Overview: When opening a Workpapers binder in Microsoft Excel for Mac, the workbook may open in Read-Only mode and display a message similar to:
"This file is read-only. To modify this workbook, press Edit."
Users may also experience related issues such as:
General Ledger balances not populating in Worksheets.
#NAME?errors throughout the workbook.Workpapers functionality not loading correctly.
Inability to edit workbook content until editing is manually enabled.
Please refer to the Glossary for definitions of key terms used in this article.
Cause
This issue can occur when macros are disabled in Excel’s security settings.
Active Workpapers rely on Excel macros and workbook automation to populate data and enable certain functionality. If Excel is configured to disable macros with notification, the workbook may open in a restricted state until macros are manually enabled.
Resolution
Open Microsoft Excel and ensure no workbooks are open.
From the menu bar, select Excel > Preferences.
Select Security & Privacy.
Under Macro Security, select Enable all macros.
Close Excel completely, then reopen the Workpapers binder.
The workbook should now open in edit mode and load all Workpapers functionality correctly.