KB0187: Security settings may prevent thinkcell from being loaded

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Problem

In PowerPoint or Excel, if the Insert tab has no thinkcell group, security settings in these applications may be preventing thinkcell from loading automatically.

If the Insert tab contains the thinkcell group, but the thinkcell tab has no thinkcell commands, see KB0243.

For other possible causes of the thinkcell group missing from the Insert tab, see KB0004.

Symptoms

When you start PowerPoint, the Message Bar appears below the ribbon with the security warning Application add-ins have been disabled.

When you start Excel, the Message Bar appears below the ribbon with the security warning Some active content has been disabled. Click for more details.

If you don't see the security warning, but thinkcell commands are missing from the Insert ribbon tab in PowerPoint or Excel, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Add-ins. If Require Application Add-ins to be signed by Trusted Publisher is selected, see Detailed analysis.

Solution

To manually allow thinkcell's certificate, follow these steps. A system administrator can also distribute the thinkcell certificate.

  1. Restart PowerPoint or Excel.

  2. On the Message Bar, beside the security warning, do NOT select Enable Content. Instead, go to File > Info > Enable Content > Advanced Options.

  3. In the Microsoft Office Security Options dialog, find the thinkcell add-in. Select Enable all code published by this publisher, then select OK.

Detailed analysis

In the Trust Center, if an add-in's publisher is not on the list of trusted publishers, a security setting may prevent the add-in from loading automatically. Read more

  1. In PowerPoint or Excel, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.
  2. For testing purposes only, go to Add-ins and temporarily deselect all options. Then restart PowerPoint or Excel.
  1. If thinkcell works after you complete the previous steps, we recommend that in Add-ins, you select Require Application Add-ins to be signed by Trusted Publisher, then select OK. This adds thinkcell to the list of trusted publishers.
  1. To find the list of trusted publishers, in the Trust Center dialog, go to Trusted Publishers. If thinkcell is not yet on the list, follow these steps: Read more
    1. In the Trust Center dialog, go to Add-ins. Make sure that the option Require Application Add-ins to be signed by Trusted Publisher is selected.
    2. Go to 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 selected.
    3. Follow the steps described in Solution.