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Security settings may prevent think-cell from being loaded

Problem

If you cannot find think-cell in Excel or PowerPoint, or the internal datasheet of think-cell does not open, security settings in Excel or PowerPoint may prevent think-cell from being loaded automatically.

Note: Other possible causes for think-cell not starting are described in KB0004.

Symptoms

When starting Excel [PowerPoint], the yellow Office message bar appears below the Excel [PowerPoint] ribbon with the message: SECURITY WARNING: Some active content has been disabled. Click for more details.

Office 2016 Security Warning. In case no Office message bar appears when starting Excel [PowerPoint], but think-cell is not available in the Insert tab of Excel [PowerPoint] and the Require Application Add-Ins to be signed by Trusted Publisher is checked in Excel [PowerPoint] > File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings… > Add-Ins, please refer to section Detailed Analysis, below, for additional information.

Solution

To manually allow think-cell's certificate, follow the steps below. It is also possible for a system administrator to distribute the think-cell certificate.

  1. Restart Excel [PowerPoint]: The yellow Office message bar appears below the Excel [PowerPoint] ribbon with the message: Security Warning: Application Add-Ins have been disabled.

  2. Do NOT click on Enable Content. Instead, go to File > Info > Enable Content > Advanced Options.

    Office 2016 Security Advanced Options.

  3. In the Microsoft Office Security Options dialog find the think-cell add-in. Select Enable all code published by this publisher. and confirm with OK.

    Office 2016 Security Alert.

  4. Restart the computer, open PowerPoint and check if the datasheet now opens correctly.

Detailed Analysis

A security setting in the Trust Center settings may prevent add-ins from loading automatically, if their publisher was not added to the list of trusted publishers.

  1. Open Excel [PowerPoint] and open the File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings…
  2. For testing only, temporarily deselect all options in section Add-Ins and then restart Excel [PowerPoint]. Is think-cell working now? (Note: For security reasons, do not keep these settings after completing testing).

  3. If think-cell is working now, we recommend that you choose the following options:
    Add-Ins > Require Application Add-Ins to be signed by Trusted Publisher.
    This requires that think-cell is added to the list of Trusted Publishers.

    Office 2016 Trust Center Add-In Settings.

  4. This list can be found in Trust Center Settings … > Trusted Publishers. If think-cell is not yet listed, use the following steps to add it.
    1. Go to Trust Center Settings … > Add-Ins and make sure that the option Require Application Add-Ins to be signed by Trusted Publisher is ticked.
    2. Go to Trust Center Settings … > Message Bar and make sure that the option Show the Message Bar in all applications when active content, such as ActiveX controls and macros, has been blocked. is ticked.
    3. Please proceed as described in section Solution, above.

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