is there a way to copy and paste the recipes without having a macro tag
along? I really hate reformatting these recipes.

Thanks for any help and advice you can give.

Julie

 

[frau]

I forgot to mention that I'm running Word 2004 for Mac, version 11.3.

Julie

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Julie -

Don't be overly concerned about the warning - it is exactly that, with
emphasis on the word *may*. The malcontents that distribute viruses quite
frequently 'hide' them within macro code to make it harder for virus
scanners to see them. As long as your dealing with a 'trusted source'
there's little likelihood of that.

A possible reason for the prompt is that what you are copying is probably a
form containing fields or other machinations in the page. Try using the
options in Edit>Paste Special rather than simply pasting directly after
copying. Experiment with the choices to see which gives you the better
results in your case.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[frau]

Thanks, Bob. This worked great. Instead of using apple-C and apple-V
to copy and paste, I highlighted the recipe, went up to the tool bar
and clicked on COPY. Then in my word document I once again went to the
tool bar and selected PASTE. Saved, closed, re-opened and NO macros
warning.

Odd how copying and pasting with different methods yields different
results. Oh, the wonders of the great computer.

Julie

 

[PhilD]

Try using the
options in Edit>Paste Special rather than simply pasting directly after
copying. Experiment with the choices to see which gives you the better
results in your case.

The chances are, when you've copied the recipe you will want to change
(some of) the formatting to suit (e.g. font, size). In this case if
you do Edit - Paste special - text only (or similar, cannot remember
exact words), it will match whatever was there at the insertion point.
That is, it will match the font, sizem etc. that you really want.

Pasting text also gets rid of all the hidden rubbish that you don't
want anyway, and that includes stuff like macros, funny fields, and so
on.

Paste special is your friend!



PhilD

 

[frau]

John, Thanks. Your explanation makes sense. I figure it's like moving
from one medium to another. Extra junk has to happen to make it fit the
new medium.

PhilD, I've never tried Paste Special. I've been wasting time
reformatting all the recipes. I'm going to play with this feature.
Very cool.

Thanks everyone for the answers here and to the other 20 questions I
didn't have to ask because someone else already did. With the help of
this site, I must just end up liking Word for Mac. <grin>

Julie

 

[Clive Huggan]

Hello Julie,

(I've been away, so did not participate, but you have been in better hands
anyway.)

I do a lot of pasting in text from PDFs and web pages, so I have both a
toolbar button and keyboard shortcut to do a Paste Special -> Unformatted
text.

Given that the pasted-in text will take on the appearance of the paragraph
in which the insertion point has been placed, I usually drop it into a body
text paragraph, then apply other styles such as headings to those paragraphs
that require it. That process is quite quick.

If you're interested, there is more information in some notes on the way I
use Word for the Mac, titled "Bend Word to Your Will", which are available
as a free download from the Word MVPs' website
(http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html). Look under the
heading "Removing styles from copied text to be pasted in" on page 119, and
follow the clickable hyperlinks from there -- including how to do the
special button.

And if you want to format your recipes in a *fraction* of the time taken to
do manual formatting, by using styles, look at the chapter "Styles and
templates ‹ the keys to consistency and saving time" starting on page 86.

[Note: "Bend Word to your will" is designed to be used electronically and
most subjects are self-contained dictionary-style entries. If you decide to
read more widely than the item I've referred to, it's important to read the
front end of the document -- especially pages 3 and 5 -- so you can select
some Word settings that will allow you to use the document effectively.]

We look forward to your asking more interesting questions.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the US and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
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[frau]

Clive,
You're too modest when you wrote

If you're interested, there is more information in SOME notes on the way I
use Word for the Mac, titled "Bend Word to Your Will",

Those aren't just some notes. That was a labor of love. I downloaded
it and I'm sure it will become one of the more useful reference tools
I'll use. I'll have time this weekend to play with a few Word docs.
Thanks for sharing. I do appreciate it.

Julie

 

[Clive Huggan]

<deep blush, but very chuffed>

Thank you, Julie! They are a work in progress and, like other articles at
mvps.org, are continually polished by the ideas and comments -- big and
small -- that are made by everybody who uses this newsgroup.

Clive
======

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Julie:

There was no "love" involved in that labour. There *was* a lot of very bad
language... And I heard most of it -- I live only 250 kilometres away...


Cheers

Clive,
You're too modest when you wrote


Those aren't just some notes. That was a labor of love. I downloaded
it and I'm sure it will become one of the more useful reference tools
I'll use. I'll have time this weekend to play with a few Word docs.
Thanks for sharing. I do appreciate it.

Julie

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Business Analyst, Consultant
Technical Writer.
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410