How to avoid the editing of a macro in Excel? - excel

I have written a macro in Excel. When I send it to some user, he should not be able to see the macro.
Say I have a Excel workbook sample.xls, and it has a macro button to save the workbook to the server. When some other user opens the workbook, he should not be able to edit the macro behind that button.
How do I block other users from editing the code?

To lock a VBA project for viewing
Open the document, template, or database that contains the VBA project you want to protect. For Outlook or FrontPage, start Outlook or FrontPage on the computer that contains the VBA project you want to protect.
Open the Visual Basic Editor.
In the Project Explorer, right-click the project you want to protect, and then click ProjectName Properties on the shortcut menu.
On the Protection tab, select the Lock project for viewing check box, enter and confirm the password, and then click OK.

You can password protect it. But I'd suggest you search how to do it for your specific version of MS Excel. There is a link which shows how to do it in MS Excel 2003, I think: http://www.ozgrid.com/VBA/protect-vba-code.htm

Related

How to open an Excel Online document as a PDF

We have an Excel Online file that I'd like to link to, but as a pdf. In other words, I want a link that opens the contents of the Excel Online file as a PDF file. Ideally, admin users would be able to edit the excel file, then end-users would be able to open the PDF version of that file, as it is continuously updated by the admin users. Is this possible? I would need a link to the PDF version of the file.
I did come across this thread, but the answer isn't actually answering the question. https://superuser.com/questions/1133384/is-it-possible-to-link-or-sync-an-excel-spreadsheet-with-a-pdf
Based on your response above I believe the following may accomplish what you want.
What you will need to do is enable the Developer Tab in Excel so we can create Macros. We will be creating a Macro that will Save the excel file as a PDF. My assumption is that there is one worksheet in the excel file. When you enable the macros, and save the first time it you will need to save it as a xlsm file to save the macros with the file. Once you do this perform the following below.
In Onedrive create a new folder and call it "MyPubDocs" for example.
In Excel open up your online Xlsm file and do a SaveAs
In the file dialog Box navigate to the Onedrive folder you created and take note of the folder name. It might show...
Web Sites > https://d.docs.live.net > > MyPubDocs
Click on the header bar and copy the URL and save it.
In Excel go to the developer Tab, if you don't see then go to File Menu -> Options -> Customize RIbbons -> Popular Commands (left) and Main Tabs (right) and check the Developer checkbox. click OK.
Click on Macro Button Set the Macro name to "SaveToOneDrive" ad click create.
That should open a IDE where you will paste the following command.
ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs Filename:="https://d.docs.live.net/XXXXXXXXXXXXXX/MyPubDocs/" & "MyExcelFileExportAsPDF.Pdf"
When creating the macro you should be able to assign a hotkey to that macro.
Now whenever the admin finishes saving the excel file, they can press the hotkey or run the macro and it will save the file to the location.
If you want to associate the macro to the save event of the workbook, you can, but auto save should be turned off.
After the first time you saved the pdf, go to onedirve and navigate to the pdf file. Create a sharable link that you can distribute to your users. When they navigate to that sharable link it should show them the most recent pdf.
HTH

Is there a way to share a Excel VB Macro as a tool for all future workbooks?

I made a VB script that re-formats data exported to excel from a website so that it is compatible with a geocoder. As of now every export I have to go in, past the VB code run it and save the changes. I am wondering if there is a way to make the VB code available as a tool for all workbooks so it is just a matter of opening the xls file clicking a button and saving it?
To expand a little on BigBen's comment:
Open the Excel file with your code in. Open a new blank Workbook. Open up the VBA Editor (Alt-F11).
Drag the module which contains your code to the new workbook (in the left-hand navigator pane). You should see it add to this new Workbook.
Save you new workbook as MyFunctions (or whatever name you fancy) but choose the "Excel Add-in (*.xlam)" file type. You should see a new file appear in your folder as MyFunctions.xlam.
Back in Excel, from the File menu, choose Options (right at the bottom). And then Add-Ins from the left-hand list. At the bottom will be a drop-down box "Manage: Excel Add Ins". Hit Go...
You'll a list of the add-ins that your Excel knows about: some will be checked (that is they will be loaded at start-up) and some not.
Choose Browse, and navigate to wherever you saved MyFunctions.xlam. And double click on it. You may get a security warning (as your addin doesnt have a digital signature) but just go ahead and enable it (as you wrote the code: this is not blanket advice!). Close Excel (this remembers your choices).
When you next open Excel you should see your add-in file open in the VBA Editor, and your macros and UDFs available in whatever worksheet you are using.

