VBA & Macro Problems

How to Fix Word Macros Not Running with a Digital Signature

Guest Writer Sep 29, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to successfully execute digitally signed macros in Word, but the macros are being blocked from running.

How to Fix Word Macros Not Running with a Digital Signature

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to open and run a Word document containing VBA macros that are signed with a self-signed or untrusted digital certificate.
Observed behavior: Word blocks the macros from running due to untrusted certificates, Mark-of-the-Web (MOTW) protection, or organizational Trust Center policies.

Before you start

Before modifying macro security settings, ensure you completely trust the source of the file. If you downloaded the document from the internet, right-click the file, select Properties, and check the 'Unblock' box at the bottom to remove Mark-of-the-Web protection.

Solution 1Recommended

Add the Certificate to Trusted Publishers

Manually trust the self-signed certificate so Word recognizes the digital signature as safe for future executions.

When a macro is signed with a certificate that is not issued by a commercial Certificate Authority (like a self-signed cert), Office requires you to manually add the publisher to your trusted list before the code can run.

Trigger the security warning

Open the Word document containing the digitally signed macro. A yellow Message Bar will appear at the top indicating that macros have been disabled.

Access advanced security options

Click on the 'File' tab, then select 'Info' from the left sidebar. Look for the 'Security Warning' section and click on 'Enable Content', then select 'Advanced Options'.

Trust the publisher

In the Microsoft Office Security Options dialog box, select 'Trust all documents from this publisher'. Click 'OK' to save your changes and allow the macro to run.

Add the Certificate to Trusted Publishers

Certificate Validation: If you still cannot trust the publisher, you may need to export the certificate and install it into your computer's Trusted Root Certification Authorities store via the Windows Certificate Manager.

Solution 2

Move the Document to a Trusted Location

Bypass certificate validation by placing the document in a pre-approved, secure folder.

Solution 3

Enable Macros with Notifications

Adjust your macro settings to prompt you for approval whenever an untrusted macro tries to run.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean when a macro certificate is self-signed?

A self-signed certificate is created by the developer on their local machine rather than being issued by a recognized commercial Certificate Authority (CA). Microsoft Office blocks these by default until you manually verify and add the certificate to your computer's Trusted Publishers list.

Why are my macros still blocked after adding the certificate?

This usually happens because the file has 'Mark-of-the-Web' (MOTW) protection, which is applied by Windows when a file is downloaded from the internet. To fix this, close the file, right-click it in File Explorer, select Properties, check the 'Unblock' box on the General tab, and click Apply.

Can Group Policy override my local Trust Center settings?

Yes. If you are using a computer managed by a school or workplace, IT administrators can deploy Group Policies that strictly block all macros from running, regardless of your local Trust Center or Trusted Publisher settings. You will need to contact your IT department to make an exception.

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