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. Anonymous
    2019-09-28T00:35:00+00:00

    I just sent you a reply that hasn't appeared in the thread, affirming that I've never moved or renamed the files in question or the enclosing folders, I haven't changed anything else relating to these files since I partitioned my computer last year, well before I bought the 2019 professional version of Word this year.

    But I just went into word and found that the macro for Calendar was still working, tho the macro for Frequently Called Numbers (FCN) stopped working from Calendar yesterday.  However, when I closed  FCN and tried the macro again from Calendar, it worked.

    This seems to suggest that the macros don't work on documents that are open, and I generally have several documents open at a time.  However, I had Calendar open when I was able to access it using the macro for it from Frequently Called Numbers, and once I'd reopened FCN I was able to access it from Calendar even tho it was already open.  In addition I was able to access both Calendar and FCN when open using the macros while in other documents, so if having the target document open is causing the macro not to work, it isn't doing so consistently.  Moreover I never had this problem with the 2010 version of Word.

    It certainly seems to me like something peculiar is going on with macros in the 2019 version of Word, unless the problem is with my computer, but that doesn't seem probable to me, since it has the same apps on it as my MacBook with the still working version of Word 2010, and Cliff mentioned earlier in this thread that he was able to reproduce the problem.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-09-28T00:00:54+00:00

    As I said in my last reply I haven't moved or renamed any of the files or their enclosing folders.  I don't know what the startup volume is, but I haven't moved or renamed anything related to my Word files, or anything else for that matter since I got the 2019 professional version of Word about a month ago, or, for that matter since Apple had me partition my hard drive last year.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-09-27T23:52:29+00:00

    I did use use the feedback tool the last time you suggested it--a few days ago?--and so far have received no reaction.  However, I realize that I may not get a reply.

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  4. Charles Kenyon 171K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2019-09-27T18:07:29+00:00

    If both files are moved and stay in the same folder as each other, will the relative path with simply the name of the target document work?

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  5. Jim G 134.1K Reputation points MVP
    2019-09-27T14:49:54+00:00

    As long as you do not move or rename your files or their enclosing folders, or your startup volume, your macros should work just fine. It's only when you move, rename files or folders of either the source or target documents will you run into the issue.

    Understanding files, folders, and directories

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