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How to save and close workbook after inactivity for a certain amount of time?

Author: Sun Last Modified: 2016-08-22

In some times, you may accidently close a workbook when you are busy with other affairs for a long time which may lose some important data in the workbook. Is there any tricks to automatically save and close the workbook if you have inactivated it for a certain amount of time?

Auto save and close workbook after inactivity for a certain amount of time with VBA

arrow blue right bubble Auto save and close workbook after inactivity for a certain amount of time with VBA

There is no built-in function in Excel to solve this problem, but I can introduce a macro code which can help you to save and close workbook after inactivity in a certain time.

1. Enable the workbook you want to automatically save and close after inactivity for a certain seconds, and press Alt + F11 keys to open Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. Click Insert > Module to create a Module script, and paste below code to it. See screenshot:

Dim CloseTime As Date
Sub TimeSetting()
    CloseTime = Now + TimeValue("00:00:15")
    On Error Resume Next
    Application.OnTime EarliestTime:=CloseTime, _
      Procedure:="SavedAndClose", Schedule:=True
End Sub
Sub TimeStop()
    On Error Resume Next
    Application.OnTime EarliestTime:=CloseTime, _
      Procedure:="SavedAndClose", Schedule:=False
 End Sub
Sub SavedAndClose()
    ActiveWorkbook.Close Savechanges:=True
End Sub

 

doc save close workbook after inactivity 1

3. Then in the Project Explorer pane, double click This Workbook, and paste below code to the beside script. See screenshot:

Private Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean)
    Call TimeStop
End Sub

Private Sub Workbook_Open()
    Call TimeSetting
End Sub

Private Sub Workbook_SheetChange(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Range)
   Call TimeStop
   Call TimeSetting
End Sub

 

doc save close workbook after inactivity 2

4. Go to double click at the module you inserted in step 2, and press F5 key to run the code. See screenshot:
doc save close workbook after inactivity 3

5. Then after 15 seconds, there is a dialog popping out for remind you saving the workbook, and click Yes to save and close the workbook.
doc save close workbook after inactivity 4

Tips:

(1) In the first code, you can change the inactivity time to other in this string: Now + TimeValue("00:00:15")

(2) If you have never saved the workbook before, the Save As dialog box will come out firstly and ask you to save it.
doc save close workbook after inactivity 5

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Comments (11)
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PedroMatos
PedroMatos
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When I don't want to edit and I just want to consult, the file still closes. It shouldn't close. Should restart counting when I select cells. What is the solution?
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Pedro Matos
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When I don't want to edit and I just want to consult, the file still closes. It shouldn't close. Should restart counting when I select cells. What is the solution?
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Jason
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This is great. Any tips on adding a popup message box that will warn the user the sheet is about to close and give them the option to reset the timer?
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Xman
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I'm not sure what happened but this solution no longer works. Here is the fix to this solution that worked for me:

````
Dim resetCount As Long

Public Sub Workbook_Open()
On Error Resume Next
Set xWB = ThisWorkbook
resetCount = 0
End Sub

Private Sub Workbook_SheetChange(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Range)On Error Resume Next
Reset
End Sub

Sub Reset()On Error Resume Next
Static xCloseTime
If resetCount <> 0 Then
ThisWorkbook.Application.OnTime xCloseTime, "SaveWork1", Schedule:=False
resetCount = resetCount + 1
xCloseTime = DateAdd("n", 15, Now)
ThisWorkbook.Application.OnTime xCloseTime, "SaveWork1", Schedule:=True

Else
resetCount = resetCount + 1
xCloseTime = DateAdd("n", 15, Now)
ThisWorkbook.Application.OnTime xCloseTime, "SaveWork1", Schedule:=True
End If
End Sub
````
This is using the same SaveWork1 As:
````Sub SaveWork1()
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
ThisWorkbook.Save
ThisWorkbook.Close

Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End Sub

````
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Joe
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If you are working in a separate workbook at the point where close time is reached then it will close that workbook and not the inactive one. This can be solved by adjusting the code to: - corrected and tested from the below comment - use this code:

Enter into "This Workbook"

Private Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean)
Call TimeStop
End Sub
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Call TimeSetting
End Sub
Private Sub Workbook_SheetChange(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Range)
Call TimeStop
Call TimeSetting
End Sub


Enter into "module":

Dim CloseTime As Date
Sub TimeSetting()
CloseTime = Now + TimeValue("00:10:00")
On Error Resume Next
Application.OnTime EarliestTime:=CloseTime, _
Procedure:="SavedAndClose", Schedule:=True
End Sub
Sub TimeStop()
On Error Resume Next
Application.OnTime EarliestTime:=CloseTime, _
Procedure:="SavedAndClose", Schedule:=False
End Sub
Sub SavedAndClose()
ThisWorkbook.Close Savechanges:=True
End Sub


you can change the time setting by changing CloseTime = Now + TimeValue("00:10:00") - this is set to 10 minutes, change the("00:10:00") to whatever time you want and it works.
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