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Saving your changes

When you make changes to a workbook and try and close it you are prompted to save your changes.

If you make any changes to the VBA code in an Excel add-in, you will not be prompted to save these changes when Excel closes.

You must always manually save your changes first before closing Excel.

Attaching Toolbars to Add-ins

An add-in can include custom toolbars but do not attach it using the (Tools > Customise)(Toolbars tab).

The typical scenario is that you write the necessary macros and then create the toolbar before saving the workbook as an add-in.

Unfortunately when you create a toolbar and add your commands the OnAction properties will be referring to the workbook and not the add-in.

Even when the add-in is loaded pressing a button on your new toolbar will open the original workbook (".xls").

You could change the OnAction properties to refer to the add-in rather than the workbook but a much simpler approach it just to create your toolbar using VBA code.

Available Add-ins

The list of add-ins that are available within Excel is updated every time Excel is closed.

Making changes to the (Tools > Add-ins) dialog box will not save any permanent changes. It will only install or uninstall add-ins on a temporary basis.

To make any permanent changes you must close Excel.

Replacing your Add-ins

An add-in is no different to a normal file and therefore cannot be replaced while someone is using the add-in.

It is possible to replace the add-in if either of the following are true for All the users:

1) The add-in is installed within Excel, but they do not have Excel open.

2) The add-in is available but is not installed within Excel (i.e. the check box in (Tools > Add-ins) is not ticked).

Deleting the File

If an add-in you had installed has been deleted or moved when your Excel was closed you will receive a prompt the next time you open Excel.

This prompt will tell you that the add-in cannot be found. You will receive this prompt every time you open Excel until you delete that add-in from the (Tools > Add-ins) dialog box. Selecting it in the list will enable you to delete it.

Excel 2002 - Open Database Connectivity Add-in

This Excel add-in includes the SQL.REQUEST() worksheet function which can be used to connect to an external data source.

This add-in is not installed as part of the normal installation but can be downloaded from the Microsoft web site.

The add-in has the filename "XLODBC.xla" and is installed in the following folder by default:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Library\Msquery\

Excel 7.0 Add-ins

If you attempt to view a project in the Project Explorer window it may display a message saying "Project is Unviewable".

This happens when the Excel add-in has been created in either Excel 5.0 or Excel 7.0.

You cannot view or edit the code in these add-ins.

Let us write your Excel Add-ins

If you require any custom Excel add-ins please contact us.

If we think that your add-in will solve a common problem we will design and write it FREE of charge.