What follows is a detailed step-by-step guide to install, update and uninstall Excel Swiss Knife
Installation and update
Since Excel Swiss Knife is written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), you need to allow Excel to run macros in order to install and use it, at least on demand.
To do so, make sure that in Excel Options → Trust Center → Macro Settings, one of the three highlighted options is enabled.
To maintain a high level of security, the recommended setting is “Disable all macros with notification” (you will be prompted to enable macros when installing the add-in).
This program is distributed in two different versions:
.zip file
Open the zip archive and extract it to a folder of your choice;
In Excel, click the File tab, then Options, and select the Add-ins category;
In the Manage list, select Excel Add-ins, then click Go;
Click Browse (in the Add-ins dialog box) to locate the add-in, then click OK. No administrator privileges are required on the PC.
Link to the Microsoft website
Portable (.xlam)
This version consists of a single file, which can be opened with a double-click like a regular Excel file. It does not require installation (although it can be permanently installed as an add-in) and does not write any additional configuration files.
It is therefore suitable for testing purposes and for environments where installing third-party software is not possible or allowed. Because it does not modify other system files, it is also the recommended version for macOS systems (Excel 2016 or later).
When Excel is closed, the add-in toolbar disappears (if not installed permanently) and will not reappear until the .xlam file is opened manually again.
If any errors occur during installation or update, please follow the procedure described in the next section, “Uninstallation”, and then reinstall the add-in.
If the toolbar keeps disappearing every time Excel is restarted:
Check that the file is not “blocked”. See FAQ
Uninstallation
Due to Excel’s not particularly intuitive add-in management (to put it mildly), completely removing the add-in requires a few steps:
After closing Excel, proceed by manually removing all files from the folder where they were extracted;
At the next startup of Excel, the add-in will generate an error, shown below:
At this point, open **Excel Options → Add-ins** and click the **“Go…”** button.
From the dialog box that appears, check or uncheck **Excel Swiss Knife**. A new error message will be displayed:
By answering **“Yes”** in this dialog box, the removal of the add-in will be completed. From the next restart onward, Excel will no longer display any error messages.
This procedure can also be used to resolve issues that may prevent the installation or update of the add-in.
