Installing and Running Add-Ins
Post date: Nov 23, 2016 8:44:39 PM
Installing add-ins can be mysterious. Read on to take the mystery out of add-ins.
What is an Excel Add-in?
Add-ins provide Excel with additional functionality which can range from the Analysis ToolPak that comes with Office to add-ins that connect Excel workbooks to real-time data collectors or your corporation's ERP. BXL provides several add-ins. Examples include Quiz Helper, Modeling helper, Dynamic User Entry Forms, and several more (use "Add-In with "Search this site" to find free BXL Add-ins). Getting them is as simple as clicking a link. Installing them is a bit more complicated.
Where do I Save my New Add-in?
Before we answer that, let’s make sure we know where the add-in we just downloaded is. Press and hold the Windows key then press E (Win-E).
This launches Windows File Explore.
At the left should be a quick link to Downloads. Click it. If the add-in (.xlam) is not there, we must find it first. Once found, leave this up in its own window (not Maximized). We will need it later.
Now, let’s discuss where to save this add-in. Add-ins can be saved to any directory and that makes things confusing. The important thing to keep in mind is that wherever we save them, we want to find them easily. So if you have a directory in mind for your add-ins, put them all there. If you want to put them where Excel can find them easiest, proceed.
Private or Public?
This is a moot point if we are the only one using this PC or if no other users would actually use this add-In. In some cases, other users of this PC might want to use this add-in but we want this all to ourselves. In either of these situations we should select the Keep Add-ins Private option which happens to be the easiest option; If you prefer to Make Add-ins Public, continue reading Keep Add-ins Private because much of it is the same.
Keep Add-ins Private
Some directories are reserved for the current user only. If we save our add-in to those directories only we can use them. This is Microsoft’s default. To determine specifically where Microsoft wants add-ins:
1) Start Excel
2) Use menu option File > Options > Add-Ins > Go… > Browse
3) The Browse window displays with the Microsoft’s default Add-in directory open
NOTE! If the Browse window takes up the entire screen (is maximized), click the XL icon in the in the Browse window’s very upper left corner then click Restore to display the Browse in its own window.
4) Press and hold the Alt key then press the Tab key (Alt-Tab) to bring our Windows File Explorer back into view. Arrange the windows so we can see them both. Then Click and drag the .xlam (add-in) from the Downloads window into the Browse window.
5) After dropping the add-in into the Browse window, click OK (or Open).
We are now ready to proceed to Loading Add-Ins so if you want to keep your add-ins private, skip Make Add-Ins Public.
Make Add-ins Public
To make an add-in available to anyone using this PC we need to put it where everyone can see it. I recommend putting it where many third party add-in providers place them; Microsoft Office’s library directory. Unfortunately that path isn’t 100% standard. It changes from Office version to Office version. One way to determine where it is, is to ask Excel:
1) Start Excel
2) Use Alt-F11 to start the Visual Basic Editor (VBE).
3) Press CTRL-G to open an Immediate Window (at VBE's bottom)
4) In the Immediate window type ?Application.LibraryPath and hit ENTER. Something like this will appear:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\LIBRARY
5) Select and copy that path.
6) Use Alt-F11 again to return from the VBE
7) Now resume with Make Add-Ins Private step 2 except in Step 3 paste this procedure's copied path into the Browse window's address bar
Loading Add-Ins
To load, or unload add-ins with Excel already started:1) Use Excel’s menu option File > Options > Add-Ins > Go…
2) To use a listed add-in make sure it is checked. To unload an add-in un-check it.
3) If the add-in is not listed, click Browse.
4) Use Browse to find your add-in. Select it then click OK (or Open).
5) Make sure it is checked, then click OK.
Congratulations! You did it. You installed and loaded an add-in. It is now ready to use.
Keep XL’n!
