Excel Ribbon Macro not enabled

Question

Numerous Excel spreadsheets feature unique ribbons. Excel occasionally provides an error message stating that the '_getEnabled' macro is disabled (see image). Every ribbon control that uses a macro to manage the enabled attribute displays this message.

The XML in the ribbon is (some names are redacted):

<button id="name_btn" size="large" image="imagename" label="somelabel" getEnabled="VBA_####.######_getEnabled" onAction="VBA_####.######_onAction"/>

The VBA is:

Sub ######_getEnabled(control As IRibbonControl, ByRef returnedVal)
    returnedVal = CheckPermissions("SomeName")
End Sub

Has anyone else noticed this mistake? While Excel appears to be attempting to update the ribbon controls for the workbook that contains the code, error messages appear when another workbook is the active workbook. As was previously mentioned, this occurs occasionally, and there is no discernible pattern.

Answer 1

If you place a breakpoint in one of the VBA callbacks (GetImage, GelLabel, GetEnabled, etc.) then activate a different workbook when the code breaks, you can duplicate the behavior. Finally, the error will appear when you execute the code again (for example, by pressing F5).

Using the ribbon. Invalidate method, you may make the ribbon refresh automatically (if you previously saved the ribbon object). The ribbon object can be saved by specifying a onLoad callback:

<customUI xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/01/customui" onLoad="InitRibbon">

with this in VBA:

Private moduleLevelRibbonObject As IRibbonUI

Public Sub InitRibbon(ribbon As IRibbonUI)
    Set moduleLevelRibbonObject = ribbon
End Sub

Calling moduleLevelRibbonObject.Invalidate will refresh the ribbon (if the state was not lost - but that is a different topic).

A quick fix that I've found. Just add something like this:

If Not ThisWorkbook Is ActiveWorkbook Then ThisWorkbook.Activate

I hope this helps you.