Analysis/Solver install problem

Question

Trying to use the Analysis and Solver add-ins. By selecting File/Options/Add-ins/Manage../Go then ticking "analysis", the Analysis add-in moves from the 'inactive' to the 'active' list but doesn't then appear in the Data tab. If I tick "solver" I get an error box telling me that it cannot access the solver.xlam file (and the Solver add-in stays in the inactive list). The xlam file does exist in the right location. Trying to add other add-ins gives the same result. Nothing added-in!

I saw one suggestion of an add-in installer bug. My %windows% folder is not "C:\WINDOWS" but C:\WINDOW2. However a registry search for the wrong CLSIDs didn't find anything.

Peter

Answer 1

I HAD this problem. 

The problem was not installing 'Visual Basic for Applications' before, when I installed Office 2007.

VBA is in Office Shared Features group.

Just insert your Office installation disk, select 'Add or Remove Features' and then VBA.

Should be Office Shared Features > Visual Basic for Applications (MAKE SURE THIS IS SET TO "RUN FROM MY COMPUTER"

After that Solver and Data analysis can be installed in Excel.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Hi SherwinD:

It worked!  Or at least it installs and appears on the Ribbon and gives me it's dropdown list. I will try some analysis later.

I had given up on this one many months ago. No-one had given me any useful hints, not even Microsoft. The error message was very unhelpful: it just sounded like the installation process couldn't open a file because it thought another process had already opened it. There is no reference to the need for VBA to be installed, and I have never used VBA in the past (I can write much better in languages other than Basic) so had unchecked that when installing Excel in Office 2010. I must have left it in when installing Office 2007 some years ago.

Thanks again.

Peter M

Answer 3

What is the exact error message you get after you tick ‘Solver’?

Try the steps mentioned below:

1. Control panel -> Programs and Features -> select the Office 2010 version installed   -> Right click -> change-> Add or remove features -> Expand Microsoft Excel -> Click on the drop down beside Add-ins and click ‘Not available ‘and click ‘Continue’.
2. Control panel -> Programs and Features -> select the Office 2010 version installed -> Right click -> Change-> Add or remove features ->  Expand Microsoft Excel ->  Click on the drop down near Add-ins and choose " Run all from my computer" -> install now.
3. Enable the solver add-in and verify the status.

Answer 4

I cannot 'add-in' the Analysis or Solver addins to Excel 2010 in Win XP+SP3. By clicking File|options|Addins|Go, the Analysis addin moves from the 'inactive addins' list to the 'active addins' list but no Analysis icon appears in the Data tab (or any other tab) of the toolbar. If I try to add-in the Solver I get an error message saying it cannot access the 'solver.xlam' file (but it exists). I asked this one back in Feb 2011,  was asked (and answered) some questions by an MS person but got no further response and I am still without a solution. I have (of course) tried repairing Office many times.

Peter

Answer 5

Thank you for responding.

This is the error message I see when I tick 'Solver':

Microsoft Excel cannot access the file'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\Library\SOLVER\SOLVER.XLAM'.

There are several possible reasons:

>The file name or path does not exist.

>The file is being used by another program.

>The workbook you are trying to save has the same name as a currently open workbook.

I tried the steps you described. After step 1, running Excel gives me a message that it cannot find C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\Library\SOLVER\SOLVER.XLAM  (I checked: it's missing). After step 2 I tried to enable the solver add-in and I see the same error message as before (above). The ..\SOLVER.XLAM file exists at  this point. I still see no sign of the Analysis Toolpak or the Solver in the Data tab of the Ribbon, even if I try 'Customise the Ribbon' to look for them.

I hope this helps to find the solution.

Peter