How to Enable or Disable COM Add-Ins in Microsoft Excel
Ever had a rogue Excel add-in cluttering your ribbon, or needed to turn one off to troubleshoot a slow workbook? This walkthrough shows you exactly where COM Add-Ins live in Excel and how to flip them on or off without guessing. We use Power Pivot as the example, but the same steps apply to any COM add-in already installed on your machine. By the end, you will be able to confidently disable an add-in, confirm its ribbon tab disappears, and switch it back on whenever you need it.
Covered inside:
→ Opening a blank workbook and getting to the File Backstage view
→ Navigating to Options and reviewing the Active and Inactive Application Add-ins lists
→ Switching the Manage dropdown to COM Add-ins and clicking Go
→ Unchecking Power Pivot (or any active add-in) to disable it
→ Watching the related ribbon tab disappear after clicking OK
→ Re-enabling the same add-in and confirming its tab returns to the ribbon
Which COM add-in do you actually use day to day, Power Pivot or something else? Drop it in the comments so others can compare setups.
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