Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Changing Directories in a Macro.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 4, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
VBA provides a very rich programming environment. You can do many things with macro code that you cannot necessarily do using the tools provided on Excel's ribbons. For instance, you may want to change the current directory in the middle of a macro. This may be necessary in order to find a particular file or to do some other file-oriented task. VBA provides the ChDir command to change directories. The syntax is as follows:
ChDir DirName
where DirName is the full pathname of the directory to which you want to change. If you do not use a string variable to specify the directory name, then DirName must be enclosed in quotes. If the directory name you supply does not exist, the command fails with an error.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8804) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Changing Directories in a Macro.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
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