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

I entered everything manually. still I am get the same message. What am I doing wrong?

Answer 2

note: even latest update 15.16 does not resolve the issue - solver is completely broken

Answer 3

There is one more option it will be expensive but for those that live or die by solver. 

1. Buy an external Hard Drive Format it to use Yosemite.
2. Purchase Parallels  and install
3. Purchase a Copy of windows (possibly through Parallels)
4. Go to Microsoft My accounts website and sign in using the email address and Password used to subscribe.
5. If successful, download and install on the Parallels Partition Office 2016 PC.
6. See if Solver will work.
7. If it works you'll have to work this way, until Microsoft gets their act together. if they ever do.

<Opinion> Frankly I don't know that they ever will get their act together. </Opinion>

Another option is find out if Numbers or LibreOffice or some other Spreadsheet has a feature similar.

And Finally go Beg Corel to create Mac version of the WordPerfect Package which is an Equivalent to Office.  Until Microsoft  gets some heat from someone else to come out with application that work well on Mac will they take seriously the Mac Market. Microsoft has always had the the attitude ingrained in them That Mac is not a serious platform it's just a play toy. A a line that was fed to Masses by Bill Gates.

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Answer 4

Hi, 

one thing I've noticed: you have $B$57,$D$57

I think it should be: $B$57:$D$57 (i.e, with ":" instead of ",").

For me it works.

Anyway, the missing cell selection option is really annoying!!

But Microsoft says they are taking care of this:

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

"Update – Thanks for your feedback! Just a note to let you know that we’re working on making the RefEdit in Solver work just like you suggested now."