excel vba code password protected would not disappear

I have opened an excel file containing VBA password protected (not belonging to me) and from that moment on what happens is that the code remains in the VBA editor even if I close ALL the files (see atteched pic)
Such filed was called treelist and in the VBA editor "solver.XLMA"
Put in other words. Whatever excel of mine I opened now with or without vba code once I click "editor" the first thing I see is that "solver.XLMA" that I can not access nor delete. It is really anoying because I dont know what this code is doing.
(note: yes, I closed excel several times and opened it again. solver.xlma was still there)
As you see in the picture the "solver.xlma" stais even if I close all the excel workbooks.
Some idea of how can I get rid of it and what is going on here?
thx
It is a solver add-in. To turn it off:
Click the File tab, click Options, and then click the
Add-Ins category.
In the Manage box, click Excel Add-ins, and then click Go. The Add-Ins dialog box appears.
In the Add-Ins available box, clear the check box next to the add-in that you want
to deactivade (Solver), and then click OK.
This is the answer:
That's the Solver Add-In. Go to File > Options > Add-Ins, then click Go beside "Manage Excel Add-ins". Uncheck the Solver Add-in and hit Ok

What is the easiest way to add Macro automatically to a set of Excel Files

I have a macro function that I have added to an excel file. My question is how can I add the same macro function to a specific set of excel files without copy pasting the macro in each excel vba editor.What is the easiest way to achieve this?
The objective is for the users who have no knowledge on excel macros should be able to easily add Macros to excel and execute it.
If the people who are importing the macros are also the users of these macros you might want to create an add-in out of your vba macro. The procedure is described here. The users would just have to install the add-in on their PCs once(step 4). They can then use the add-in for several Excel-files.
This needs to be done by each user once:
Step 4: Install the Add-In:
Go to Tools > Add-Ins to open the Add-Ins dialog. If you have stored your Add-In in the default location you will see its name displayed in the Add-Ins available: window (if you have stored your Add-In in a different folder, use the [Browse] button to find it). Click on your Add-In's name to see its description at the bottom of the dialog box.
To install your Add-In place a tick in the check-box next to your Add-In's name and click [OK]. [Click the thumbnail below to see a full-sized image]...
Installing your Add-In (Excel 2002) Installing your Add-In (Excel 2000/97)
As soon as the Add-In is installed its functions will be available in Excel. Find them in the User Defined section of the Function Wizard (Paste Function Tool) or simply type them into a cell as you would any built-in function. The Add-In will remain installed until you return to the Add-Ins dialog and uninstall it by removing the tick from the check-box.

