Excel 2016 - Solver not working on Mac

Anonymous
2015-07-11T10:35:27+00:00

I am having an issue with Solver since I upgraded from Excel 2011 to Excel 2016 for Macbooks.

I set up a problem that I want to use solver on, and I was able to successfully add Solver through the Tools menu.

I open solver (screenshot below):

Usually I am able to select cells after I open Solver but not since I installed Excel 2016. The reason you see the cells selected in the solver window in the above screenshot is because that was set up in Excel 2011. Then I thought maybe there is a compatibility issue with old Excel workbooks. So I set up a new problem in Excel 2016 and tried to use Solver, again same issue can't select cells, so I typed them up in the solver window and clicked on "Solve", and in both cases I get the following error message:

Is anybody facing a similar issue?

I really need Solver to work, and at the moment it seems the only viable option is to downgrade to Office 2011...

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-07-12T08:01:10+00:00

    It looks like that is how it works. You have to enter the cell reference manually.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-07-12T12:41:43+00:00

    Hi Arshad,

    Actually even inputing the cells manually still results in the same error message as the one attached to my initial post..

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-07-25T22:02:33+00:00

    Hi El Houssain El Marabti,

    I too am having difficult with Excel 2016 for Mac Solver.  Like you I am unable to select cells inside of Solver like I could with Excel 2011 for Mac Solver.  Unlike you, if I input the cells manually I am able to get a solution.

    I use Solver with my work and because it does not work properly in 2016 I am unable to make the switch.

    Does anyone know where we can report this problem to Microsoft so that we can get this to work properly?

    Cheers,

    Donald Barar

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-07-26T00:00:47+00:00

    > Does anyone know where we can report this problem to Microsoft so that we can get this to work properly? <

    Regarding the "where we can report this problem to Microsoft" portion of your query, in Excel for Mac 2016 click the smiley-face icon just above the far right end of the ribbon.

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-07-29T17:07:52+00:00

    Did you find a solution? I also can´t select cells inside solver. Manual input works but is not a solution as i have to work on more complex models.

    Cheers

    O. Sarakinov

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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