XL2000: Error Message: Microsoft Excel Can't Run This Addin

When you start Microsoft Excel, the following error message appears: When you click No, nothing happens and Excel continues to open. The same error message appears the next time you start Excel.

When you click Yes, the Windows Installer runs.

This problem occurs when you do all of the following:

1. You install Excel with the Euro Currency Tools feature configured to Install on First Use.
2. You start Excel, click Add-ins on the Tools menu, select Euro Currency Tools, and click OK to install the Euro Currency Tools add-in.
3. You uninstall Excel by running Office Setup and changing the Microsoft Excel feature to Not Available.
4. You reinstall Excel with the Euro Currency Tools feature again configured to Install on First Use.

Do either of the following methods to circumvent this error message:

Method 1: Fully Install the Add-in

To continue to start Excel without the error message, click Yes when the error message appears.

Method 2: Remove the Add-in from the Excel Options Registry

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.


To be able to install the Euro Currency Tools add-in as installed on first use and start Excel without the error, you must remove the OPEN or OPENn value from the following registry key (where n represents an integer number).

The string value for the OPEN value should point to the Eurotool.xla file located in the user's library folder.

To modify this registry value, follow the steps below:

1. Close any programs that are running.
2. On the Start menu, click Run. Type regedit and click OK.
3. In the Registry Editor, expand the following key:
   HKey_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Excel\Options
4. In the right pane, click OPEN or OPENn (where n represents an integer number) in the Name column where the data value refers to Eurotool.xla add-in.
5. On the Edit menu, click Delete. When the Confirm Value Delete dialog box appears, click Yes.
6. Quit the Registry Editor and start Microsoft Excel. The error message should not appear.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

The Euro Currency Tools add-in in Microsoft Excel provides the following tools to work with the euro and the national currency units of the European Union (EU) members that have adopted the euro.

• A toolbar button to format euro values.
• The Euroconver worksheet function.

For more information about the euro character, please visit the following Microsoft Web site: This Web page contains information about euro character support and links to other relevant Web pages, including the official European Union Web site.