Hi everyone,

I've been working on some VBA macros for MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and saving them as .bas files.

However, I'm a bit concerned about storing these files on a common drive where anyone can access and potentially edit them without notice. I'm looking for some advice on the safest way to store these files.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and any additional tips you might have. How do you handle storing files like .bas on a shared drive? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks a bunch!

If the security of the plain text file is a priority then you could provide network restricted read-only access to untrusted. Or move the files into a password-protected zip file.

Windows access rights are pretty easy to set up for any network administrator.

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

Many thanks for your reply. It is a useful suggestion.

However, I am curious: what if a hacker uses external programs to attack and obtain the password of the .zip file? Passwords can sometimes be quite weak and vulnerable to such attacks.

If you are concerned about hackers, store the files offline on a USB drive locked in a safe. Then you only need worry about safe crackers.

There is no such thing as 'safe', only managed risk.

Totally agree—offline storage in a safe is a great way to reduce digital risks. And you're right, it's all about managing risk, not eliminating it entirely.

Also, note that someone hacking the .bas file is not in itself a risk since the macro won't run there. However, if you subsequently take those .bas files without reviewing for un-authorised changes and drop them into a template/document then the risk could be realised.

I would be more worried about someone hacking the code which is also in the MS Office file that the .bas file came from. This is a much more direct risk.

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

In my company, we've had Word macros stored in .bas files on a shared drive for decades. That's why I'm a bit concerned—it's 2025 now, and anyone can create macros or use other programming tools without much restriction. Plus, my colleagues often tweak the code to suit temporary needs. The macros are pretty lengthy, and we just don’t have the time to review and check each one individually.

And you're absolutely right—someone hacking the code in the actual MS Office file (where the .bas file came from) is a much more direct risk. That’s something I really need to keep an eye on.