Confirm if Excel Solver is Working

Owned by Paul Petrin
Last updated: Feb 10, 2022

Check for Excel issues by verifying if Solver is working

A quick and easy way to confirm if Excel has become corrupted is by checking if the Solver module is working. 

Solver must first be enabled to confirm:

  1. In Excel, click File:



  2. Click Options:



  3. Click (1) Add-Ins and in the Manage box to the right of Excel Add-ins, click (2) Go:



  4. In the Add-Ins available box, select the Solver Add-in check box and click OK:

To check if solver is working, please download the following example: SolverTest.xlsx 

If an error occurs at any point during this process, Excel should be repaired.

  1. Open the file in Excel and click Data > Solver:



  2. Click Solve:

  3. If you are presented with results, Solver and the VBA module are working:



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