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
    2013-08-02T08:35:13+00:00

    Graham

    I, like Oliver 365, have been using Word since the beginning of time but have followed your suggestions and got all my old macros back so a thousand thanks for that.

    However, in Word 2012 I can't write new ones or amend the old ones in any way.  I write a new macro; it works until I shut Word; then it disappears completely.  I am never prompted to save the normal template as I used to be, even though I have ticked the boxes asking to be prompted as advised.

    Can you help with any advice?  It would be much appreciated!

    Ken

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  2. Charles Kenyon 170.9K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2013-07-25T04:23:13+00:00

    I resolved this issue by going to C:\users(your user name)\appdata\roaming\microsoft\templates and opening a file called normal.dotm.old. All my macros were merrily stored there. Open normal.dotm.old using Word.

    The file normal.dotm.old was likely created in an upgrade from one version of word to a later one.

    The macros should have been moved into normal.dotm as a part of the installation.

    Using the vba editor you can look at both files to see what is there. From Word the Alt-F11 key combination will take you there.

    If only in the old file, the macros will only be available when that file is the active document.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-07-24T03:50:57+00:00

    I resolved this issue by going to C:\users(your user name)\appdata\roaming\microsoft\templates and opening a file called normal.dotm.old. All my macros were merrily stored there. Open normal.dotm.old using Word.

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  4. Charles Kenyon 170.9K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2013-04-23T14:56:19+00:00

    If you re-open the document in the same Word session, are your custom styles there? Are the macros there?

    If you have any other software, chances are that something has installed an "Add-In" to Word to make it's program integrate better with Word. Sometimes one of these programs, even written by very good companies like Adobe, is junk in that it interferes with things like saving your changes to the normal template. Word is an incredibly complex program and all versions of it are the same (other than the starter version which is crippled); the differences are in the other programs in Office that come with the package.

    When you create a macro, pay attention to where it is being stored. It can be stored in the normal template (the default), the document's attached template, or the document. The same is true of styles. Because other programs have this nasty habit of messing with the normal template, I try to store my macros, keyboard customizations, and building blocks in my own custom global templates (my own Add-Ins). I use Word a lot and my business depends on it; you may be comfortable with keeping these things in the normal template. Templates in Microsoft Word

    This is a long thread. Consider reading it all. Check for Add-Ins on the Developer Tab. Developer Tab in Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010

    There can be two different kinds of Add-Ins and either type can cause this problem.

    One more link on Add-Ins: http://word.mvps.org/faqs/customization/CheckIfAddinsInstalled.htm

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