macros disappearing - Word 2019 for Mac

Anonymous
2019-08-21T18:34:26+00:00

When I create macros in the 2019 version of Word for Mac as a way of opening frequently used files, the macros work immediately after I create them, but then anywhere from a few minutes to a day later I get the following error message: "Sorry, we can't find your file.  Was it moved renamed or deleted."  I didn't have this problem with the previous version of Word for Mac or any of the earlier versions of Word I used from back to about the late 1980s, tho those were for Windows-based PCs.

Does anyone have any idea what's causing this problem and how to fix it?

FYI, I'm creating the macros the way I always did, clicking on Tools, then Macros, then Record Macro, then entering in the Keyboard Shortcut box the keys I want to use, then opening the file I want to create access to, then going back to Tools and clicking Macros and End Recording.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Jim G 134.1K Reputation points MVP
    2019-08-21T18:46:02+00:00

    There was a problem with recently used files in some recent updates to Office

    Please go to the Word menu and choose About Word to make sure you have version 16.28.  If you have an older version, install updates, then test again.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-08-23T14:23:31+00:00

    Dear Richard_1931，

    Thanks for your updates.

    As the issue can be reproduced at our side, I need some time to involve more resources to investigate it further. I’ll keep you updated as soon as possible.

    Best Regards,

    Cliff

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-08-22T13:26:24+00:00

    Thanks, Clark.  I appreciate your reply and your willingness to investigate further.  

    I'm aware of the Recent feature, and this helps, but it is more time-consuming than using a macro--I have to open the More Recent list and scan down the list of files--and, more important, often the file I want to open hasn't been opened recently.  

    One person at Microsoft I spoke to said that the problem might be with my computer.  It's a new iMac I bought last September.  That seems improbable to me, but I'm not an expert.  One of these days, I'll try opening the more recent version of Word on my MacBook and see what happens, if Microsoft will let me use it on two devices, and it won't displace the older version of Office Suite, which is no longer supported but works, that I have on my MacBook, a very important question.

    When you say you can repro the macro on your computer, the question is how long that lasts.  I can reproduce macros immediately after I create them, but within a few minutes to up to a day or so after, when I try to use them I get that error message I included in one of my messages to the community.  In case it isn't accessible to you, here it is again: "Error '5174': Sorry we can't find your file.  Was it moved, renamed, or deleted?"  Once with the version of Word I purchased last week, as opposed to the Office Suite I purchased last October, I got an error 5941 that said "The requested number of collections does not exist", and once a couple of days ago when my computer shut down as the result of a power failure, the three macros I'd created for test purposes, disappeared.  They were no longer listed in the macros feature.

    Best, **** Greene

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-08-22T08:06:33+00:00

    Hi Richard_1931，

    I go through your post and have tested on my side with the same version of word with yours following your steps, and I can repro it. we need some time to involve more resources to investigate it further, and we will keep you informed on the progress of the issue.  Sorry for the inconvenience this may take to you!

    Here is a workaround: to open your frequently used files, you can open them in File>open recent, if you cannot find your documents here, you can find them by clicking More.

    Best Regards,

    Clark Cui

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-08-21T21:05:09+00:00

    Thanks for your reply, Jim.  I do have version 16.28.  BTW I've had this problem with two recent versions of Word, the one in 2019 version of Home and Student Office Suite which I purchased last October, and the one I'm currently having it with, which is just Word, without the rest of Office Suite, and, I was told by the Microsoft sales office, is the professional version.

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