Earlier this month, Microsoft surprised customers by withdrawing changes to disable VBA macros in Office applications. Shortly after, Microsoft clarified that it plans to reinstate the new policy after making “some additional changes to enhance usability.
Now, Microsoft is once again ready to start disabling Office macros by default. Microsoft has updated its documentation to include clear step-by-step instructions explaining what end users can do with disabled macros.
With the new rules in place, users will see a security warning notification when trying to open an Office file using a macro from the Internet. The message will display a link to the “Learn More” button on the support page, which describes the risks associated with opening files using VBA macros. In addition, information is provided about enabling macros in cases where users trust the file.
Microsoft said that previous negative user feedback led to a temporary rollback of the change and considered providing instructions on how to make such changes to Office applications. The new documentation now provides what users and IT administrators need to know about how Office determines whether to block or run macros in files from the Internet, which versions of Office are affected by the new rules, how to allow VBA macros in trusted files, and how to prepare for the change.
