Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Finding Workbooks Containing Macros.
Richard's company, like many others, uses Excel quite a bit. In fact, they have thousands and thousands of Excel workbooks that they have collected over the years. Richard needs a way to find out which of those workbooks have VBA macros in them, without the need to open and inspect each workbook individually. He wonders if there is an easy way to do this.
The easiest way to do this is to use the search capabilities of Windows (outside of Excel) and search for any file that contains the text "End Sub" or "End Function". That will quickly identify any potential candidate workbooks, as any VBA procedure must use one of these two statements at its end. There are also some third-party search utilities that can easily look inside Excel files to determine if the "End Sub" or "End Function" text is there.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12465) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Finding Workbooks Containing Macros.
Program Successfully in Excel! John Walkenbach's name is synonymous with excellence in deciphering complex technical topics. With this comprehensive guide, "Mr. Spreadsheet" shows how to maximize your Excel experience using professional spreadsheet application development tips from his own personal bookshelf. Check out Excel 2013 Power Programming with VBA today!
Troubleshooting an Excel macro when it causes the entire computer to freeze can be a tedious affair. This tip provides ...
Discover MoreDo your macros seem to be disabled on your new machine? It could be because of the security settings in Excel. Here's ...
Discover MoreCopying information using a macro is rather simple, although there are multiple ways you can do the copying. The most ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2013-02-10 05:52:57
JMJ
Yes, it's a good workaround, but for older versions of Excel, where all files were .xls, that won't do it!
2013-02-09 12:50:27
Charlie O\'Neill
I too could not use the "Search" function to fine "End Sub", it only found Word or Email documents where the text was used. However, since Excel save Macro enable workbooks as .xlsm, I tried a search on the file extension by typeing in .xlsm and was able to fine Macro enabled workbooks.
2013-02-09 06:57:46
JMJ
I'm sorry, but it doesn't work... Maybe those delimiters are coded in Excel and don't appear as plain text, but Windows' find doesn't find any macros!
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2019 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: 
Comments