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unable to install add ins across office

Juan Diego Mejía Méndez 0 Reputation points
2026-05-30T19:58:35.8066667+00:00

The problem is on the desktop version. It works in excel online and it also works when i log out of my account. I have a personal account but it says that i dont have permission to use this add in and i should contact the administrator. But is a personal account on my computer.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows
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  1. Marcin Policht 90,805 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-05-30T20:08:19.5933333+00:00

    This is likely a User Account Control (UAC) issue since the add-in works in Excel Online and also works when you are signed out of your account, which indicates that the add-in itself is functioning correctly. To fix this, close all Office applications and open Microsoft Excel as an administrator by finding the Excel application in the Start menu or on your desktop, right-clicking it, and selecting Run as administrator.

    If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

    hth

    Marcin

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-30T19:58:45.26+00:00

    The error message about not having permission to use the add-in, even on a personal account, is typically caused by how Office add-ins are configured or by a known issue in recent Office builds.

    Based on the symptoms:

    • The add-in works in Excel on the web.
    • The add-in works when signed out.
    • The add-in fails with a “You don't have permission to use this add-in. Contact your system administrator.” message on the desktop app.

    This matches a known issue in Office Monthly Enterprise version 2507 where centrally deployed or admin-managed add-ins fail to load with exactly this error.

    To work around it on the desktop app:

    1. Open Excel on the desktop.
    2. On the ribbon, select Home > Add-ins.
    3. Select More add-ins.
    4. Go to the Admin Managed tab.
    5. Select the Refresh button in the top-right corner.
    6. After refresh, the add-in should reappear; open it again to reload it.

    If an administrator manages the device or account, an IT admin can also force a refresh of admin-managed add-ins by setting this registry key on the affected profile:

    • Key: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\WEF\TrustedCatalogs\ClearInstalledExtensions
    • Value: DWORD = 1

    After applying the registry key, restart Office apps and test the add-in again.

    A permanent fix is being deployed in newer Office builds; once the device receives the updated version for the appropriate channel, the issue should be resolved without the workaround.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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