> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://nolongerset.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Timeline for VBA Macros Blocked by Default in Microsoft Office - URL: https://nolongerset.com/timeline-for-vba-macro-blocking/ - Published: 2022-09-26T14:49:50.000Z - Updated: 2026-05-08T12:54:31.000Z - Description: Enterprise customers are next in line to have macros blocked by default in Office files from the web. The policy addresses a real problem, but does it actually help? - Author: Mike Wolfe - Tags: Announcement, #Import 2026-05-20 02:59 I [wrote previously](https://nolongerset.com/motw-blocks-all-vba/) about Microsoft's plan to block all macros (VBA) in Office files from untrusted locations (e.g., downloaded from the web or attached to emails): [Office to Disable All VBA Code in Files from the InternetBeginning in April 2022, users will no longer have the option to manually enable VBA code in Office files downloaded from the internet.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/02/signpost-5274077_1920.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/motw-blocks-all-vba/) Microsoft [briefly backtracked](https://nolongerset.com/vba-blocking-on-hold/), before re-implementing the plan. The change has already been rolled out to users on the Preview and Current channels of Microsoft 365\. This change is headed to Enterprise customers next, with the first Enterprise channels being updated on October 11, 2022. ## Updated Timeline Here's the [full timeline from Microsoft](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployOffice/security/internet-macros-blocked#versions-of-office-affected-by-this-change): | Update channel | Version | Date | | ---------------------------------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------- | | Current Channel (Preview) | Version 2203 | Started rolling out on April 12, 2022 | | Current Channel | Version 2206 | Started rolling out on July 27, 2022 | | Monthly Enterprise Channel | *Version 2208* | *October 11, 2022* | | Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) | *Version 2208* | *October 11, 2022* | | Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel | *Version 2208* | *January 10, 2023* | ## Mark of the Web As a reminder, Office uses the so-called "mark of the web" to flag files as "potentially unsafe." For more information about this, check out my articles: [Details about the Mark-of-the-Web (MOTW)](https://nolongerset.com/mark-of-the-web-details/) and [Mark of the Web (MOTW) Support Among Zip Utilities](https://nolongerset.com/motw-zip-support/). ## The Very Real Danger of Malicious VBA... As much as this new policy is inconvenient, [malicious VBA in Office files is a very real and very common threat](https://nolongerset.com/vba-docs-are-a-threat/). ## ...And the Unintended Consequences of Misguided Policy Whether Microsoft's new approach will be better than their old one remains to be seen. I have a sneaking suspicion that a bunch of users out there will just make their Downloads directory a "Trusted Location." Which means that suspicious files they download from the internet in the future won't even come with the old warning before the code starts executing. Sure, most users probably just clicked through the old yellow warning without even reading it. But for users who work around the more aggressive VBA blocking scheme by trusting their Downloads folder, they won't even get that visual reminder that the file they are opening might be a problem. My prediction: within the next twelve months, users won't be allowed to mark their Downloads folder as a trusted location. To [quote Rick Cook](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/177682-programming-today-is-a-race-between-software-engineers-striving-to): > “Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.” Your move, Universe. --- ### External links [Macros from the internet are blocked by default in Office - Deploy OfficeProvides guidance for admins about how Office blocks macros in files from the internet.Microsoft LearnDHB-MSFT![](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/media/logos/logo-ms-social.png)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/DeployOffice/security/internet-macros-blocked) ### Referenced articles [Mark-of-the-Web (MOTW) DetailsMicrosoft announced that VBA will be blocked soon in all files from the web. Let’s dive into how Windows manages this “Mark of the Web.”![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/03/cobweb-4439844_1920.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/mark-of-the-web-details/) [Mark of the Web (MOTW) Support Among Zip UtilitiesWhat happens to the Mark of the Web when you extract files from a downloaded .zip file? It depends on what you use to do the extraction.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/06/Unzipping-MOTW.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/motw-zip-support/) [Yes, VBA-Enabled Office Docs are a Significant ThreatVBA-enabled documents are commonly used to open the door for more virulent malware.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/02/lost-places-3035877_1920.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/vba-docs-are-a-threat/) *Image by [Niek Verlaan](https://pixabay.com/users/niekverlaan-80788/?utm%5Fsource=link-attribution&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=image&utm%5Fcontent=1075801) from [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com//?utm%5Fsource=link-attribution&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=image&utm%5Fcontent=1075801)*