Problem enabling macros in Excel

Question

Problem enabling macros in Excel

Kris Turner 0

I need to access files in Dropbox that have macros enabled. I have went to the trust center in Excel and made the filepath to Dropbox a trusted location however it still does not work. Everything I see online just points me back in this same direction and it won't work, so any other ideas would be great.

0 comments

1 answer

Your answer

Answer 1

Kristen-L 14,740 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Kris

Thank you for reaching out.

If you've already added your Dropbox folder as a Trusted Location in Excel and macros still won't run, please make sure you are opening a local, fully downloaded copy of the workbook. If the file is still stored only in the cloud (online-only), Excel may not be able to trust or access it correctly for macro execution.

To ensure the file is available locally:

Open your Dropbox folder in File Explorer.
Locate the workbook.
Right-click the file and select Make available offline (or the equivalent Dropbox sync option).
Wait until the file shows as fully synchronized and available on your device.

Next, check whether the file is blocked by Windows:

Open File Explorer, navigate to your Word file that you need to enable macros
Right click on it and choose Properties
In General tab, check the Unblock box for the Security option.

User's image

If the "Unblock" checkbox isn't available, you can use PowerShell to unlock your file's macro (if your device has permission to use PowerShell):

In the search bar, type PowerShell and select "Run as administrator."
Then, paste this script into PowerShell > Enter to unlock your file:

  Unblock-File -Path "C:\Path\YourFile.xlsm"

If you don't know your file path, you can open File Explorer > navigate to the folder you store the file > select the file and right-click > Copy as Path (or use short-cut Ctrl+Shift+C) > paste it to replace the "C:\Path\YourFile.xlsm" part.

User's image

I hope this information is helpful. If the issue persists and macros are still being blocked, please share any error messages or security warnings you receive, and I'll be glad to investigate further.

Thank you for your understanding.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes". If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Kris Turner 0 Reputation points

2026-07-14T21:41:15.6233333+00:00

I used Powershell as mentioned and the option to enable Macros still does not appear in the file properties. Additionally is there not a way to do this for all cloud shared files, since that solution would be much more valuable to me. Thank you for your time and help.

[Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]
Kristen-L 14,740 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-14T22:15:03.7333333+00:00
Hi,

Grealy appreciate your prompt update.

Based on your screenshot, the green check indicates that Dropbox has downloaded/synchronized the file locally. Also, the Properties window has no Security section and no Unblock checkbox. That means PowerShell likely worked and there was no Windows Mark of the Web left to remove.

Therefore, if the macros is still blocked, the likely cause for your situation is related to Dropbox co-authoring. Dropbox’s current Microsoft 365 integration can open a file through a WOPI co-authoring session, even when the user double-clicks the locally synchronized file in File Explorer. Refer to How to turn on co-authoring within Dropbox, Windows considers Dropbox an untrusted source by default for these sessions.

This link is shared by community members for your convenience. It points to a third-party site that is not managed or verified by Microsoft. We can’t guarantee the quality, safety, or suitability of any content or software found there. Please review carefully and make sure you understand any potential risks before using it.

The article also provides the way to enable macros in those file: Excel Trusted location is not enough, you need to set Dropbox as Windows Trusted Sites:

Close all Excel windows and open Control Panel > Network and Internet > Internet Options

Select Security tab > Trusted Sites > Sites > add https://wopi.dropbox.com inside the Add this website to the zone.

This link is shared by community members for your convenience. It points to a third-party site that is not managed or verified by Microsoft. We can’t guarantee the quality, safety, or suitability of any content or software found there. Please review carefully and make sure you understand any potential risks before using it.

Then after reopening the file in Dropbox, you will see a warning banner on top of your screen with the "Enable Editing" option. Click it to start editing the file.

Hopefully, this points you in the right direction. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post back, and I'll be happy to help.

Thank you, and have a wonderful day.
Kristen-L 14,740 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-15T21:49:47.7933333+00:00

Hi Kris

I hope you’re doing well.

Just checking in on the support thread to see if my previous response helped resolve your issue. If you’re still having trouble or have any questions, feel free to reach out. I’m happy to assist anytime. Thanks again for your collaboration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Warm regards.