Word 2010 Macros disappear when Word is closed

Anonymous
2011-01-17T14:38:14+00:00

Hi folks,

I've been using Word since the beginning of time and using simple macros in Word to increase efficiency.  I recently upgraded (or downgraded) to Word 2010 and now the macros disappear when I close Word.  I've checked everywhere to fix this annoyance and changed the Trust Centre settings to enable macros, made sure I'm saving them in the correct template, even checked the add-ins.  What was once a simple and elegant little function has morphed into a complicated labryinth of settings.  I thought software upgrades were to make the process more intuitive and simple but here I've spent over an hour trying to find a solution.  The 90 days of support for Office is a joke. After phoning in to 1-800-668-7975 I went through 10 questions with the 'electronic host. ' Finally you get a person who refers you to the Word Professional support person who then tells you to go to a website and search the forums. I've been a support of Microsoft products for years but I think this is the beginning of the end for Microsoft. Windows 7 is certainly a big improverement over the last two OSs but Office Word 2010 is a pain.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2011-01-17T15:24:33+00:00

Word 2010 stores macros in the same manner as earlier versions - in templates, documents and by default the normal template.

If you have an old normal.dot file with your macros from an earlier Word version, rename the Word 2010 normal template (normal.dotm) to oldnormal.dotm with Word closed.

Put the old normal.dot file in the same folder as oldnormal.dotm and restart Word. Word will read the old template and create a new normal template. From Word Options > Advanced > Save - Check the option to prompt to save the normal template (and preferably the option to create backups). Close Word and you should get a prompt to save the normal template. Save it!

Remove the old normal.dot from the folder and restart Word. Your macros should be available. Whether they will work correctly in Word 2010 rather depends on what they do.

If you don't have an old normal.dot file - just complete the other steps. You will have to add macros to the resulting template.

By default the Word Startup and User Templates folders are trusted folders. If you have moved those locations from the default settings you will need to add the folders to the trusted folders list.

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

www.gmayor.com

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-08-18T05:02:18+00:00

    I am having the same problem with the macros disappearing.  I took your suggestion and told it to prompt me before saving the Normal template and closed the document.  It did not prompt me.  However, I believe the only add-in that I am running is the Endnote program which is widely used.  I am running the most recent version Endnote X5.  Is that the problem?

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  2. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2011-08-16T22:23:10+00:00

    If you are saving your macros in Normal.dotm (the default save location) and they are not being saved, then either Normal.dotm is not being saved when you quit Word or it is being wiped out/reset when you start Word.

    The latter can happen if you are on a corporate network with sadistic administrators.

    The former is usually a result of poorly written add-ins. The best way to test is to make sure that the setting to "Prompt before saving Normal template" is enabled at File | Options | Advanced: Save. When you quit Word after creating and saving new macros, you should be asked whether you want Word to save the Normal template. Say yes, of course.

    If you are not prompted, then you know something is interfering, and you can start looking for add-ins and trying to figure out which one is the culprit.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-08-16T19:04:51+00:00

    You never answered the question.

    I too have "upgraded" to Word 2010.  I manually recreated my 12 simple macros and found that Word dumps them when I close the program.  I too have all the Trust features set accordingly, but the program will NOT save the macros.

    Please explain how to save the macros.

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  4. Stefan Blom 352.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2011-01-17T15:04:46+00:00

    Where are you saving the macros (that is, to which template)?

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