A new Excel Trust Centre settings option to further restrict the usage of Excel 4.0 (XLM) macros is now generally available. Building on the recent release of AMSI integration for XLM macros, this setting enables Microsoft 365 customers to further protect themselves against the latest threats. Found in the Trust Center Macro Settings, this new checkbox setting, “Enable Excel 4.0 macros when VBA macros are enabled”, allows users to individually configure the behaviour of XLM macros without impacting VBA macros.
All users can configure this new setting by following the ‘Configuration Details’ below. For most users, we recommend unchecking the setting to disable XLM macros.
Configuration Details
The Excel Trust Centre settings can be accessed through the following steps:
- File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings
When the checkbox is selected, the above settings configured for VBA macros will also apply to XLM macros. To disable XLM macros without a notification, deselect the checkbox setting (recommended) – this configuration opts for a more secure behaviour. There is no impact to any default or previous macro settings configurations with this release.
Availability
This setting is currently available in Excel (build 2104).
Administrators can also use the existing Microsoft 365 applications policy control to configure this setting. Get the latest group policy template files .