xla Installation

L

Luc Benninger

Hi
I 'm trying to do a "per-machine" installation of an xla-Addin. How can this
be done?
Thanks for any hints!
Luc
 
B

Bob Phillips

Hi Luc,

Put the xla on a server and then install from there.

--

HTH

Bob Phillips
... looking out across Poole Harbour to the Purbecks
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)
 
L

Luc Benninger

Hi Bob, thanks for replying. Think I have the describe my problem a bit more
precisely.

We install software using a deployment tool. Currently I should distribute
an Excel add-in to all of our machines. To make sure the software is
installed independent from a user account, it should be installed on a "per
machine" basis (and not per user).

If Excel does not allow this, how can a xla-addin be installed per user but
without opening Excel? Are there any registry keys for doing this (like for
PowerPoint add-ins)?

thanks, Luc
 
B

Bob Phillips

Hi Luc,

When an addin is installed, it becomes part of the Excel client (or more
precisely, there is a link to the xla file within
Excel, which if the addin is checked in the addins list, it is loaded each
time Excel starts, or when the item is checked).

Problem with the registry, apart from the health warnings which I am sure
that you are more than cognisant of, is that the registry entries are
re-built by Excel depending upon the addins list.

As I presume that you will load the physical xla file on the server, you
should have no problems wit the per machine basis.

--

HTH

Bob Phillips
... looking out across Poole Harbour to the Purbecks
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)
 
L

Luc Benninger

Thanks again Bob, but putting the add-in file on a server won't work, as we
got lots of laptop users which must be able to work offline. Also I can not
tell each user to manually add the add-in using "Tools / AddIns" nor do it
personally (about 8000 machines worldwide...).
Right now our software deployment tool copies all project files onto users
harddisk and creates a link to the xla-file in the global excel startup
folder ({program files}/microsoft office/officeXX/xlstart. I just wasn't
sure if there are no side effects doing this or even a better solution.
Luc
 
B

Bob Phillips

Hi Luc,

I see what you are doing, in effect you are not installing the add-in, but
just have xla load as per an xls in the startup , thereby getting it to
automatically load. Neat trick, but don't you have the add-in problem that
XLStart is a user specific directory, that is every user on the machine has
their own (at least it is in XP)..

As I mis-led you a bit earlier, add-ins are user specific as it is a link
that is set-up not the file added to Excel, I think your approach is the
best I can think of at present. You can script installing it, but I could
get this to work as a VBA script, but not as a VBS/WSH script (probably
because of the user issue). I will continue to look at it and if I get
anything I will drop you a line direct.

Best of luck

Bob
 
L

Luc Benninger

Hi Bob, thanks again for your support.
To share my recent experience with you:
Every Excel version (97 - 2003) has got a global XLStart folder under
{program files}\microsoft office\officeXX. Since Excel 2000 there are also
user specific XLStart folders which reside in subdirectories of the user
profiles . I tested this on Win NT4, 2000 and XP.
Meanwhile I am rather sure that there is no other easy solution for what I
want, but If you come across any.... I would be glad if you'd let me know!
;)
Cheers, Luc
 
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