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

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.

Thanks! It was of a great help to me as well :)

Answer 3

It worked for me. Thank for your help!

Answer 4

This didn't work for me, nor did your first suggestion.

Answer 5

I was getting the exact same error messages that you got.  I wish I could give you some additional ideas on how to get it installed.

You might try installing the MS Solver Foundation Express edition.  or if you are on 32-bit Windows, Open Office.  MS Solver Foundation is much more powerful (and complex) than solver, but has a different VB interface.  Both of these alternatives allow much larger or unlimited problem sizes.  There is also a linear solver for Excel called Open Solver that is based upon the COIN-OR project, but I had some issues getting it installed.  The CBC underlying solver upon which it is built is very fast, but it only does linear problems.

Open Office has a linear solver built-in with add-ins for non-linear problems.  I've had problems getting the Open Office non-linear solver to work on 64-bit Windows, but have had no problems on 64-bit Ubuntu.  The problems on Windows stem from issues with 32 vs 64-bit JRE that I haven't been able to resolve.