# Word Macros -- how to setup
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-macros-how-to-setup/511089
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 22, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-macros-how-to-setup/511089 "2009-09-22T14:57:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@keno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keno)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-macros-how-to-setup/511089/1 "2009-09-22T14:57:56Z")
I’m a reasonably proficient user/creator of Excel macros so I foolishly agreed to help a friend “modify a simple Word macro”. Good golly miss molly, the developer interface isn’t even the same.
After entering the sample code in a module, I found out it doesn’t appear on the Developer\>Macro tab/menu. And you’re apparently supposed to use normal.docm if you want the macro available to every document?!?!
Is there a quick and dirty Word:Excel comparison table to help get this puppy running?
Any and all advice greatly appreciated.
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-macros-how-to-setup/511089/2 "2009-09-22T20:26:57Z")
What’s your question, exactly?
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### Author:  [@keno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keno)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-macros-how-to-setup/511089/3 "2009-09-22T20:49:57Z")
I’m looking for instructions on using Word macros. Instructions should be directed toward someone with Excel VBA skills, i.e., don’t need to start from ground zero but explain why the user interface for invoking the macros in Word still to be so different from Excel.
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### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-macros-how-to-setup/511089/4 "2009-09-22T21:38:32Z")
What version of Excel and Word do you use?
I find the user interface and functionality very similar. Word does have the Normal template to which you can attach macros instead of the specific document, but it sounds like your have questions beyond just this.
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### Author:  [@keno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keno)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-macros-how-to-setup/511089/5 "2009-09-23T14:28:04Z")
I’m running Office2007 on Vista.
One of my specific questions is, Why doesn’t the macro appear in the Macro run box unless its written/saved in the normal.docm? I can run it by pressing F5 while in the macro module so I know its a working macro. What’s the trick to getting the macro list run box recognize it?
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### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-macros-how-to-setup/511089/6 "2009-09-23T15:43:02Z")
The macro list box has a dropdown “Macros in:” - make sure you select “All active templates and documents”, or the specific document you saved the macro in.
Also make sure you defined your module as public, not private. And note that you need to save your document as a macro-enabled document (.docm extension).
Let me know if none of those work.
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### Author:  [@keno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keno)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-macros-how-to-setup/511089/7 "2009-09-24T13:29:26Z")
Thanks TroutMan, got it to show up and run.