Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 19, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
As you are programming your macros, you may have a need to determine if a particular file exists on disk. For instance, the purpose of your macro may be to open and read from a text file. Before doing so, you will want to check to see if the file exists, in order to avoid an error.
The following function can be used to check for the existence of a file. All you need to do is pass it the full filename as a string, and the macro returns either True (if the file exists) or False (if it doesn't).
Function FileThere(FileName As String) As Boolean FileThere = (Dir(FileName) > "") End Function
You can use the function similar to the following:
If FileThere("c:\myfile.txt") Then ' ' Do stuff here ' Else MsgBox "File Not There!" End If
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (819) 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: Determining If a File Exists.
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!
A great place for your macro to display status information is, well, in the status bar. Displaying the information is ...
Discover MoreNeed to have your macro copy a file from one place to another? It's easy to do using the FileCopy command, described in ...
Discover MoreToolbar buttons can have a different appearance depending on their stateâ€"whether they have been clicked or not. This ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments