Upgrading to Word 2000

Sharing Macros and Templates with Previous Versions of Word

If your organization is upgrading gradually to Microsoft Word 2000, users might have to share macros and templates with users of previous versions of Word.

Rewriting macros in Visual Basic for Applications 6.0

Word 2000 includes Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) version 6.0. This latest version of VBA provides new features and enhancements such as support for additional ActiveX controls.

You might want to rewrite existing macros, or create new macros to take advantage of the features in VBA version 6.0. To create new macros in Word 2000, you can record macros in Visual Basic for Applications or write macros with the Visual Basic Editor.

Running macros created in previous versions of Word

Word 2000 supports macros created in Word 97 with Visual Basic for Applications version 5.0. Most WordBasic macros created in Word 95 and Word 6.x run in Word 2000.

Running Word 97 macros

If a Word 97 macro does not run in Word 2000, an error message appears. To look up error messages, start the Visual Basic Editor, and then click Microsoft Visual Basic Help (Help menu).

In most instances, you do not need to make any modifications when you are upgrading Word 97 macros to Word 2000. However, if the converted macros do not perform correctly in Word 2000, you can use online support to troubleshoot compatibility issues. To use online support, click Office on the Web (Help menu).

Running Word 95 and Word 6.x macros

Word 2000 automatically converts WordBasic code to the equivalent Visual Basic for Applications code whenever you:

• Open a Word 95 or Word 6.x template with WordBasic macros.
• Create a new document based on a Word 95 or Word 6.x template with WordBasic macros.
• Use the Templates and Add-ins command (Tools menu) to attach a Word 95 or Word 6.x template to a Word 2000 document.

While Word 2000 is converting macros, a message appears on the status bar.

If the converted macros do not perform correctly in Word 2000, you can use online support to troubleshoot compatibility issues. To use online support, click Office on the Web (Help menu).

It is important to remember that the conversion from WordBasic to VBA happens automatically in Word 2000 and that there is no undo feature. If you want to reuse the WordBasic macros in Word 95 or Word 6.x, you must make backup copies of your files before you start upgrading to Word 2000.

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Preventing macro viruses

To prevent you from downloading macro viruses, Word 2000 displays a message to inform you that the document or template you are opening contains macros. Word displays this message by default regardless of whether the macros actually contain a virus.

For additional security, you might want to allow Word to run only macros with a digital signature from a trusted source. A digital signature confirms that the macro is from a trusted source and that the macro has not been altered.

To allow Word 2000 to run only signed macros

1. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Security.
2. On the Security Level tab, click High.

   When you open a document or template, Word automatically disables any unsigned macros.

System Policy Tip   You can use a system policy to set the security level option in the Security dialog box (Tools menu). In the System Policy Editor, set the Microsoft Word 2000\Tools|Macro\Security\Security Level policy. For more information about the System Policy Editor, see Using the System Policy Editor.

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Sharing templates with previous versions of Word

Word 2000 users can share templates with users of previous versions of Word. However, the Word 2000 templates include new and enhanced features that are lost when users save Word 2000 templates in previous formats such as Word 97 or Word 95 format.

When users open templates or load installed add-ins from previous versions of Word, Word 2000 enables macros automatically. You can have Word 2000 alert users about previously installed templates and add-ins by using the Security dialog box.

To warn users about previously installed templates and add-ins

1. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Security.
2. On the Trusted Sources tab, clear the Trust all installed add-ins and templates check box.

System Policy Tip   You can use a system policy to set the Trust all installed add-ins and templates option in the Security dialog box (Tools menu). In the System Policy Editor, set the Microsoft Word 2000\Tools|Macro\Security\Trust all installed add-ins and templates policy. For more information about the System Policy Editor, see Using the System Policy Editor.

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Storing templates in Word 2000

Word 2000 includes global and document templates:

• Global templates, such as the Normal template, contain settings that are available to all documents.
• Each document template, such as the memo and fax templates, contain settings that are available only to documents based on that template.

The following factors determine on which tab each template appears in the New dialog box (File menu):

• The location of the stored template.
• The file location settings that you specify for the user templates and workgroup templates on the File Locations tab in the Options dialog box.

To specify template file location settings

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the File Locations tab.
2. Specify the settings that you want to set for user and workgroup templates.

To eliminate confusion about where to store user and workgroup templates, instruct users to do the following:

• Store templates that they share on the network in the workgroup templates file location specified on the File Locations tab.
• Store other templates (such as custom templates) in the user templates file location specified on the File Locations tab. By default, this location is the Templates folder and its subfolders.

  If users save a template in a different location, the template does not appear on the General tab of the New dialog box.

Tip   To make it easy for users to locate templates, you can create custom tabs for templates in the New dialog box by creating a new subfolder in the Templates folder and then saving the templates in the subfolder. The name you give the subfolder appears on the new tab.

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See also

The Microsoft Office 2000/Visual Basic Programmer’s Guide contains information about new features in Visual Basic for Applications version 6.0. For more information, see the Microsoft Press Web site at http://mspress.microsoft.com/.

The Removal Wizard removes unnecessary and obsolete files, settings, and components installed by previous versions of Office and related applications. For more information, see Removal Wizard.