Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Removing Add-ins.

Removing Add-ins

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 28, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365

Whenever you install an add-in in Excel, it is added to an internal list of available add-ins. This list is used by Excel whenever you display the Add-ins dialog box. Removing a previously installed add-in can be a confusing process, since Excel provides no way to directly edit that internal list of add-ins. You can get around this frustration, however, by following these steps:

  1. Get out of Excel.
  2. Use the tools in Windows (such as the Search tool) to locate the add-in file you want removed. You can locate add-in files by their file name extension: either .xla or .xlam, depending on your version of Excel.
  3. Delete, rename, or move the add-in file.
  4. Start Excel. If the add-in was one that was automatically loaded when Excel first starts, you will get a message from Excel indicating that it cannot find your missing add-in file.
  5. Answer Yes when prompted if you want to remove the add-in file from the list.
  6. If the add-in was not one that started automatically, choose Add-Ins from the Tools menu. Excel displays the Add-Ins dialog box, and your deleted add-in should still be listed as available. (Remember; this dialog box represents the internal list of add-ins, and hasn't been updated.)
  7. Select the check box next to the add-in you want deleted. This informs Excel you want to use the add-in.
  8. Click on OK. You should get the same message described in step 4.
  9. Answer Yes when prompted if you want to remove the add-in file from the list.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11877) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Removing Add-ins.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Adjusting Margins in Print Preview

Print Preview is a great way to give a document the final "once over" before printing. Word allows you to do some minimal ...

Discover More

Self-Adjusting Column Widths

It is important to understand how column widths relate to the margins you may have set in your document. The reason is ...

Discover More

Hiding Macros

Don't want a particular macro to be visible in the Macros dialog box? Once you understand the criteria that Word uses ...

Discover More

Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Disappearing Status Bar

Ever had your Excel status bar disappear unexpectedly? Here's some ideas on why this may be happening.

Discover More

Single Clicking Enters Edit Mode

Double-click a cell and you should be able to edit the contents of that cell. If single-clicking a cell results in the ...

Discover More

Losing Data in a Shared Workbook

When you create a shared workbook, you run the risk of losing some of the data in that workbook. Here's a discussion ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is eight minus 3?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.