Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. 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: Excluding a Specific Add-In at Startup.

Excluding a Specific Add-In at Startup

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 26, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021


4

Peter asked if there is a way to specify, at Excel startup, that a particular add-in should not be loaded. The add-in he has in mind takes a lot of time to load, and he doesn't need it all the time. Disabling the add-in would help start Excel quicker for those instances when it wasn't needed.

Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to disable add-ins at start-up because no particular workbook is already open. (The add-ins are loaded before any workbooks.) There are a couple of things you could try, however.

The first thing is that you could create your own add-in that does nothing more than ask if the large add-in should be loaded or not. Depending on the user's response, the add-in could then be loaded by using the following line of code:

AddIns("Big Add-in").Installed = True

Of course, you'll need to replace "Big Add-in" with the name of the actual add-in to be loaded. If the user doesn't want the add-in loaded, just skip the line of code. In the Close event for your little add-in you could then add a line like the following that unloads the big add-in:

AddIns("Big Add-in").Installed = False

In this way, the add-in is added only if the user says it is OK to add, and then always unloaded at the end of your Excel session.

Another approach is to never load the large add-in, but put a routine in your Personal.xls file that gives the user a chance to load the add-in. The following could be added to the Workbook_Open event in Personal.xls:

Private Sub Workbook_Open()
    With Application
        .OnKey "{TAB}", "InstallMyAddIn"
        .OnTime (Now + TimeValue("0:00:05")), "DisableTABProc"
    End With
End Sub

The purpose of this macro is to give the user a period of time—in this case five seconds—to press the Tab key so that the large add-in is loaded. The .OnKey method runs the installation routine, if Tab is pressed, and the .OnTime routine starts a timer that runs the disable routine once the five seconds is elapsed. Notice that this macro calls two routines; these can go in a regular module for Personal.xls.

Sub InstallMyAddIn()
    AddIns("Big Add-in").Installed = True
    DisableTABProc
End Sub
Sub DisableTABProc()
    Application.OnKey "{TAB}", ""
End Sub

Of course, you'll need to add some code for the Workbook_Close event of Personal.xls, in this case to unload the add-in:

Private Sub Workbook_Close()
    AddIns("Big Add-in").Installed = False
End Sub

If you prefer to not use macros, then you can always just move the big add-in from it's directory location or rename the add-in prior to starting Excel. If Excel cannot locate the add-in, it continues to load without loading it.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12005) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Excluding a Specific Add-In at Startup.

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. ...

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Comments

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What is four less than 6?

2023-08-26 14:08:53

Greg

I loaded an ADD-in but later decided it wasn't what I thought it was, took way to long to load, and decided to remove it. I went to options, Add-ins and it showed up there. I went to developer and removed the check mark beside it. Re-Booted and It still loaded. I went to the file location and deleted the file, NOW i get a notice when Excel opens (Slowing down the opening file) telling me that the ADD-In is avlaible and my only options are "Accept & Contimue" "Get Details" or the X iin the upper right corner of the notification. I have gone into REG-Edit and searched for the file by the name and by the author and it does not show up. I have tried everything I know to do. The creator of the ADD-In is no help and will not answer any request for help. This is only on the one file I installed it on. I have renamed the file. I can't rewrite the file as it has over 5 years worth of data. The back up I make of the file (Daily) also has this same issue. I am at a loss, any help from you or your readers. I searched Google and tried everything i can find to remove this annoying ADD-In. FYI the file name is Calendar Base Date Loader written by Ni3. I downloaded it from Microsoft add-in page. (see Figure 1 below)

Figure 1. Notification on Startup


2023-08-26 12:58:13

Mike J

David
I had tried just saving the file using Excel 2010 and was predictably warned that macros would be disabled - hence my comment.
However, after reading your comment, I tried to save it as Personal.xls in 97-2003 format, and it was absolutely fine! The file was saved complete with macros.
I don't think I will be so trusting loading files with .xls extension again. Many thanks for the insight.


2023-08-26 10:50:36

David J Bonin

This tip goes back a long was, to when Personal.xls was the correct file name for this.
Personal.xls may still work, though you would want to verify that.


2023-08-26 07:41:21

Mike J

I presume there is a simple typo in this tip, but it does occur 4 times.
I think the suggested macros should be saved in Personal.xlsb, or perhaps Personal.xlam, as Personal.xls cannot contain macros.


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