Excel 2016 - Solver not working on Mac

Question

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...

Answer 1

If I recalled correctly, the error message did not show up again after I performed an office update.

But the function of selecting cells in Solver is definitely gone as in your case.

I don't want to waste my time going back to office 2011 because I've already uninstalled it.

Please, someone helps me....

Answer 2

There is nothing you can do except use some other version of Excel. It is up to Microsoft to fix this problem.

Answer 3

Com'on Microsoft.  This has gone on long enough.  Fix this already.  We get an endless stream of updates but nothing of value ever seems to get fixed.

Same thing with the regression for both Mac and Windows platforms.  Data has to be in columns. If it is in rows the results are wrong.  Never used to be like this.  What are your programmers doing?

It can not be this hard.  Fix this now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Donald Barar

Answer 4

"Com'on Microsoft...."

While it feels good to use that expression here, it's just like when you're at a sporting event. You can holler out cheers and jeers, but your voice has no direct connection unless you sit in the front row. We don't have a front row and everyone here is part of the user-to-user group. Please don't expect Microsoft hear or read your comment when it is posted in this forum.

There are two ways you can communicate your thoughts directly to Microsoft.

1. Use the Smile feature as has already been mentioned
2. Vote for the feature request to be fixed here:

http://excel.uservoice.com/forums/304933-excel-for-mac/suggestions/9426921-make-the-solver-work

Solver is one of the many features of Microsoft Office that rely on Visual Basic for Applications, the programming language that can be used to extend the usability of Microsoft Office. When you are using Solver, you are taking advantage of VBA perhaps without even realizing it.

Given the complete mess that Microsoft made of Visual Basic for Applications in 2016, I would not expect a quick fix. Perhaps Microsoft trashed VBA so badly in 2016 Solver simply can't be made to work.

Answer 5

HI Jim,

Thanks for writing.  I have already used the "Smile" feature to report this problem and have never heard back from Microsoft.  I will try the vote for feature request that you suggested to see if I can get through.

I do not believe the issue with not being able to select cells from the Solver menu to be an a VB issue as the selecting cell feature works with other Excel features that are similarly constructed, e.g. Goal Seek works fine.

It appears as if this is more of QC problem.  I find it annoying to pay $10.00/month and not be able to use basic features that I have enjoyed for years with previous releases of Excel.

So I say "Com'on Microsoft" get you act together.

Donald Barar