Error saving with macros.

Question

Whenever I switch to saving to Dropbox in Excel, I get this error. Why?

Answer 1

Dear @Marco Araújo,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum!

Based on your description, I can understand that you had Excel error when saving a file with macros to Dropbox on macOS. There are several reasons that may cause it:

1. Excel macro-enabled files (.xlsm) require certain file-locking and versioning features that cloud sync tools like Dropbox may not handle well.
2. When saving directly to a Dropbox-synced folder, Excel tries to maintain a lock on the file while Dropbox simultaneously syncs it. This may cause conflicts and trigger errors.
3. On macOS, this issue may be more common because of differences in how file system permissions and temporary files are handled compared to Windows.

Therefore, I have tried my best to research and found some suggestions that you can try:

1.Save locally first, then move to Dropbox: you may need to save the file to your local drive (e.g., Desktop) and then copy it to the Dropbox folder after closing Excel.

2.Disable AutoSave for Dropbox folders because it may cause conflicts with Dropbox syncing. Turn it off when working with macro-enabled files. Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/library-reference/concepts/how-autosave-impacts-addins-and-macros

3.Avoid simultaneous editing: Dropbox may not support real-time co-authoring like OneDrive or SharePoint. If multiple users are editing, use OneDrive or SharePoint instead.

4.You should check file format to ensure the file is saved as .xlsm (macro-enabled). Sometimes saving as .xlsx may avoid issues if macros aren’t needed.

5.You should update Excel and Dropbox to make sure both apps are updated to the latest versions, as older versions may have more sync-related bugs.

Additional information for you:

• For macro-enabled workbooks, Microsoft recommends OneDrive or SharePoint because they are fully integrated with Office and handle file locking properly. Dropbox may not optimize for Excel macros. VBA macros may not work with Excel for the web, and users may encounter an error if they attempt to use/edit the macros in that mode References:
  • https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/excel-file-is-locked-for-editing-6fa93887-2c2c-45f0-abcc-31b04aed68b3
  • https://teamdynamix.umich.edu/TDClient/30/Portal/KB/PrintArticle?ID=8759
  Please note that our support is limited to providing guidance based on official Microsoft documentation. Any third-party resources or references shared are intended solely for informational or consultative purposes. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or continued availability of third-party content, and we recommend exercising discretion when referring to such materials. 
• If using Dropbox, the safest approach is to work locally and then upload, or switch to OneDrive/SharePoint for seamless experience.

I hope this information can help you in this case and please kindly correct me if I misunderstand your concern. If the issue still persists, please kindly provide me a screenshot of your settings and the error messages that you saw for further assistance.

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