Why do some macros not run in Access 2007?

Access 2007 has a number of new features that enhance macros. This gives you more flexibility and allows you to create an Access application that will work even if VBA has been disabled. However, not all macro commands are created equal and, in the interests of security, a number of them will only run if the database is granted trusted status. The list is shown below.

Macro Command	Macro Command	Macro Command
CopyDatabaseFile	OpenView	SetValue
CopyObject	PrintOut	SetWarnings
DeleteObject	Quit	ShowToolbar
Echo	Rename	TransferDatabase
OpenDataAccessPage	RunApp	TransferSharePointList
OpenDiagram	RunSavedImportExport	TransferSpreadsheet
OpenFunction	RunSQL	TransferSQLDatabase
OpenModule	Save	TransferText
OpenStoredProcedure	SendKeys

How do I know which commands are not trusted?

If you open a macro for editing and see yellow warning icons in the left margin of any macro action, that action is on the "naughty" list.

How can I restrict myself to "safe" actions?

On the macro's Design tab is a toggle button labelled Show All Actions (see right). When pressed, all actions are available; when released, only the safe actions can be selected.

If I need to run "unsafe" actions, what are my options?

Use the Trust Center to define the database folder as a trusted location

Microsoft has written a useful article about trusting databases and using the Trust Centre. You can see it here. Basically, when you open the database you should get a warning message. By clicking the Options, you can enable the content for that session. To permanently remove the message you can move the database to a trusted location, or you can define the database's folder as a trusted location.

Convert the macro to VBA

This may sound weird but sometimes it is your only option. Recently I came across a database containing a single macro that had stopped working. The message bar was not coming up so we couldn't trust that session. The file was being accessed on Terminal Services and we were unable to trust the database's location. Converting the macro to code, and attaching that code to a button on a form, forced the warning message to appear when the database launched. The users have to trust each session, but at least the code runs.

To convert a macro to a module in Access 2007, do the following:

In Access 2007 click the Home button, then Save As, and Save Object As In earlier versions of Access, select File > Save As
In the dialog, pick Module as the option in the drop-down list
By default, Access will offer to include comments and error handling. Click OK