Important! Before reading this post, please note that if you use Office installed from Microsoft Store, we strongly recommend you switch to the Office Desktop version by following the instructions on this page. Office from Store is full of surprises and in order to avoid other issues, it is better to install Office Desktop instead.
Apr 16, 2019 Microsoft Power Query for Excel is an Excel add-in that enhances the self-service Business Intelligence experience in Excel by simplifying data discovery, access and collaboration. (Note: The Microsoft Power Query add-in for Excel 2010/2013 is no longer being updated by Microsoft. “Free” add-in for Excel 2010 and 2013 for Windows. Built-in feature for Excel 2016 for Windows (Office 365 Subscription). Click here to learn where to find it. Power Query is not yet available for the Mac versions of Excel. This page will help you determine if you have the right version of Excel, and provide installation instructions.
So, you've installed the Ablebits add-in, the setup is complete and... the following unpleasant message pops up:
Most probably, if you start Excel you won't see the Ablebits tabs in the ribbon and the add-in won't appear in the list of COM Add-ins.
Most probably, if you start Excel you won't see the Ablebits tabs in the ribbon and the add-in won't appear in the list of COM Add-ins.
The thing is that if you use the Office installed from Microsoft Store, each application including Excel is running in its own sandboxes that have their own state, registry and file system. All changes in the system registry and file system are synced in one direction, toward itself into the sandbox. From time to time somethings breaks in this synchronization, whereupon no add-ins are installed normally.
Tip. Not sure if you have the Office version installed from Store? Here is an easy way to find out.
Please take the steps below to manually add the Ablebits program into Excel and finally get to work:
Detect the bit version of Microsoft Office (32-bit or 64-bit)
How To Add Add Ins In Excel Office 365
- Start Excel and open a blank workbook.
- Click the File tab in the top left corner and select Account from the menu on the left.
- Click About Excel in the Product Information section:
- When the dialog box opens, you'll see the full version number and bit version (32- or 64-bit) of your Office at the top:
Keep in mind your bit version, it is necessary to know it when you load the add-in manually.
Manually load the add-in in Excel
- Click File in the ribbon again and go to Options.
- Choose Add-ins on the left side of the Excel Options dialog window:
- Open the Manage drop-down list, select COM Add-ins, and click Go:
- If the Ablebits add-in is not listed in the COM Add-ins dialog box, click the Add button on the right side:
- Browse to the add-in's installation folder.
- If you installed the Personal, Terminal Server, or Business edition for Everyone, the installation folder is
C:Program Files (x86)AblebitsUltimate Suite for Microsoft Excel - If you installed the Business edition and picked the Just me option, the installation folder is
%LOCALAPPDATA%AblebitsUltimate Suite for Microsoft Excel
Note. If you can't find the AppData folder, it may be hidden. To make it visible, go to File Explorer and check the Hidden Items box on the View tab: - If you installed the Personal, Terminal Server, or Business edition for Everyone, the installation folder is
- Find and select:
- adxloader.dll for 32-bit Excel
- adxloader64.dll if you run 64-bit Excel
Click Open. - The Ablebits add-in has been added to the COM Add-ins list. Click OK:
Now the add-in should appear in the ribbon:
If you have difficulties on any of the above steps or the instructions don't work for you, please leave your comment below or contact us at [email protected]. Our support service assistants will do their best to help you solve the problem.
If you have difficulties on any of the above steps or the instructions don't work for you, please leave your comment below or contact us at [email protected]. Our support service assistants will do their best to help you solve the problem.
You can use one of several methods to deploy your Office Add-in for testing or distribution to users.
Method | Use... |
---|---|
Sideloading | As part of your development process, to test your add-in running on Windows, iPad, Mac, or in a browser. (Not for production add-ins.) |
Network share | As part of your development process, to test your add-in running on Windows after you have published the add-in to a server other than localhost. (Not for production add-ins or for testing on iPad, Mac, or the web.) |
Centralized Deployment | In a cloud deployment, to distribute your add-in to users in your organization by using the Microsoft 365 admin center. |
SharePoint catalog | In an on-premises environment, to distribute your add-in to users in your organization. |
AppSource | To distribute your add-in publicly to users. |
Exchange server | In an on-premises or online environment, to distribute Outlook add-ins to users. |
Note
If you plan to publish your add-in to AppSource and make it available within the Office experience, make sure that you conform to the Commercial marketplace certification policies. For example, to pass validation, your add-in must work across all platforms that support the methods that you define (for more information, see section 1120.3 and the Office Add-in application and availability page).
Deployment options by Office application and add-in type
The deployment options that are available depend on the Office application that you're targeting and the type of add-in you create.
Office Add Ins 365
Deployment options for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint add-ins
Extension point | Sideloading | Network share | Microsoft 365 admin center | AppSource | SharePoint catalog* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Content | X | X | X | X | X |
Task pane | X | X | X | X | X |
Command | X | X | X | X |
* SharePoint catalogs do not support Office on Mac.
Deployment options for Outlook add-ins
Extension point | Sideloading | Exchange server | AppSource |
---|---|---|---|
Mail app | X | X | X |
Command | X | X | X |
Production deployment methods
How To Install Microsoft Excel Add-ins
The following sections provide additional information about the deployment methods that are most commonly used to distribute production Office Add-ins to users within an organization.
For information about how end users acquire, insert, and run add-ins, see Start using your Office Add-in.
Centralized Deployment via the Microsoft 365 admin center
Office 365 Excel Add Ins
The Microsoft 365 admin center makes it easy for an administrator to deploy Office Add-ins to users and groups in their organization. Add-ins deployed via the admin center are available to users in their Office applications right away, with no client configuration required. You can use Centralized Deployment to deploy internal add-ins as well as add-ins provided by ISVs.
For more information, see Publish Office Add-ins using Centralized Deployment via the Microsoft 365 admin center.
SharePoint app catalog deployment
A SharePoint app catalog is a special site collection that you can create to host Word, Excel, and PowerPoint add-ins. Because SharePoint catalogs don't support new add-in features implemented in the
VersionOverrides
node of the manifest, including add-in commands, we recommend that you use Centralized Deployment via the admin center if possible. Add-in commands deployed via a SharePoint catalog open in a task pane by default.If you are deploying add-ins in an on-premises environment, use a SharePoint catalog. For details, see Publish task pane and content add-ins to a SharePoint catalog.
Note
SharePoint catalogs do not support Office on Mac. To deploy Office Add-ins to Mac clients, you must submit them to AppSource.
Outlook add-in deployment
For on-premises and online environments that do not use the Azure AD identity service, you can deploy Outlook add-ins via the Exchange server.
Outlook add-in deployment requires:
- Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, or Exchange Server 2013 or later
- Outlook 2013 or later
To assign add-ins to tenants, you use the Exchange admin center to upload a manifest directly, either from a file or a URL, or add an add-in from AppSource. To assign add-ins to individual users, you must use Exchange PowerShell. For details, see Install or remove Outlook add-ins for your organization on TechNet.