How to Fix a COM Add-In That Won't Stay Enabled in Excel 2019
Question details
A user needs to resolve an issue where a custom DataObject COM add-in automatically becomes unchecked after being selected, preventing it from functioning in Excel 2019.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel 2019
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to enable a custom company COM add-in in a newer version of Excel after successfully using it in Excel 2013.
- Observed behavior
- The COM add-in appears in the add-ins list and can be checked, but immediately becomes unchecked and inactive once the user clicks OK.
Verify whether your installation of Excel 2019 is 32-bit or 64-bit, as COM add-ins are highly dependent on exact architecture matching to load correctly.
Check Architecture Compatibility and Unblock Add-in
Ensure the add-in matches your Excel bit-version and recover it if Excel's security settings have disabled it.
Many custom add-ins built for Excel 2013 were compiled as 32-bit. Because Excel 2019 is often installed as 64-bit by default, older 32-bit COM add-ins will fail to load in the background and silently uncheck themselves.
Open Excel, click on 'File', select 'Account', and click 'About Excel'. Note whether the top line states you are running the 32-bit or 64-bit version.
Go to 'File' > 'Options' > 'Add-ins'. At the bottom of the window, change the 'Manage' dropdown menu to 'Disabled Items' and click 'Go'. If your add-in is listed, select it and click 'Enable'.
Return to 'File' > 'Account' and click 'Update Options' > 'Update Now' to ensure you have the latest patches, resolving known bugs that prevent add-ins from loading.
Consult the Developer or IT Pro Community
Seek specialized support for custom internal add-ins running on volume-licensed Office Pro Plus environments.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my COM add-in work perfectly in Excel 2013 but not 2019?
Office 2019 introduces stricter security protocols and typically defaults to a 64-bit installation environment. If your custom add-in was compiled exclusively as 32-bit for older software, it will fail to load and automatically uncheck itself in a 64-bit version of Excel 2019.
How do I find out if Excel has automatically disabled my add-in?
Navigate to File > Options > Add-ins in Excel. In the Manage dropdown menu at the bottom of the window, select 'Disabled Items' and click Go. Excel lists any add-ins it has forcefully disabled due to crashes or conflicts in this menu.
Can I force a 32-bit COM add-in to work in 64-bit Excel?
No, add-in architectures must match the host application exactly. To resolve this, you either need the original developer to provide a 64-bit version of the COM add-in, or you must uninstall your 64-bit Office and install the 32-bit version of Excel 2019.
