Automatically install Excel Add-In

Once you’ve created your Excel add-in you’ll want to get it installed on your customer’s instances of Excel, right? Excel add-in deployment can easily be automated using the Excel Add In Automatic Installer. As the name suggests, you can automatically install Excel add in XLLs and XLAs with this setup extension.

Excel add-in deployment

There are many web pages that give an overview of the steps that would need to get automated for an Excel add-in deployment – so it’s doable. I spent a bunch of time culling through the advice that worked, and the advice that didn’t work so well for my own Excel add-in deployment tool. I’ve repackaged that work into a utility that can help make your add-in get installed seamlessly.

Save yourself some time

If you want to save yourself some time with your Excel add-in deployment you can use the add-in installer I’ve created. Use it alongside your batch file installer, InstallShield project or WIX project, or others. Automatically install or remove for all instances of Excel installed or you can target specific versions (if your add-in uses specific features of a version of Excel, for example).

Keep your customers happy

I know, manually installing an add-in isn’t the end of the world. But wouldn’t you rather tell your customers to “just run setup” instead of “just run setup and then do these 10 steps manually”. If you have (or will have) a large number of customers, think of the time you’ll save by making it super-easy. And think of how much happier your customers will be overall. Make their initial impression a positive one! Fully automate your Excel add-in deployment.

Here’s how it works

Typically, an installation package such as InstallShield or WIX makes it easy to get your application files put in the right place, and registry keys created. These are great things, but the problem is that getting an add-in installed for Excel requires a variable registry key name, depending on the number of add-ins that may have already been installed. These same installation packages provide for the execution of a custom command. This is where the PowerUp Add-in Automatic Installer comes in. This utility takes your installation the last mile and makes the “activation” or installation into Excel seamless for your customers.

If you have multiple versions of Excel installed, your add-in will be installed for each version (unless you specify to target a specific version only).

Using this utility is easy, saves a ton of time for you as well as for your customers, and helps ensure your installations are consistent, repeatable, and hassle-free.

Available now

The PowerUp Add-in Automatic Installer is available now for your Excel add-in deployment. It will register your xll add-in with Excel 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013. I hope you enjoy it!