How to set Macro Security in PowerPoint

Problem

If you or the people who will run your code have macro security set too high, your code won't run.

Depending on the settings, PowerPoint may not even give the user any warning that the code is being prevented from running. Simply: nothing happens.

Solution

Appropriate macro security settings will allow the code to run and still give the user adequate protection.

In PowerPoint 2003 and previous:

• Choose Tools|Macro | Security
• On the Security Level tab, click Medium
• On the Trusted Publishers tab, put a checkmark next to Trust all installed add-ins and templates
• Close all open dialog boxes
• Now when the user opens a file that contains macros, PowerPoint will display a warning dialog box and offer the chance to enable the macros or not.

In PowerPoint 2007:

• Choose Office Button | PowerPoint Options | Trust Center | Trust Center Settings
• Cilck Macro Settings
• Click Disable all macros with notification
• Click Add-ins (on the left, above Macro Settings)
• Make sure that none of the options have checkmarks next to them
• Close all open dialog boxes
• Now when the user opens a file that contains macros, PowerPoint will display a bar just beneath the ribbon with the text Security Warning: Macros have been disabled and an Options... button. Users should click Options... then click Enable this content to permit macros to run.

These settings will give the user a similar warning when they install a PPA or PPAM add-in in PowerPoint but will permit the add-in to load and run afterwards with no further warnings.

Neither we nor Microsoft recommend lower security settings. While the Medium-level security dialogs can be a nuisance when you use the same macro-enabled files repeatedly, it beats having a rogue macro do serious damage to your computer.

Other security measures

Depending on your needs, you can also apply Digitial Signatures to your presentations and add-ins.

PowerPoint 2007 also supports Trusted Folders, special user-designated folders whose contents are trusted ... not subject to the usual security restrictions PowerPoint imposes.

Both of these techniques are beyond the scope of this article, but if you're a developer planning to distribute your add-ins or code to many users, they're worth looking into.