Office Compatibility Issues

Fix PowerPoint VBA Shape Locked Property Error 438 on Mac

Steve K Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is encountering a Run-time error 438 when executing a VBA macro that attempts to lock a shape in a PowerPoint presentation.

How to Fix PowerPoint VBA Shape Locked Property Error on Mac

Product: Microsoft PowerPoint
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Running a VBA macro containing the statement mySlide.Shapes("test").Locked = True to lock a specific shape on a presentation slide.
Observed behavior: The macro throws a Run-time error 438 because the Locked property is not supported across all PowerPoint versions, particularly failing on Mac platforms and non-subscription editions.

Before you start

Verify your exact Microsoft Office version and license type (Microsoft 365 subscription vs. perpetual license like Office 2021), as VBA feature support varies heavily between them.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Platform Compatibility and Test on Windows

Determine if the issue is a platform-specific limitation by testing the macro on a fully updated Windows environment.

The Shape.Locked property in PowerPoint VBA is highly version-dependent. While it works reliably on Microsoft 365 subscription versions for Windows, it is frequently absent in PowerPoint for Mac and perpetual Windows versions like Office 2021.

Test on Windows

Transfer your presentation file containing the VBA macro to a Windows PC running the latest version of a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Run the macro

Execute the script. If the shape locks successfully on Windows but fails on Mac, it confirms a platform limitation rather than a syntax error.

Check Mac PowerPoint version

On your Mac, open PowerPoint, click 'PowerPoint' in the top menu bar, and select 'About PowerPoint' to verify your build and license type.

Submit feedback to Microsoft

Since this is a known limitation, go to 'Help' > 'Feedback' in PowerPoint for Mac to request support for the Shape.Locked property in future Mac updates.

Verify Platform Compatibility and Test on Windows

Alternative Environments: If locking shapes programmatically is a critical requirement for your workflow, consider running your VBA macros inside a Windows Virtual Machine (like Parallels) on your Mac.

Solution 2

Implement Error Handling in Your VBA Code

Modify your VBA macro to gracefully bypass the error on unsupported platforms instead of crashing the entire script.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Shape.Locked property throw Run-time error 438?

Run-time error 438 means 'Object doesn't support this property or method'. In PowerPoint VBA, this happens because the Shape.Locked property is not implemented in certain software builds, notably PowerPoint for Mac and non-subscription editions like Office 2021.

Can I lock shapes in PowerPoint for Mac without using VBA?

Native shape locking is restricted in standard PowerPoint views. However, a common workaround is to cut the shape and paste it into the Slide Master view. This prevents normal users from selecting or moving the shape during regular editing.

Is Microsoft 365 required to use the Shape.Locked property?

Generally, yes. User testing confirms that the Shape.Locked property is reliably supported in Microsoft 365 subscription versions on Windows, while perpetual standalone licenses often lack this specific VBA capability.

Will Microsoft fix this VBA limitation on Mac?

Microsoft updates its software based on user demand. Submitting a feature request via the 'Help > Feedback' menu in PowerPoint for Mac is the best way to notify their development team about this compatibility issue.

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