Removing All Macros

Gerald asked if there was a way to get rid of all the macros in an Excel workbook, without the need to individually delete them. There are three ways you can accomplish this task. The first (and easiest) method is to simply use Save As (press F12) and use the Save As Type drop-down list to specify that you want to save the workbook in XLSX format. This approach removes all macros as they cannot be saved in this workbook format.

The second approach is essentially a variation on the "new workbook" approach:

1. Unhide any worksheets that may be hidden.
2. Select all the worksheets in the workbook. (Click on the first worksheet tab, then hold down Shift as you click on the last worksheet tab.)
3. Right click on one of the worksheet tabs. Excel displays a Context menu.
4. Choose Move or Copy from the Context menu. Excel displays the Move or Copy dialog box. (See Figure 1.)



Figure 1. The Move or Copy dialog box.

5. Using the To Book drop-down list, choose (new book).
6. Make sure the Create Copy check box is not selected.
7. Click on OK.
8. Rehide any worksheets you unhid in step 1.

Your worksheets have now been moved to a new workbook—one that does not have any macros attached to it. You can now save the new workbook using any file format you desire.

The third approach is to simply work with the existing workbook, and is a viable choice if you feel comfortable with macros in the first place. Follow these steps:

1. Press Alt+F11 to display the VBA Editor.
2. In the Project Explorer (upper-left corner of the Editor), right-click on a module that you want to delete. (Remember that macros are stored in modules, and that you should only right-click on a module that is associated with the workbook that you want to cleanse.) Excel displays a Context menu.
3. Choose the Remove option from the Context menu. The actual wording of the option will include the name of the module you want to remove, such as Remove Module1.
4. When asked if you want to export the module before removing it, click on No.
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for any other modules you want to remove.
6. Close the VBA Editor.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10656) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Removing All Macros.