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How to: Show Add-in User Interface Errors

By default, if an add-in attempts to manipulate the Microsoft Office user interface (UI) and fails, no error message is displayed. However, you can configure Microsoft Office applications to display messages for errors that relate to the UI. You can use these messages to help determine why a custom Ribbon does not appear, or why a Ribbon appears but no controls appear.

Applies to: The information in this topic applies to document-level projects and application-level projects for the following applications: Excel 2007 and Excel 2010; InfoPath 2010; Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010; PowerPoint 2007 and PowerPoint 2010; Project 2010; Visio 2010; Word 2007 and Word 2010. For more information, see Features Available by Office Application and Project Type.

To show add-in user interface errors for Microsoft Office 2010 applications

  1. Start the application.

  2. Click the File tab.

  3. Click Options.

  4. In the categories pane, click Advanced.

  5. In the details pane, select Show add-in user interface errors, and then click OK.

    Note

    For Outlook, the Show add-in user interface errors checkbox is located in the Developer section of the details pane. For other applications, the checkbox is located in the General section of the details pane.

To show add-in user interface errors for Word 2007, Excel 2007, and PowerPoint 2007

  1. Start the application.

  2. Click the Microsoft Office Button.

  3. Click Word Options, Excel Options, or PowerPoint Options.

  4. In the categories pane, click Advanced.

  5. In the details pane, select Show add-in user interface errors, and then click OK.

To show add-in user interface errors for Outlook 2007

  1. Start Outlook.

  2. On the Tools menu, click Options.

  3. In the Options dialog box, click the Other tab, and then click Advanced Options.

  4. In the Advanced Options dialog box, select Show add-in user interface errors, and then click OK.

  5. Click OK to close the Options dialog box.

See Also

Other Resources

Office UI Customization

Creating Outlook Form Regions

Ribbon Overview

Actions Pane Overview