How to Manage Add-ins in Office 2021

Edited 5 months ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Office 2021 has a variety of features that help users increase their productivity and efficiency. One particularly valuable feature in Office 2021 is the ability to use add-ins. Add-ins are small programs or utilities that extend or enhance the capabilities of Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. This document outlines steps and guidelines on how to effectively manage these add-ins.

Understanding add-ins

Before going into the details of managing add-ins, it is important to understand what add-ins are and how they work in Office 2021. Add-ins can be seen as extensions that provide additional functions beyond the standard offering of Office applications. They can facilitate tasks, automate processes, and integrate with third-party applications or services.

For example, an add-in to Excel can perform complex calculations or create statistical models, while an add-in to Word can help with writing and editing by providing templates or suggestions.

Types of add-ins

Office 2021 supports several types of add-ins:

• COM add-ins: These are add-ins that are typically developed in C++ or .NET languages and are deeply integrated with Office through the Component Object Model (COM) technology.
• VSTO add-ins: Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) add-ins are developed using .NET and provide a high level of integration with Office applications.
• Office Store add-ins: These add-ins are available through the Microsoft Office Store and can be added from within Office applications. They use web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Custom add-ins: Some organizations develop their own proprietary add-ins to address specific business processes or needs.

Accessing add-ins in Office 2021

To manage add-ins in Office 2021, you first need to know how to access them within the application. The process is largely the same in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, with minor differences. Here are the general steps:

Accessing add-ins in Excel

1. Open a new or existing Excel workbook.
2. Go to the File tab on the ribbon.
3. Select options from the menu.
4. In the Excel Options dialog box, select Add-Ins from the menu on the left.

Accessing add-ins in Word and PowerPoint

The steps are the same for Word and PowerPoint:

1. Open a new or existing document or presentation.
2. Go to the File tab on the ribbon.
3. Select options from the menu.
4. In the Word or PowerPoint Options dialog box, select Add-Ins from the menu on the left.

Managing add-ins

Once you have accessed the Add-ins section through the steps above, you can manage your add-ins using the following steps:

Viewing and disabling add-ins

Under the Add-ins section in the Options dialog box, you can view the current list of installed add-ins. Add-ins are classified according to their type, such as active, inactive, or disabled. Here's how you can manage them:

1. Review the list of active add-ins. These are the add-ins that are currently running with your Office applications.
2. To disable an add-in, look for the Manage dropdown list at the bottom of the dialog box, select the type of add-in you want to manage (for example, COM Add-ins), and click Go...
3. In the new dialog box, uncheck the checkbox next to the add-in you want to disable and click OK.

Installing new add-ins

Adding new functionality through add-ins is a straightforward process, thanks to the Office Store. Here's how to install new add-ins:

1. While in the document, workbook, or presentation, go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
2. Click on Get Add-ins to open the Office Store.
3. Browse or search for the add-in that meets your needs.
4. Click the add-in that you want to install, and then click Add.
5. Follow any additional installation instructions, and once installed, the add-in will be available in the associated application.

Removing add-ins

If you no longer need an add-in or want to free up resources, you can remove it from your Office application:

1. Access the Add-ins Manager as described earlier.
2. Select the type of add-in you want to remove from the Manage dropdown list and click Go...
3. In the dialog box that appears, select the add-in you want to remove.
4. Click Delete and follow any additional prompts.

Example of using the add-in

Let's consider an example using a popular Word add-in for better understanding. Suppose you install an add-in like Grammarly, which helps improve grammar and writing style. After installing:

1. You can access this via the Home tab on the ribbon.
2. This add-in provides suggestions, checks for grammatical errors, and helps refine the document.
3. You can accept or reject its suggestions and save changes to your document as you work.

Troubleshooting add-ins

Sometimes, you may encounter problems with add-ins, such as them not appearing or causing conflicts. Here's how you can troubleshoot some common problems:

Compatibility check

Make sure the add-in you're trying to use is compatible with Office 2021. Developers typically provide notes on compatibility with specific versions of Office. If an add-in isn't showing up, you may need to verify its version or update it.

Resolving disputes

Sometimes, an add-in may conflict with another add-in or feature. You may notice this if your Office application behaves unexpectedly or performs poorly.

1. To find out if a specific add-in is causing the conflict, try disabling add-ins one by one.
2. If the add-in is out of date, update it, as updates often include bug fixes that resolve such conflicts.

Checking security settings

Office 2021 has security settings that may block some add-ins. Make sure your security settings allow the add-in to activate:

1. Navigate to the Trust Center through the options menu.
2. Go to Trust Center Settings and click on Add-ins.
3. Make sure the settings are configured to allow your trusted add-ins to activate.

Conclusion

Managing add-ins in Office 2021 is a powerful way to increase your productivity and customize your workflow. Understanding how to add, disable, or remove add-ins gives you control over how you use Office applications to meet your specific needs. By following the steps outlined, you can easily manage add-ins and troubleshoot any potential issues that may arise. With a plethora of add-ins available, from productivity enhancers to specialized tools, your Office 2021 experience can be significantly richer.

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