Enabling Automation Add-In

Back to index page

Enabling an automation add-in in Excel is a user-level setting. JChem for Excel provides a simple PowerShell script that shows how to enable automation add-in on remote computers by administrators. The script file is in the Admin Guide folder under the JChem for Excel installation folder. You can enable the automation add-in using this script (from a PowerShell window):

 

.\EnableAutomationAddin.ps1 /CurrentUser

 

What does it do? To enable the automation add-in automatically we need to modify the registry. Under the

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER:\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Options

 

key we need to create the following entry:

 

OPENx        /A "JChemExcel.Functions"

 

If there is not other entry starting with OPEN the name is simply OPEN, otherwise x needs to be the subsequent number, therefore the names should be like this: OPEN, OPEN1, OPEN2, etc.

 

This is valid for newer Excels as well, like 2007 and 2010:

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER:\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Options

HKEY_CURRENT_USER:\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Excel\Options

 

JChem for Excel installer does the same for the current user who is installing. The installer creates a log file about this which can be found under the user's Application Data folder in ChemAxon\JChem for Excel\Installer.log file.

 

Excel creates user-related registry keys at the first run, however, the installer sets these values even before the first run of the Excel.

 

Background information:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291392

http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/31049285/deploying-excel-com-addin.aspx

 

 

Back to index page