Macro button under customized ribbon tab tries to open old Excel file

I created a custom ribbon tab on my Excel like Excel_app_v1.xlsm, and a button under this ribbon tab is connected to a macro. So when I click this button, the macro does some table importing applications.
The first strange thing is that I created this ribbon tab and the button for only this Excel file, but the ribbon tab and the button appear in all other Excel files, even if the original Excel file Excel_app_v1.xlsm is not open.
The second problem is that I created a second version of my previous Excel file with "Save-as" option. So the new Excel file is like Excel_app_v2.xlsm. When I click the button under the ribbon tab, it opens the first Excel file Excel_app_v1.xlsm, even if it is not open. I deleted the first Excel file, but then I got an error like "Couldn't find the Excel_app_v1.xlsm on the path".
So obviously the macro button under the customized ribbon tab is linked to the first Excel file, but I couldn't find the menu option to change this. I added ThisWorkbook before all the sheet expressions in the vba code, but it didn't solve the problem. The button-click is still trying to open the old excel file.
The VBA code is below. The button is linked to the Sub ImportTable. Firstly it asks the user if the user wants to continue with the process. It opens the previous Excel file right after clicking on the button, at the same time as the Message Box appears.
Sub ImportTable()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
YearMonth = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("tab1").Cells(11, 2).Value
' The Macro button opens the previous Excel file before clicking Yes or No on the message box
answer = MsgBox("Warning! Brings the newest source file. You want to continue?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion, "")
If answer = vbYes Then
RunSASCodeViaBatFile ' Another Sub which runs bat file to run a SAS-code. But it doesn't matter. Because the problem happens before I click on Yes or No.
InsertSASFileIntoExcel
Else ' Nothing happens if clicking No on the Message Box
End If
End Sub
The clue to fixing this quickly was posted below by roncruiser, with one slight twist.
Everyone on the web seems to feel that PERSONAL.XLSB is the key here — nope. In fact, playing with that file only confounded me for even longer. Here's what I did instead:
Right click the Ribbon and select Customize The Ribbon;
Navigate to the offending macros that you've installed with buttons;
Find and click on Import/Export;
Export your custom buttons (the macros will go right along just fine);
Open that resulting file, and edit out the offending references to the other file that's causing you so much grief — example:
<mso:button idQ="x1:HideRows_0_EA10D6" label="HideRows" imageMso="_3DPerspectiveDecrease" onAction="!HideRows" visible="true"/>
I took out everything after idQ-"x1... up to the actual name of the macro. I also took out the same external reference found in onAction="... Take everything up to the bang mark.
Save this under whatever name you wish, but with the same extension (for my setup, it was called ExportedCustomizations.exportedUI (yes, that long an extension));
Repeat the first few steps here, but this time import your edited file.
Voila, all is golden.
No messing around with wiping out existing work and starting all over. Worked a charm for me, so a big tip o' The Hat to roncruiser for the clue.
Just to confirm what sumgain have write above.
It works perfectly just do as he said : remove the part after the "x1:" that refers to a specific workbook until the begining of the maccro's name.
example :
When you export your custom ribbon with the maccro attached to it it will be write like below :
idQ="x1:C:_FolderName_Filename.xlsm_Fill_Formulas_Cells"
THen you remove the part mentionned and it will become like that :
idQ="x1:Fill_Formulas_Cells"
Same for onAction keep only the Maccro Name
Then it will works perfectly as long as you the maccro's name in the workbook stay consistent if you modified the Macros name then you have to modified it in the exportedUI file.
Then when you will reload the new file you can check in the Excel Options customize ribbon on the customize button if you put the pointer on you will see "Maccro: Name of your maccro"
And not the path of the file the maccro was from.
No need to use custom UI editor or any other things such as personnal maccro at least for that and if you are not bother to have custom ribbon in all of your woorkbook.
As well it is obvious but still good to remind it, you need to have the maccro in the workbook this procedure is just there to call the maccro that are associate to the workbook, it doesn't contain the code of the maccro.
Cheers
Romain
Does this still work? I have done this in the past with success but can't seem to get it to work now.
I export the file, edit it and import it back in.
it appears to work, but when i close the Ribbon options pane, my custom buttons disappear.
Same exact thing happened to me. There's a way to get around this.
By default, when you create a macro in Excel and run that macro through a custom ribbon button, that ribbon button macro works only in the workbook that contains it.
To get around this and have the button macros work in all workbooks, you'll need to create a Personal Macro Workbook. Then any macros that you store in your personal workbook on a computer become available to you in any workbook whenever you start Excel on that same computer.
Create a Personal Macro Workbook
To get the same ribbon button macros to work on another computer, you'll need to copy the Personal Macro Workbook to another computer and store it in the XLSTART folder. The link above has all the information you'll need.
Note: Delete the old ribbon button macros. Make sure you create new ribbon button macros that reference the macros from your Personal Macro Workbook.

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