5 Fixes for Microsoft Has Blocked Macros Error in Excel for Windows

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Fix 1: Unblock the File

Microsoft Excel may block macros for a spreadsheet if you have obtained it from another computer or the internet. If that’s the case, you will need to unblock the Excel file to fix the error.

Step 1:Locate and right-click on the problematic file and selectProperties.

Step 2:Under theGeneraltab, tick theUnblockoption. Then, hitApplyfollowed byOK.

Fix 2: Enable Macros Manually

If the macros don’t work after you unblock the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, you can try enabling them manually. Before you proceed, it’s important to note that macros can pose a security risk. Hence, you should only enable macros manually if you have received the file from a trusted source.

Step 1:Open your Excel spreadsheet and click theFilemenu in the top left corner.

Step 2:Switch to theInfotab, click theEnable Contentmenu, and selectEnable Content.

Fix 3: Mark the Folder Containing Your Files as a Trusted Location

Are you encountering the “Microsoft has blocked macros from running”error with multiple spreadsheets? If so, individually enabling macros for each file can be tiresome. Instead, you can mark the folder containing your Excel spreadsheets as a trusted location in Excel. Once you do, Excel will allow macros from all spreadsheets stored in that folder.

Step 1:Open Microsoft Excel and click theFilemenu in the top left corner.

Step 2:SelectOptionsin the bottom left corner.

Step 3:Switch to theTrust Centertab and click theTrust Center Settingsbutton.

Step 4:In theTrusted Locationstab, click theAdd new locationbutton.

Step 5:Click theBrowsebutton and select your Excel spreadsheet folder. Then, clickOK.

Fix 4: Check Group Policy Settings

Another reason Microsoft Excel may block macros on your Windows computer is if an administrator has enabled the “Block macros from running in Office files from the internet” policy. Here’s what you can do to change that and unblock macros in Excel.

Note that this only applies to those running the Professional, Education, and Enterprise editions of Windows, asGroup Policy is not availableon the Windows Home edition.

Step 1:Press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Typegpedit.mscin the text box and hitOK.

Step 2:Use the left pane to navigate to the following folder:

Step 3:Double-click theBlock macros from running in Office files from the internetpolicy in the right pane.

Step 4:SelectDisabledand then hitApplyfollowed byOK.

Fix 5: Run the Office Repair Tool

If nothing works, there may be an issue with some of the core app files associated with Excel. In that case, you can run Microsoft’s Office repair tool, automaticallyfixing problems with all your Office apps.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog box. In the Open field, typeappwiz.cpland pressEnter.

Step 2:In the Programs and Features window, locate the Microsoft Office suite or Microsoft 365. Right-click on it and selectChange.

Step 3:SelectOnline Repairand click theRepairbutton to continue.

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Last updated on 30 August, 2024

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