How to Find Hidden Macros in an Excel Spreadsheet

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Macros are a powerful feature in Microsoft Excel, and they allow programmatic control over several Excel functions. Applications that can take hundreds of cells of calculations can be done with a few lines of Macro code. However, Macros are also a serious security risk-- Macro viruses still circulate with infected Excel workbooks, and most Excel users don't know enough about Macros to find them and delete them.

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Finding Macros with the Macro Tools in Excel

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Step 1

Open Excel normally.

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Step 2

Click on the "Developer Tab."

Step 3

Click on the button labeled "Macros." A dialog box will pop up. The dialog box will have all the Macros available on all open workbooks. You can select "Macros" there and delete them.

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Finding Macros with the Visual Basic Editor

Step 1

Open Excel normally.

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Step 2

Click on the "Developer Tab."

Step 3

Click on the button labeled "Visual Basic." The Visual Basic editor will pop up. On the left hand pane, there will be a list of every single Macro that Excel has loaded; this will include Macros that are hidden from the Macros dialog box. You can select "Macros" here and delete them individually, or look over their code.

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