Microsoft has blocked macros from running

Steve, I've found a way to run macros.

Open regedit.msc (Registry Editor)

Navigate to the app's security key:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel\Security

1. Create a new DWORD Value named BlockContentExecutionFromInternet
2. Set the new BlockContentExecutionFromInternet value to 0
3. Fully close and reopen the app
4. To revert these changes, delete the registry value (BlockContentExecutionFromInternet) that was created
5. Open cmd.exe (Command Prompt)
6. Run the following command:

REG ADD HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel\Security /v BlockContentExecutionFromInternet /t REG_DWORD /d 0

I am soooooo baffled and confused here! Microsoft, you really screwed up on this one!

I am what you might call a "power user". In other words, on a scale of 1 to 10 of general coding and microsoft OS advanced functions, I would (modestly) consider myself a strong 7. So I am able to follow clear instructions from Microsoft. I am not a newbie! I am a Systems Manager.

But the problem is that almost none of the documentation from Microsoft actually matches what I see on my computer screen (windows 11 AND OFFICE 365 WITH ALL OF THE LATEST UPDATES) when trying to configure Access to use vba code and macros that I have written to support form behavior. (And I have patiently sat and carefully read the Microsoft docs.)

Furthermore, half of the time, the results of these operations vary by machine!

I can only imagine the anguish and frustration that the average small business-person (without my level of expertise) is experiencing right now with this BOTCHED policy rollout!

I finally managed to get Access to run my code, but I have no idea why or how! I have the trust center settings different on each machine.

Also, the Microsoft docs (and experts on the Microsoft Answers forums give different and conflicting opinions/instructions/advice. Even the official Microsoft documentation is contradictory!)

We are (as you can see, if you have been following this thread) having to resort to REGISTRY TWEAKS to DISABLE this NIGHTMARE!

And don't get me started on the Readiness Toolkit for Office. Yes, I was able to follow your arcane and complicated instructions and generate reports. But those reports gave practically no useful information whatsoever!

The WHOLE IDEA of the Office Suite (in the beginning) was to empower small businesses - the "Mom and Pop" offices.

Microsoft, you have succeeded in (probably) putting at least some of those Mom and Pops OUT OF BUSINESS because their code no longer runs - and in THIS economy, for Gawd's sake!!!!!

Upper level IT managers are even baffled and confused ! (READ YOUR OWN FORUMS!)

This was a boneheaded move!

*****To the other IT professionals out there: I'm sorry, I know that this rant is not helpful or productive, but I just had to vent!

Hi Neha,

Above the version and the Build.

I cannot confirm when updates happen in office. I know it started about two days before my first post to this thread.

There is no need to post my spreadsheet, it is a spreadsheet with any macro that runs from our internal network. The problem is that I need to be able to trust a mapped network drive in the excel application.

Regards,

Ryno

Dear Ryno,

Thanks for reporting the issue here, we appreciate your effort and time to share the experience and I'm very sorry that you can’t access your Macro-enabled files, which has caused inconveniences to your daily work! 

As mentioned in this article Macros from the internet are blocked by default in Office - Deploy Office | Microsoft Docs

To help improve security in Office, we’re changing the default behavior of Office applications to block macros in files from the internet. With this change, when users open a file that came from the internet, such as an email attachment, and that file contains macros, the following message will be displayed:

If you right click the Excel file and go to Properties> in General tab, can you find a check box for Unblock? If yes, select the checkbox and then check if you can run macro in the file.

If you cannot find the Unlock checkbox, could you share with us the version and channel of your Excel application?

Thank you for your understanding and time.  

Sincerely,  

Edwine | Microsoft Community Moderator