
Tips.Net > ExcelTips Home > Macros > Item Not Available in Library
Summary: When sharing workbooks with others, you may find that the macros in those workbooks may not work as you expect. This tip focuses on one particularly common problem that you’ll need to address. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, Excel 2003, and Excel 2007.)
Ravi has placed some VBA controls and code in a worksheet. When he shares the workbook with other users and they open it, the functions don't work and report an error "item not available in library." Ravi is wondering how he can get rid of this error.
The first thing to check is whether your macros are actually in the workbook you are sharing with others. Open it on your system, go to the VBA editor, and make sure that the macros are in the project associated with the workbook being shared. If not, you will want to move the macros to the workbook.
A more likely cause of this problem, however, is that your macros are referencing a function or feature that is in a module that you have access to but that the other people do not. An easy way to check this out is to go to their system (if possible) and open the workbook. Then go to the VBA editor and choose Tools | References. Go through the list of available modules and see if there are any that are prefaced with the word "missing." These are modules that are required for your macros, but are missing on the current system.
If you find missing modules, or perhaps modules that the user needs to reference in VBA in order to use your macros, then it might be best to rewrite your macros so that they don't use those modules. This may be easier said than done, but it may (again) be the easiest, cleanest way to let others use your macros.
Tip #3313 applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 2000 2002 2003 2007
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