Fix Excel Searching for Personal.xlsb in the Report Folder
Question details
The user needs to prevent Excel from searching for the Personal.xlsb workbook in the current save directory when using the manual Save As command after running a data formatting macro.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Running a lengthy formatting macro on exported data and then manually saving the workbook to a new location using 'Save As'.
- Observed behavior
- Excel changes its active directory during the save process and incorrectly attempts to load or locate Personal.xlsb in the new report folder instead of its default XLSTART location.
Before modifying your macros, securely back up your VBA code (.bas files) and verify the default location of your XLSTART folder to ensure your Personal.xlsb file is correctly positioned.
Use Explicit Absolute Paths in VBA Code
Modify your VBA macro so it relies on exact file locations rather than relative paths, preventing Excel from getting confused when the active directory changes.
When you use the 'Save As' command, Excel automatically updates the active working directory to the folder where the new file is saved. If your macro code references Personal.xlsb or other dependencies without specifying the full C: drive path, Excel will attempt to find them in this new directory.
Press Alt + F11 to launch the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) editor in Excel.
Use Ctrl + F to search your macro modules for any commands that change the directory, such as 'ChDir' or 'ChDrive', or any relative references to 'Personal.xlsb'.
Replace the relative references with the explicit full path to your XLSTART folder, typically found at 'C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART\Personal.xlsb'.
Save your modified macro code, return to Excel, run the macro, and perform a manual 'Save As' to ensure the error no longer occurs.
Explicitly Target Workbooks in Macros
Update the macro to reference the specific report workbook by name rather than relying on the generic 'ActiveWorkbook' property, which might accidentally target Personal.xlsb.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Personal.xlsb in Excel?
Personal.xlsb is a hidden personal macro workbook in Excel that automatically opens in the background every time you start the application. It acts as a central repository for macros that you want to be available across all your workbooks.
Why does using 'Save As' cause Excel to look for Personal.xlsb elsewhere?
When you use the 'Save As' function, Excel updates its internal 'Active Directory' to the new save location. If your VBA code uses relative file paths, Excel mistakenly begins looking for required files, like Personal.xlsb, in this newly designated folder.
How do I find the correct XLSTART folder location?
To locate your XLSTART folder, open the VBA Editor in Excel (Alt + F11), press Ctrl + G to open the Immediate Window, type '? Application.StartupPath', and press Enter. The exact folder path will be displayed.
Can I safely delete Personal.xlsb if I don't use it?
Yes. If you do not rely on global macros and the file is causing persistent errors, you can navigate to the XLSTART folder via File Explorer and delete or rename the Personal.xlsb file while Excel is completely closed.
