Frequently Asked Questions

If your question is about about our add-in products, yes we can help you. If your question is about how to use Microsoft Excel, then you should contact Microsoft at 425-635-7070. We provide free support on our add-ins. If our products can provide a solution to you we will of course let you know at no charge.

What do you mean by "a downloadable book"?

Our books are actually Windows help files just like you would see if you pressed F1 for help. When you purchase a book you download the installation file which installs the help files. You can browse through the books by clicking from chapter to chapter or topic to topic. You can also use the search button and then either the Search or Find option to find a topic of interest. The Find option is extremely powerful and is just like the index at the back of a book.

How complex is it to install the software?

It is very simple to install. All of our installation programs are fully automated. All you need to do is close Excel and select the automated installation options.

Do I need any special software to be able to open the books?

No, the help files are totally compatible with all versions of Windows and Windows NT. You just run the installation program which copies the files to your machine.

How do I get to the books when I need them?

In Excel just select the Help menu from a worksheet and you will see new menu items that will display the help files.

Can I copy the example macro code into my spreadsheets?

Yes, just highlight the code you want and select Edit/Copy.

Can I print the books?

Yes. It will be a lot of pages. We recommend that you just print the topics of interest to save paper.

What does the Spreadsheet Assistant do?

The Spreadsheet Assistant adds over 200 new features and functions to Excel to make it easier to use and to save you time. The features are added to the existing menus, to a new Assistants menu, and to the pop-up menus.

Is the Spreadsheet Assistant Microsoft Office compatible?

Yes. It has passed independent testing by Veritest for Microsoft Office compatibility.

Has the Spreadsheet Assistant been evaluated by ZDnet and other software locations? If so, what was it rated?

Yes, and we are very proud of the results. ZDnet rated it 5 stars and PC Computing magazine gave it their "Best of the Net" rating. Jesse Berst's AnchorDesk called it a "Killer Add-in" in their weekly letter. And we have improved it significantly since then!

Do you offer any special deals?

Yes. We bundle our software in collections to offer you deals you can't resist!

Can we order via purchase order?

Yes. Just fax a copy of the purchase order to 302-234-9859 or mail it to us.

How long after I place an order via the 800 telephone number does it take to get my software?

Phone orders are filled within a day. You can expect your software to arrive in 3 to 4 business days in the U.S. and 6 to 9 days if you are outside the U.S. If you order from our on-line service you can download the software immediately and still have a CD sent to you.

How secure is the on-line ordering service?

It is extremely secure. We researched a number of services before picking this one. You will see a lock symbol at the bottom of the order screens indicating that all credit card information is encrypted.

I have a computer at home and one at work. Do I need to buy two copies of the programs?

No. Our license agreement allows you to install the software on two machines used by one user and only pay for one license.

How do I see the code for the Spreadsheet Assistant?

The Spreadsheet Assistant is an add-in and cannot be viewed or modified by a user. The code is password protected and the password is scrambled to prevent it from being unlocked. Our electronic book Microsoft Excel Visual Basic Macros Made Easy contains examples of many of the features in the Spreadsheet Assistant.

Can I adapt the code in the books on macros to the applications I develop?

Yes, as long as the applications are not sold in competition with our products.

Is there a manual on the Spreadsheet Assistant?

The manual is the help file. The help file is very detailed and you can get help on any feature very simply. Just select the feature in the features list by selecting "All the Assistants" from the Assistants Menu, clicking on the help option instead of the run option, and selecting OK.

How do I get support for the programs?

Support is available via our online contact form

I upgraded to a new release of Excel and no longer have the Spreadsheet Assistant menu or menu additions. How do I get it back?

Select in Excel Tools/Add-ins, locate assistnt.xla in the C:\program files\add-ins directory, and click OK.

I typed in www.addins.com and did not get to your page but got to Mamdouh Barakat Risk Management's page instead. What happened to your page?

Our page is www.add-ins.com spelled with a hyphen just like it appears in the Tools menu of Excel.

Do you have any programs that help me print my Excel reports and files?

Yes. Check out the Report Runner. It fully automates the process including opening and closing files. It ensures that the print area and reports are set up the way you want them, not the way they were last left.

I need a special purpose macro written and cannot figure out how to do it. Can you help?

Certainly. We do custom macro programming. Send us a description of your needs and we will give you a free quote on the task.

What do I do if I find a bug in the Spreadsheet Assistant?

I have used some of the new functions in a spreadsheet that I share with other users who do not have the Spreadsheet Assistant and they get error values for these functions. What do I do?

The best solution is to purchase copies of the Spreadsheet Assistant for the other users. They will benefit and our quantity discounts make this the low cost approach.

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Microsoft and Excel are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.