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2.44. "Could not start the Microsoft Excel application"

Applies to: Palisade add-ins for Excel, releases 5.7.1 and 6.x/7.x

When I try to launch one of the Palisade tools, I get this error message:

Could not start the Microsoft Excel application

@RISK (PrecisionTree, StatTools, ...) can't find Excel. This can happen after you upgrade Excel or the Palisade software, depending on the exact sequence of events. First, verify that Palisade software is installed on the same computer or server as Excel; you can't run our software on your computer with Excel on the Web or otherwise in the cloud. Then, try double-clicking an .XLSX file to verify that Excel is properly set up to open them. If those checks succeed, then any of the following options will solve "Could not start the Microsoft Excel application":

If you feel confortable with editing the System Registry, you can add a key to tell Palisade software where to find Excel. Please use the technique in Which Version of Excel Is Opened by Palisade Software? to set the Excel path in the System registry. (If the path is already set, please verify that it is set correctly.)
If you prefer not to edit the System Registry, you can work around the problem by simply opening Excel before @RISK (StatTools, PrecisionTree, ...).
As a variation of the preceding bullet, you can set Excel to open @RISK (PrecisionTree, StattTools, ...) automatically for you, whenever Excel runs. Please see Opening Palisade Software Automatically Whenever Excel Opens for easy directions.

Last edited: 2018-09-06

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