Exact Synergy

How to install the Add-in for multiple users on the same machine

Issue:

When I install Office Add-in on my computer, it works only for the user who has installed it. Other logins do not have the the menu option in MS Word and if they want to install it, it replies that the latest version is already installed. Is there any possibility to make it possible for the administrator to install the Add-in for all other users.

Solution:

Installation of an Office Add-in is done user-by-user. All the settings that cause the add-in to be included in MS Word or another application are in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive of the registry. So one user installing the Add-in won't cause it to show up in any other user's application. The problem is, the e-Synergy installation checks for an already-installed Add-in by trying to connect to the COM component, which WILL work even if it was installed by another user.

It is still possible for an administrator to install it for multiple users on the same machine:

1. Logged in as the user who installed the add-in, run RegEdit.exe and select the following keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Word\Addins\SynergyOfficeAddin.Connect_Word
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\SynergyOfficeAddin.Connect_Excel
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\FrontPage\Addins\SynergyOfficeAddin.Connect_FrontPage
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\SynergyOfficeAddin.Connect_Outlook
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\PowerPoint\Addins\SynergyOfficeAddin.Connect_PPT
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB and VBA Program Settings\OfficeAddIn
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB and VBA Program Settings\SynergyOfficeAddin

2. Choose File / Export and save to a file, such as C:\addin.reg, this should be done one by one. Afterwards the separate .reg files can be cumulated into one .reg file.

3. Log in as a user whom you want to have the add-in. Make sure that the user who is going to register the key has sufficient rights to perform this operation. Double-click on the addin.reg file and answer Yes to the "are you sure" message.

This copies the original user's add-in setting to the new user. The add-in will now be available for that user. In a citrix environment there are tools available (Nfuse for instance) that enable administrators to define default registry keys for specific users and user groups, by configuring the keys that are stated above users will receive the correct registry keys for the office add in to work properly.