Unexpected Switch to Microsoft Visual Basic Application While Using Word 10.1.6

[Adam]

We have a brand-new Mac Mini in our office (1.47 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MD
DDR SDRAM) with OS 10.4.2 and the Microsoft Office Suite with Word
10.1.6. While in Word, whenever the secretary tries to close an open
document (e.g., using the Apple-W key combination), the machine
launches Visual Basic for Word and an error message comes up saying
"Compile error: invalid outside procedure." Several windows also pop
up simultaneously as well: "Projects," "Properties," "Normal (This
Document) - Code," and beneath those, a window entitled "Normal - New
Macros (Code)." I have never before seen this totally bizarre behavior
with Word and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions. Help!

 

[Adam]

Thank you very much for your help. I've been using Word for many years
now but had never seen this, probably because I almost never use macros
and create nearly all of my documents on a Mac. Now, since I'm just a
lawyer and not a computer programmer, and the process you've described
sounds very time-consuming, is there some easier fix? Can we just
trash the offending macros and let her make new ones from scratch?

 

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

Sorry, I thought you were the IT support person. Oh... You are, huh...
Small office. Yep: mine too

As to your question: Ewww... If you are NOT in a large company that has
put PC macros in user's templates, then the condition is symptomatic of a
virus. If a user had created the macro, she would either know all about the
runtime error and how to fix it, or she would have recorded the macro on her
machine and it would not produce an error.

So Yes, you can find and rename the user's Normal template. That might fix
the problem for good. But I would be a lot more comfortable if you were to
run a thorough sweep with an up-to-date antivirus program.

I did that this morning with the trial version of McAfee Virex, and it found
eight viruses amongst the Java scripts on this OS 10.3.9 Macintosh.

The trial version of McAfee is free for 30 days. I am testing it as a
replacement for Norton AV, which has caused lots of problems on both the Mac
and the PC recently.

Based on McAfee's effectiveness this morning, I think they will be getting
my money

Note: If you find a virus on one computer, for god's sake sweep every
machine in the office, otherwise they will simply keep re-infecting each
other. If you find a virus on more than one computer, I would strongly
recommend that you hire an IT consultant for a day to investigate your
computer security and recommend a solution. This is important and very
confidential data you are dealing with, and being a lawyer, you will readily
understand what those other lawyers will do to you and your firm if your
confidential client information starts leaking out.

Cheers

Thank you very much for your help. I've been using Word for many years
now but had never seen this, probably because I almost never use macros
and create nearly all of my documents on a Mac. Now, since I'm just a
lawyer and not a computer programmer, and the process you've described
sounds very time-consuming, is there some easier fix? Can we just
trash the offending macros and let her make new ones from scratch?

--

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. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 4 1209 1410

 

[Beth Rosengard]

Hi Adam,

I know next to nothing about VBA but I believe you can identify and delete
(or add) macros by going to Tools>Macro>Macros and then clicking on
Organizer. You'll see a macros pane for the document that was active when
you opened the dialog, but you can navigate to any document or template by
clicking Close File and then Open File. Then just select and delete
whatever you want to get rid of.

--
***Please always reply to the newsgroup!***

Beth Rosengard
MacOffice MVP

Mac Word FAQ: <http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/index.htm>
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Entourage Help Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org>

 

[Beth Rosengard]

Ignore this. I hadn't seen John's reply when I wrote it.

Beth

 

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

Hi Beth:

Well, what you said was correct, but I do not trust this to be "sufficient"
in cases where I suspect a virus.

If the virus writer knows what they are doing, they can hide their macro
from Organiser.

But since most virus writers DON'T know what they're doing, what you say is
usually OK.

Cheers

Ignore this. I hadn't seen John's reply when I wrote it.

Beth

--

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. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 4 1209 1410