Thanks Jay. I'm still wondering why I am offered the choice of "enabling" a
macro published by Microsoft in a document that I created a long time ago
and that has never been off of this computer. I think of macros as bits of
code written to make Word do things that it doesn't normally do. Is that
correct? If so, I don't know why I would want or need any macros to run in
any of my Word documents. I'm not on a network, though I do occasionally
send them to friends and relatives.
The fact the the document which prompted this post was found to contain two
macros published by Gateway (my computer brand) makes me wonder why they
were there. And also, since I "removed" them, have I crippled my computer in
some way?
Also, if I may further impose, what is the significance of the "expiration
date" on these macros? All that I have seen are "expired" in 2003!
And finally, does the acceptance or rejection of macros apply on a per
document basis? That is to say that if I refuse a macro, will that apply
only to the document currently open or to all of my documents, present and
future? I guess I'm leery about making a decision that I barely understand
and that might be irreversible.
Thanks for you help. It is greatly appreciated.
"Jay Freedman" wrote in message
...
Hi JD,
It's always "safe" to refuse to accept any macros. The tradeoff is that
you will lose any functionality provided by macros that really are safe to
run.
In my opinion, the extreme paranoia about macro viruses expressed by the
Help is unwarranted. The expletive deleted lowlifes who delight in
others' misery seem to have discovered that hacking Internet Explorer is
easier or more satisfying than messing with Office macros. Running
antivirus software that looks for virus signatures is less intrusive than
summarily disabling all macros. If the idea of the faint possibility of a
macro virus bothers you, though, feel free to block macros.
There are a few things you can accomplish in Word only by using a macro.
These are rare, and if you find that you need them you can enable them each
time.
You may run into trouble with third-party software that tries to integrate
with Office by supplying macros in global templates. By disabling their
macros, you lose that integration. You may see toolbar buttons that don't do
anything when clicked, etc.
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org

On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 06:05:15 -0700, "JD" wrote:

I'm confused about this issue. I read the following in Word Help:
Security Because macros can contain viruses, be careful about running
them.
Take the following precautions: run up-to-date antivirus software on your
computer; set your macro security level to high; clear the Trust all
installed add-ins and templates check box; use digital signatures;
maintain
a list of trusted publishers.

It also instructed me how to "remove" a macro publisher from the Trusted
list.

So I cleared the indicated checkbox and deleted two "trusted publishers,"
(both Gateway and both "expired"). Then when I opened an old document I
got
a pop-up asking if I wanted to enable or disable a macro that this
document
"contained." It suggested that if I "disabled," I might have trouble with
the document. So I clicke "enable." The "publisher" in this case was
Microsoft--though the permission installed showed that it "expired" in
November, 2003!

My question is, since I know nothing of macros and have no interest in
using
them, is it safe for me to refuse to accept any?