Problem: Did Microsoft abandon the macro facility? Where are the buttons to record a new macro, run a macro, and so on? How do I get to the Visual Basic Editor?
- A subset of macro commands are available on the View tab.
Strategy: Most of the macro icons are hidden. Three macro options appear on the extreme right end of the View tab. You use the Macros dropdown to view macros, record a macro, or use relative references while recording a macro.
To access the rest of the macro functionality, you need to enable a hidden Developer ribbon tab. Choose File, Options, Customize Ribbon. Add a checkmark next to Developer. The Developer tab offers macro commands, buttons from the former Forms toolbar and Control Toolbox, and XML settings.
- Microsoft disable the Developer tab by default.
- If you use macros, enable the Developer tab.
Additional Details: When you are recording a macro, instead of seeing the Stop Recording icon floating above the Excel window, you now see it in the Status Bar, next to Ready.
- Once you've recorded a macro, the Stop and Record buttons will appear next to Ready.
The same area of the status bar includes a Record Macro button when you are not recording a macro. However, because there is not a Relative References button, you cannot effectively record macros without using either the View tab or the Developer tab of the ribbon.