Lost Macros

Question

When I opened Word this morning, all of my macros were gone.  We haven't changed systems or upgraded to a new version of Word.  Any suggestions on ways to recover them?  Thanks

Answer 1

I'll guess that, like most people, you never write macros from scratch but only use the macro recorder; and that you always accept the recorder's suggestion to save the macro in the Normal.dotm template.

If that's true, then the most likely cause of the macros' disappearance is that the Normal.dotm file that contains the macros was moved or deleted. When that happens, and you start Word when it can't find that file, Word creates a new Normal.dotm with no customizations.

To try to recover, close Word and then start Windows Explorer. In the address bar at the top, type or copy/paste the text %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates and press Enter. Look in that folder for a file named "Backup of Normal.wbk". If you find it, and if its modified date is yesterday or earlier, it will probably contain the macros.

In that case, look for the Normal.dotm file in the same folder, and delete it if you find it. Then rename "Backup of Normal.wbk" to "Normal.dotm". Restart Word, and see if the macros are back in place.

If you don't find the Backup file, or if you follow the procedure and it doesn't restore the macros, the only other suggestion is to try a program called Recuva to see if it can find an old deleted copy of Normal.dotm. Otherwise, you'll have to re-record your macros as best you can.

To avoid a repeat, it's best to store your macros in a custom template that you store in the folder %appdata%\Microsoft\Word\Startup. Templates in that location are automatically loaded every time Word starts, and macros in those templates are available in every document. They're also much less likely to be changed or deleted accidentally.

Answer 2

There will not be a "Backup of Normal.wbk" file unless you have enabled the option to "Always create backup copy" at File | Options | Advanced: Save. This is a worthwhile option to enable; for more, see http://wordfaqs.mvps.org/SaveOptions.htm.

Answer 3

Jay,

Thank you for the help.  Unfortunately, there wasn't a file "Backup of Normal.wbk"  I did a further search an found an "Old Normal" file but it wasn't helpful.  I also tried the Recuva program, and it didn't find the file.

I guess I will just have to recreate the files.  Thanks again for the info.  Maybe it will help someone else.  Teresa