How to: Re-enable an Add-in That Has Been Disabled
Microsoft Office applications can disable add-ins that behave unexpectedly. If an application does not load your add-in when you try to debug it, the application might have hard disabled or soft disabled your add-in.
Applies to: The information in this topic applies to application-level projects for Microsoft Office 2013 and Microsoft Office 2010. For more information, see Features Available by Office Application and Project Type.
Hard-Disabled Add-Ins
Hard disabling can occur when an add-in causes the application to close unexpectedly. It might also occur on your development computer if you stop the debugger while the Startup event handler in your add-in is executing.
To re-enable an add-in
In the application, click the File tab.
Click the ApplicationName Options button.
In the categories pane, click Add-ins.
In the details pane, verify that the add-in appears in the Disabled Application Add-ins list.
The Name column specifies the name of the assembly, and the Location column specifies the full path of the application manifest.
In the Manage box, click Disabled Items, and then click Go.
Select the add-in and click Enable.
Click Close.
Soft-Disabled Add-Ins
Soft disabling can occur when an add-in produces an error that does not cause the application to unexpectedly close. For example, an application might soft disable an add-in if it throws an unhandled exception while the Startup event handler is executing.
Note
When you re-enable a soft-disabled add-in, the application immediately attempts to load the add-in. If the problem that initially caused the application to soft disable the add-in has not been fixed, the application will soft disable the add-in again.
To re-enable an add-in
In the application, click the File tab.
Click the ApplicationName Options button.
In the categories pane, click Add-ins.
In the details pane, verify that the add-in appears in the Inactive Application Add-ins list.
The Name column specifies the name of the assembly, and the Location column specifies the full path of the application manifest.
In the Manage box, click COM Add-ins, and then click Go.
In the COM Add-Ins dialog box, select the check box next to the disabled add-in.
Click OK.