Finding and Moving the Personal Macro Workbook

If you use the Personal Macro Workbook, you might want to create a backup copy, or simply transport the macros you've added to a different workbook or machine. This can be accomplished by making the workbook visible, then saving it with a different name in a different location.

Let's find the workbook.

NOTE: These steps will only work if you have created the Personal Macro Workbook. If you stored a macro in the Personal Macro Workbook, the workbook will be created.

Step1. Launch Excel if it isn't already open.

NOTE for MacOS Users: You need to have a workbook open to see the ribbon. To open a workbook, Click Blank Workbook.

Step2. To find the Personal Macro Workbook, on the Ribbon,

Click the View tab, Click

NOTE for MacOS Users: To find the Personal Macro Workbook, on the Ribbon, Click Window, Click Unhide.

You will see the Unhide dialog box showing all the hidden workbooks:

NOTE for MacOS Users: The Personal Macro Workbook is named ‘Personal Macro Workbook.xlsb' on MacOS.

Let's unhide the workbook.

Step3. To unhide the Personal Macro Workbook,

Click

The Personal Macro Workbook opens. It looks like a regular Excel workbook. While we have PERSONAL.XLSB open, we will save it to the Desktop.

Step4. To save PERSONAL.XLSB to the Desktop,

Click File, Click Save As

The Save As dialog box appears.

Step5. To change the file's location, in the left Favorite Links bar,

Click Desktop

Let's give the file a name.

Step6. To name the file, in the File name field, type:

PersonalMacros

The data type for this workbook can be.xlsm.

Step7. To change the file type, in the Save as type drop-down list,

Click,
Click Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm)

Let's save the file.

Step8. To finish saving the file,

Click

The Personal Macro Workbook is now saved to the desktop so we can easily find and move the file. Let's hide the Personal Macro Workbook so next time we open Excel, it doesn't open automatically.

Step9. To hide the Personal Macro Workbook, on the Ribbon,

Click

NOTE for MacOS Users: To hide the Personal Macro Workbook, on the Ribbon, Click Window, Click Hide.

The workbook is now hidden.