Pilar is a powerful tool that is essential for any Excel user, but sometimes it can be frustrating for beginners. Pilar is a security feature that Microsoft Excel provides to protect your worksheets from unauthorized access or changes. In this article, we’ll explore how to turn off Pilar in Excel and also provide some tips on how to use Pilar to your advantage.
How to Turn Off Pilar in Excel?
Before we start, let’s do a brief overview of Pilar. Excel gives you the option to enable or disable macros. Macros are a set of instructions that automate repetitive tasks. Pilar adds an extra layer of security by asking the user to enable them before they can be used. This helps to prevent unauthorized changes to your workbook.
However, sometimes the macros can be legitimate and you want to trust them. Here’s how to turn off Pilar in Excel:
- Open the Excel workbook in question.
- Click on the “File” tab in the top left corner of the ribbon.
- Select “Options” at the bottom left of the menu. A new window will open.
- Select “Trust Center” in the left pane of the new window.
- Select “Trust Center Settings” in the middle of the new window.
- Select “Macro Settings” in the left pane of the new window.
- Select “Enable all macros” in the new window.
- Click “OK” to save your changes.
Now, you can open the workbook and use the macros without any interruptions from Pilar.
Using Pilar to your Advantage
Pilar is not all bad. It is there to protect your workbooks from malicious macros. In fact, you can use Pilar to add extra protection to your workbooks. Here are some ways to use Pilar to your advantage:
1. Use Digital Signatures
Digital signatures are a way to verify the integrity of a macro. When you sign a macro, it means that you are verifying that it is safe to use. To use digital signatures, follow these steps:
- Select “File” and “Options” as above.
- Select “Trust Center” and “Trust Center Settings” as above.
- Select “Digital Signatures” in the left pane of the new window.
- Click “Choose” and select the certificate you want to use.
- Name your signature and click “OK.”
- Click “OK” to save your changes.
Now, when you open the macro, it will be signed and verified by the certificate you chose. This adds an extra layer of protection and helps prevent unauthorized changes to your workbook.
2. Use Trusted Locations
Trusted locations are folders on your computer that you trust to hold macros. When you add a folder to the trusted locations, Excel will automatically trust any macro in that folder. Here’s how to add a trusted location:
- Select “File” and “Options” as above.
- Select “Trust Center” and “Trust Center Settings” as above.
- Select “Trusted Locations” in the left pane of the new window.
- Click “Add new location.”
- Browse to the folder you want to trust and click “OK.”
- Click “OK” to save your changes.
Now, any macro in the trusted folder will be automatically trusted and will not trigger Pilar warnings.
FAQ
1. Why does Excel have Pilar?
Excel has Pilar to protect your workbooks from malicious macros. Macros can potentially do damage to your workbook or even your computer. Pilar adds an extra layer of security by asking the user to enable macros before they can be used. This helps prevent unauthorized changes to your workbook.
2. Can I disable Pilar permanently?
Yes, you can disable Pilar permanently. However, disabling Pilar can potentially expose your workbook to malicious macros. Make sure that you trust the macros before disabling Pilar. To disable Pilar, follow the steps outlined in the first section of this article.
Conclusion
Pilar can be a frustrating feature of Excel, but it is there to protect your workbooks from malicious macros. When used properly, Pilar can add extra protection to your workbooks. Use digital signatures and trusted locations to enhance the security of your macros. If you need to disable Pilar, make sure that you trust the macros before doing so.
Video Tutorial
Check out this video tutorial for more information on how to disable Pilar in Excel:
