Self-certification to avoid macro security dialogs

Problem

Your organization requires that all macros and add-ins have a security certificate before they're allowed to run in PowerPoint. This prevents you from running even your own macros or add-ins.

Solution

For use on your own PC, you can "self-certify" your code.

• Locate and run selfcert.exe. If installed, it will be in Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office xx (substitute 12 for xx if using Office 2007, 11 for Office 2003)
• Create a cert with your name.

• Open the presentation that contains your code
• Press Alt+F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor
• Choose Tools | Digital Certificates
• Add the new certificate to your presentation.
• Quit the VB Editor
• Save and reopen your presentation.
• When you open the presentation again, you should be given the option to "Always Trust This Publisher". Accept it.
• From now on, your presentation (and any others that you self-certify) should open without security prompts.

Self-certificates work only on your own PC. If you need to certify and distribute presentations or add-ins to other users, you'll need a regular commercial code certificate. The SelfCert.exe dialog (shown above) contains more information about this and a link to a list of commercial certificate providers.

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