I can't get my computer to trust the macros on a Excel spread sheet. I have authorized it.

James Rudy 0 Reputation points
2025-11-24T19:01:53.24+00:00

I have tried allowing macros in my trusted area. but I am still having an issue with it.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Android
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  1. AI answer

    2025-11-24T19:02:08.15+00:00

    If you're having trouble getting Excel to trust macros, here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:

    1. Ensure the File is in a Trusted Location: Make sure that the Excel file is saved in a Trusted Location. You can designate a folder as a Trusted Location in Excel's settings.
    2. Remove Mark of the Web: If the file was downloaded from the internet, it may have the Mark of the Web, which blocks macros. You can remove this by right-clicking the file, selecting Properties, and then checking the Unblock option if it is available.
    3. Check Macro Settings: Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings. Ensure that you have selected the option to enable macros, such as "Disable all except digitally signed macros" or "Enable all macros" (not recommended for security reasons).
    4. Trust the Publisher: If the macros are signed by a trusted publisher, ensure that you have added the publisher to your trusted publishers list.
    5. Group Policy Settings: If you're in a corporate environment, check with your IT department to see if there are any Group Policy settings that might be restricting macro execution.

    If you've tried these steps and are still having issues, it may be beneficial to check for any additional security settings or software that might be interfering with Excel's ability to run macros.

    References:

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  2. Hendrix-C 19,985 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-11-24T19:38:05.09+00:00

    Hi @James Rudy,

    Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.  

    We suggest you follow this guideline to unblock macros in your files: 

    1- Remove the Mark of the Web (MOTW)  

    • Open File Explorer, navigate to your Excel file that you need to enable macros 
    • Right click on it and choose Properties 
    • In General tab, check the Unblock box for the Security option. 

    User's image

    • If the Unblock options is not available, it's usually because that your file is currently saved in a OneDrive or SharePoint folder and it will be considered as from the internet.
    • You can try disconnecting OneDrive/SharePoint temporarily or move the file to your local folder and try the Unblock Security box again.

    2- Double check the file location as a trusted location  

    • Open Excel and go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.

    User's image

    • Select Trusted Locations in the left bane > Check if the right path of your Excel file is added into the trusted list.
    • Press OK to close all the dialog boxes then try opening your macro-enabled excel file again 

    3- Enable macros in Excel 

    • Open the Excel file that needs macro enabling.
    • If you see a yellow warning bar at the top with the message "SECURITY WARNING: Macros have been disabled", click Enable Content to enable macro for the file 

    You can also adjust the trust center settings for macros by 

    • Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings 
    • Click Macro Settings and choose between "Disable VBA macros with notification" (which will show a yellow warning bar as I mentioned above) and "Enable VBA macros" (only if you're sure the file is safe) 
    • Then click OK to save the settings 

    For better visualization about this guideline, you can watch this video Unblock macros downloaded from the internet | Excel Off The Grid | Microsoft macro security changes… 

    (Note: We're providing this information as a convenience to you. The sites are not controlled by Microsoft and we can't make any representations regarding quality, safety or suitability of any software or information found there. Please make sure you completely understand the risk before retrieving any suggestions from the above link) 

    Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, you can try workaround and share us more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.    

    Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your reply.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".       

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