Opening a Workbook Automatically When Another Workbook Opens

The following VBA procedure is designed to automatically execute when a specific workbook is opened. In this example, it shows a message with the name of the current workbook and opens another workbook from a specified location.

Example Code: Workbook_Open Event

Private Sub Workbook_Open()
    MsgBox ActiveWorkbook.Name
    Workbooks.Open "C:\Users\POPOLY\document_name.xlsm"
End Sub

Explanation:

What is Workbook_Open()?

• Workbook_Open() is a workbook-level event that runs automatically when the workbook is opened.
• It must be placed inside the ThisWorkbook module, not in a regular module or sheet module.
• This makes it useful for initializing settings, showing messages, loading data, or opening other workbooks.

What this Procedure Does:

Displays a message box showing the name of the workbook that was just opened:

MsgBox ActiveWorkbook.Name

Opens another workbook located at:

Open « C:\Temp\Mappe1.xlsm »

This assumes that the file exists at the given path.

How to Test It:

To see this code in action:

1. Close all Excel instances completely.
2. Open the file Mappe2.xlsm (which contains this macro in ThisWorkbook).
3. When the file opens:
   • A message box will show the workbook name (Mappe2.xlsm).
   • Then, Mappe1.xlsm will open automatically from C:\Temp.

✅ Important:

• Ensure macros are enabled when you open xlsm.
• The path C:\Temp\Mappe1.xlsm must be correct and accessible.
• You may need to adjust the file path depending on your environment.

Summary

• Use Workbook_Open() in ThisWorkbook to trigger actions when a workbook opens.
• Ideal for loading additional workbooks, initializing settings, or preparing the interface.
• Combine it with error handling (e.g., On Error Resume Next) for robustness if the file doesn’t exist.