Article ID: 278551
Article Last Modified on 1/29/2007
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 Standard Edition
This article was previously published under Q278551
SYMPTOMS
When you create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and click Action Setting on the Slide Show menu to run a Microsoft Visual Basic macro, the macro may not run as expected when you view the slide show.
This behavior occurs only after the document has been saved and closed and then reopened. When the presentation slide show is viewed, the macro does not run and there is no indication why the macro does not run.
NOTE: If you view the slide show before you close and save the file for the first time, the macro will run as expected.
CAUSE
This behavior occurs because the default PowerPoint security setting for macros is High and does not allow the macro to run.
RESOLUTION
You can digitally sign a macro and then trust the digital signature in PowerPoint.
You digitally sign a file or a macro project by using a digital certificate. If you don't already have a digital certificate, you must obtain one.
You can obtain a digital certificate from a commercial certification authority, such as VeriSign, or from your internal security administrator or Information Technology (IT) professional. Or, you can create a digital signature yourself using the Selfcert.exe tool.
- On the Start menu, point to Search, and then click For Files or Folders.
- In the Search for files or folders named box, type selfcert.exe, and then click Search Now. (By default, Local Harddrives should be selected in the Look in box.)
- Once selfcert.exe has been located in the results pane, double-click it.
- Provide your name when prompted, and then click OK to create your digital certificate.
Learn about certification authorities that offer services for Microsoft products.
NOTE: Because a digital certificate you create yourself isn't issued by a formal certification authority, macro projects signed by using such a certificate are referred to as self-signed projects. Depending on how Microsoft Office digital-signature features are being used in your organization, you might be prevented from using such a certificate, and other users might not be able to run self-signed macros for security reasons.
- Obtain a digital signature from one of the sources listed above.
- Open the file that contains the macro project you want to sign.
- On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor.
- In the Project Explorer, select the project you want to sign.
- On the Tools menu, click Digital Signature.
- Do one of the following:
- If you have not previously selected a digital certificate or want to use another one, click Choose, select the certificate, and then click OK twice.
- To use the current certificate, click OK.
WORKAROUND
To work around this behavior, change the macro security setting before you reopen the presentation. Use this workaround only if you cannot obtain a digital signature.
NOTE: Microsoft recommends that you use the digital signatures mentioned in the RESOLUTION portion of this article instead of lowering your macro security settings.
To change the macro security setting use the following steps:
- Start PowerPoint.
- On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Security.
- In the Security dialog box, click Medium, and then click OK.
When you open a presentation that contains a macro you will be warned that the presentation contains a macro, if you click the Enable Macros button, the macro will run as expected.
If you select Low as your security setting, the macro will run with no warning message.
NOTE: You must change the setting before you open the presentation. If you change the setting while the presentation is open, the macro will not run until you reopen it with the new settings.
MORE INFORMATION
For information about how to contact VeriSign, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Additional query words: PPT2002 PPT prb
Keywords: kbprb KB278551
