How to run a macro simultaneously across multiple workbooks?

Dealing with multiple Excel workbooks often requires repeating the same operation or automation task across several files. Opening each workbook one by one to run a macro not only consumes significant time but also increases the risk of error, especially in scenarios where large batches of files are involved. Automating this process is essential for improving productivity and accuracy.

By leveraging VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), you can streamline your workflow to execute a macro automatically on every workbook in a designated folder, saving effort and ensuring consistency. This guide outlines how to set up and use a VBA solution so you can run your desired macro across multiple workbook files without the need to open each file manually.

Typical scenarios where this approach is valuable include:

• Applying formatting or calculations to a collection of monthly reports
• Standardizing data cleaning steps across a set of data exports
• Batch-updating templates or adding structures to legacy files

This batch-processing method is ideal for users managing repetitive Excel tasks in business, education, or research settings.

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Run the same macro across multiple workbooks with VBA code

To efficiently execute the same macro across several workbooks, without manually opening each one, you can use a VBA script designed for batch operations. This method will prompt you to choose a folder and then automatically process each workbook file inside. It is suitable for most common macro automation tasks.

Follow these steps to apply a macro across multiple workbooks:

1. Hold down the "ALT + F11" keys to open the "Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications" window.

2. In the opened VBA editor, click "Insert" > "Module" to create a new module, then paste the provided macro into the blank module window.

VBA code: Run the same macro on multiple workbooks at the same time:

Sub LoopThroughFiles()
    Dim xFd As FileDialog
    Dim xFdItem As Variant
    Dim xFileName As String
    Set xFd = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
    If xFd.Show = -1 Then
        xFdItem = xFd.SelectedItems(1) & Application.PathSeparator
        xFileName = Dir(xFdItem & "*.xls*")
        Do While xFileName <> ""
            With Workbooks.Open(xFdItem & xFileName)
                'your code here
            End With
            xFileName = Dir
        Loop
    End If
End Sub

See screenshot illustrating where to paste your macro logic:

3. Press the "F5" key in the VBA editor to run the script. A folder selection dialog will appear.

4. In the "Browse" window, select the folder containing all workbooks you wish to process. The script will loop through each Excel file found in that location and run your macro logic.

5. Click "OK" to start the batch operation. The macro section you added will be executed across all targeted workbooks in the chosen folder. Larger batches may take longer, depending on the complexity of your macro and the number of files.

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