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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Microsoft resumed rolling out its default block on VBA macros in internet-sourced Office files on July 27, 2022. The date marked the start for Microsoft 365 Apps Current Channel, version 2206—not a change to Office for Mac. When a file carries Windows’ Mark of the Web, Office blocks its macros by default and displays a Security Risk warning instead of the former Enable Content button.
What changed, and which Office apps were covered?
The change applied to Office on Windows: Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Publisher, Visio, and Word. It covered VBA macros in files identified as coming from the internet. Microsoft’s current administrator documentation describes the behavior and channel rollout at Macros from the internet are blocked by default in Office.
July 27 was the Current Channel rollout start, not a date when every Microsoft 365 Apps installation changed at once. Other update channels received the change later:
| Update channel | Rollout information |
|---|---|
| Current Channel | Version 2206, starting July 27, 2022 |
| Monthly Enterprise Channel | Version 2208, starting October 11, 2022 |
| Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel | Version 2208, starting January 10, 2023 |
Microsoft first announced the change in February 2022, temporarily rolled it back on July 8 to make usability updates, and announced on July 20 that the Current Channel rollout would resume. The timeline appears in Microsoft’s July 2022 announcement and update.
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Why Office blocks the macros
Windows can attach Mark of the Web (MotW) to a downloaded file to indicate that it came from the internet. Microsoft says the marker generally applies to files saved on NTFS. Office checks the file’s origin and trust state; files marked as coming from the internet or a restricted site can have their macros blocked by default.
For an affected file, Office displays a Security Risk banner with the message “Microsoft has blocked macros from running because the source of this file is untrusted.” The banner does not provide the previous Enable Content button. Microsoft says malicious actors commonly use VBA macros to gain access and deploy malware or ransomware; it has not supplied a specific attack count or percentage for this rollout.
The origin marker is not a verdict on whether a file is safe. A file from a familiar sender can still be marked as internet-origin, and removing that marker changes how Office evaluates the file—it does not check the file for malware or prove it is trustworthy.
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How to allow macros in a trusted individual file
If you have independently verified the file and need its macros, Microsoft documents removing Mark of the Web in Windows. Do not use this as a way to dismiss a warning on an unknown or unexpected file.
- Close the Office app and locate the downloaded file in File Explorer.
- Right-click the file and select Properties.
- On the General tab, select Unblock, then select Apply and OK.
- Reopen the file in Office and follow your organization’s security guidance before enabling or using its macros.
Microsoft also documents the PowerShell Unblock-File cmdlet for removing the ZoneId value. The Properties option or cmdlet may not work if a policy or Trust Center setting blocks macros. The Unblock control may be absent in some cases, and network shares can be classified as internet locations and need separate handling.
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Other trust options and organization-wide controls
Unblocking is an individual-file action. Other controls use different trust signals or apply across an organization; none is a general guarantee that a macro is safe.
| Option | Scope and trust basis | Important consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Unblock the file | Individual file; removes its internet-origin marker | Use only after verifying the file. It will not override a blocking policy or Trust Center setting. |
| Trusted Location | Files in a configured location | Office may allow macros in the location. Restrict access and contents because files placed there may receive greater trust. |
| Trusted Publisher | Macros signed by a certificate from a publisher the user or organization trusts | Trust depends on the publisher and certificate, not simply on where the file was downloaded. |
| Organization policy | Administrative controls for users or Office configurations | Behavior and availability depend on the Microsoft 365 Apps edition and configuration. |
For Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, Microsoft recommends the Block macros from running in Office files from the Internet policy and says it can be enabled as part of the security baseline. It also documents the VBA Macro Notification Settings policy. Microsoft states that these policies require Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise and are not available for Microsoft 365 Apps for business. Administrators should consult the linked Microsoft documentation for the policy’s configuration details and how existing Trust Center settings affect it.
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Microsoft’s stated approach is to make it harder to trick users into running malicious code while retaining ways to allow legitimate macros through Trusted Publishers or Trusted Locations. As Tristan Davis, Partner Group Program Manager, Office Platform, put it: “We will continue to adjust our user experience for macros, as we’ve done here, to make it more difficult to trick users into running malicious code via social engineering while maintaining a path for legitimate macros to be enabled where appropriate via Trusted Publishers and/or Trusted Locations.”
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