XL: Workbooks in Startup Folder Are Not Scanned for Macros

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you start Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows, if there are any workbooks stored in either of the following folders

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Xlstart
• the Alternate Startup File Location specified in the General tab of the Options dialog box

CAUSE

Workbooks stored in the startup folders are assumed by Microsoft Excel to be trusted. As a result, when you start Microsoft Excel, workbooks in the startup folders are not scanned for macros.

RESOLUTION

If you have reason to believe that one or more workbooks on your computer have been infected by macro viruses, perform the following steps:

1. In Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows, click Options on the Tools menu.

2. Select the General tab.

3. Select (check) the Macro Virus Protection checkbox. Also, clear the contents of the Alternate Startup File Location edit box. Then, click OK.

4. Exit Microsoft Excel.

5. Using the Windows Explorer, remove ALL files from the Xlstart folder. You can either delete the files, or you can move them to a different folder.

   ARTICLE-ID: Q150990
   TITLE     : WE1280: Virus Search Add-in

   ARTICLE-ID: Q154131
   TITLE     : XL: Q&A about Excel Macro/Laroux Macro Virus

   ARTICLE-ID: Q171093
   TITLE     : XL97: Macro Virus Protection Alert May Not Appear

   ARTICLE-ID: Q176807
   TITLE     : XL: How to Identify and Remove PLDT (Laroux) Macro Virus

   ARTICLE-ID: Q179373
   TITLE     : XL: File Is Damaged After It Is Cleaned by Antivirus
               Software

STATUS

This behavior is by design of the versions of Microsoft Excel listed above.

MORE INFORMATION

You can demonstrate this problem by performing the following steps:

1. In Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows, create a new workbook.

2. On the Tools menu, click Options. Select the General tab. Select (check) the Macro Virus Protection checkbox, and click OK.

3. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and click Visual Basic Editor. Then, click Module on the Insert menu. Type the following code in the new module:

         Sub Test()
             MsgBox "Not really a virus."
         End Sub
   
   

4. On the File menu, click Close And Return To Microsoft Excel.

5. On the File menu, click Save. Change the name of the workbook to Test1, and save it in the following folder:

         C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Xlstart
   

6. On the File menu, click Close.

7. On the File menu, click Open. Select the Test1 workbook and click Open.

   The workbook you are opening contains macros.
   Some macros may contain viruses that could be harmful to your
   computer.