Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Copying a File in VBA.

Copying a File in VBA

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 10, 2018)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

Word uses a macro programming language known as Visual Basic for Applications, or VBA. Many of the tasks you can perform in regular Visual Basic you can also perform in VBA. One such task is to copy files. You can do so by using the FileCopy command, as follows:

FileCopy source, target

Of course, you need to provide the appropriate specifications for both the source and target designations. For instance, if you wanted to copy a file named MyFile.Doc from the current directory to the F: drive (perhaps where you have a thumb drive) you could do so:

FileCopy myfile.doc, f:

If you try to copy a file that is currently open (either by Word or through a different program), VBA generates an error.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (821) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Copying a File in VBA.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Multiple Document Users

If you have a group of people working on a single document, you may wonder what tools are available in Word to facilitate ...

Discover More

Removing Automatic Lines

Type a few dashes, underscores, or equal signs, and you could end up with a full-width line in your document. This is ...

Discover More

Exiting a For ... Next Loop Early

If you use For ... Next loops in your macros, make sure you give a way to jump out of the loop early. That way you can ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!

More WordTips (menu)

Determining if Num Lock is On

Need to know if the Num Lock key is on or off? You can use a short bit of macro code to figure out the state of the key.

Discover More

Creating a New Document in VBA

When working with documents in a macro, it makes sense that you may need to create a document from time to time. Here's ...

Discover More

Checking for a Text Selection Length

Need to know if the user selected some text before running your macro? Here's how to make that check.

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is two less than 9?

2020-04-03 13:17:04

Rami

Hello Allen,

I've been trying to create a macro that will help me copy and transfer text from one document to another. After selecting text in the first document (Document A), I would like the macro to copy and paste that text into the second document (Document B).
I'm not sure if this is even possible. If it's not, please let me know, and I'll stop researching how to do this.

Thanks!

Rami.

2018-12-31 07:52:04

V.S.Rawat

https://wordmvp.com/FAQs/MacrosVBA/CopyOpenFile.htm

How to copy an open file using VBA

Article contributed by Dave Rado

The VBA FileCopy statement will not copy files that are open. However, the WordBasic equivalent will (this is what is known as progress!).

Unfortunately, the syntax of WordBasic equivalent is different in Word 97 and Word 2000!

The following works even if the file being copied is open:

If Left$(Application.Version, 1) = "8" Then
'Word 97
WordBasic.CopyFile FileName:="c:\OldDirectory\Temp.doc", _
Directory:="C:\NewDirectory\Temp.doc"
Else
'Word 2000 and above
WordBasic.CopyFileA FileName:="c:\OldDirectory\Temp.doc", _
Directory:="C:\NewDirectory\Temp.doc"
End If

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.