Excel registry key

[Howard Kaikow]

Does the following key exist in the Windows XP and Windows Vista registries
for an installed Excel?
The example is for Excel 2003 (version 11).

'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]

 

[Jon Peltier]

XP: Yes. Why do you ask?

- Jon

 

[Gord Dibben]

Howard.

The key exists in my WindowsXP Registry with full suite of Office 11
Professional installed.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[Howard Kaikow]

XP: Yes. Why do you ask?

The usual method for displaying a string that identifies the version of a
program, in this case Excel, is to start the app, get the version and then
use a Select Case or If to determine which string to display.

A better, or more general, way would be to use the API to first see whether
the app is installed.
If installed, determine the version specific progid, then get the "title":
of the prog from the registry BEFORE opening the program.

This eliminates the need to hard code titles within programs, and, as long
as MSFT does't change things, eliminates the need to change the program, for
this purpose, by hard coding titles of future versions.

Being masochistic, I looked thru the registry and found the key I
referenced.
If the same key is available in Win 2000, XP and Vista, the hard coding of
titles is not necessary,

Of course, I have tested this only for Excel 2003, not yet for Excel 97,
2000, or 2002.
I expect to do this next week.

Does the following key exist in the Windows XP and Windows Vista
registries
for an installed Excel?
The example is for Excel 2003 (version 11).

'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]

 

[Jon Peltier]

FWIW, Office 10 and 9 have similar keys

Office 10:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications10\Excel10]

Office 9:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications\Excel]

You could also look for

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\X.0\Common\InstallRoot]

which contains a key named 'Path' with the installation directory of that
version of Office. This is consistent for Excel 8.0 through 12.0. If you
want to look for a specific product, use Excel, Word, Access, etc., in place
of Common.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
Peltier Technical Services, Inc. - http://PeltierTech.com
_______

XP: Yes. Why do you ask?

The usual method for displaying a string that identifies the version of a
program, in this case Excel, is to start the app, get the version and then
use a Select Case or If to determine which string to display.

A better, or more general, way would be to use the API to first see
whether
the app is installed.
If installed, determine the version specific progid, then get the "title":
of the prog from the registry BEFORE opening the program.

This eliminates the need to hard code titles within programs, and, as long
as MSFT does't change things, eliminates the need to change the program,
for
this purpose, by hard coding titles of future versions.

Being masochistic, I looked thru the registry and found the key I
referenced.
If the same key is available in Win 2000, XP and Vista, the hard coding
of
titles is not necessary,

Of course, I have tested this only for Excel 2003, not yet for Excel 97,
2000, or 2002.
I expect to do this next week.

Does the following key exist in the Windows XP and Windows Vista
registries
for an installed Excel?
The example is for Excel 2003 (version 11).

'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]

 

[Howard Kaikow]

FWIW, Office 10 and 9 have similar keys

Office 10:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications10\Excel10]

Office 9:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications\Excel]

You could also look for

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\X.0\Common\InstallRoot]

which contains a key named 'Path' with the installation directory of that
version of Office. This is consistent for Excel 8.0 through 12.0. If you
want to look for a specific product, use Excel, Word, Access, etc., in place
of Common.

Thanx.

I'll check version 8 later this week.

1. I prefer to use the Windows API to get the path, etc. For example, see
' KB 183544: How To Call CLSID And ProgID Related COM APIs in Visual
Basic

2. I have not yet found a way, using the Windows API, to get the product
"title" in an easily determined way.
The key I listed seems to be the most direct way and is easily programmable
as the version can be determind using Windows API, e.g., as in KB 183544,
without starting Excel.

 

[Howard Kaikow]

Does the following key exist in the Windows XP and Windows Vista registries
for an installed Excel?
The example is for Excel 2003 (version 11).

'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]

Sigh!

The key does not exist for Excel 97.

The following works, but has the extraneous " Application".

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Application.8]

@="Microsoft Excel 97 Application"



I'll now give it a try with Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003/

 

[Peter T]

I can't see the earlier posts, what's the objective.
If it's to add/remove addins from the collection these are the locations to
read/write (with all Excel instances closed).

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\v.0\Excel

then for xl97, v=8, Installed addins
\Microsoft Excel

and later versions v = 9 to 11, installed addins
\Options

xl97-2003, v = 8 to 11, non-installed addins
\Add-in Manager

don't know about Excel-2007, but same in W98 - Vista.

Regards,
Peter T

Does the following key exist in the Windows XP and Windows Vista registries
for an installed Excel?
The example is for Excel 2003 (version 11).

'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]

Sigh!

The key does not exist for Excel 97.

The following works, but has the extraneous " Application".

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Application.8]

@="Microsoft Excel 97 Application"



I'll now give it a try with Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003/

 

[Peter T]

... but same in W98 - Vista.

to clarify - I meant the registry keys are same in the respective OS (at
least they are in my respective OS). However default addin file locations
are not the same.

Peter T

I can't see the earlier posts, what's the objective.
If it's to add/remove addins from the collection these are the locations to
read/write (with all Excel instances closed).

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\v.0\Excel

then for xl97, v=8, Installed addins
\Microsoft Excel

and later versions v = 9 to 11, installed addins
\Options

xl97-2003, v = 8 to 11, non-installed addins
\Add-in Manager

don't know about Excel-2007, but same in W98 - Vista.

Regards,
Peter T

Does the following key exist in the Windows XP and Windows Vista registries
for an installed Excel?
The example is for Excel 2003 (version 11).

'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]

Sigh!

The key does not exist for Excel 97.

The following works, but has the extraneous " Application".

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Application.8]

@="Microsoft Excel 97 Application"



I'll now give it a try with Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003/

 

[Howard Kaikow]

My first post was:

"Does the following key exist in the Windows XP and Windows Vista registries
for an installed Excel?
The example is for Excel 2003 (version 11).

'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]"

Second post was:

"The usual method for displaying a string that identifies the version of a
program, in this case Excel, is to start the app, get the version and then
use a Select Case or If to determine which string to display.

A better, or more general, way would be to use the API to first see whether
the app is installed.
If installed, determine the version specific progid, then get the "title":
of the prog from the registry BEFORE opening the program.

This eliminates the need to hard code titles within programs, and, as long
as MSFT does't change things, eliminates the need to change the program, for
this purpose, by hard coding titles of future versions.

Being masochistic, I looked thru the registry and found the key I
referenced.
If the same key is available in Win 2000, XP and Vista, the hard coding of
titles is not necessary,

Of course, I have tested this only for Excel 2003, not yet for Excel 97,
2000, or 2002.
I expect to do this next week."

Currently, the following interim code works ( I left out obvious functions):

sProgIDVersion = GetProgIDVersion(sProgID)
sProgVersion = TrimNull(Mid$(sProgIDVersion, Len(sProgID) + 2))
On Error GoTo 0
' Debug.Print sProgID, sProgIDVersion, sProgVersion
' Debug.Print GetRegistryString(HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, sProgIDVersion)
'8:Microsoft Excel 97 Application
'9:Microsoft Excel Application
'10:Microsoft Excel Application
'11:Microsoft Office Excel Application
If Len(sProgVersion) <> 0 Then
Select Case CLng(sProgVersion)
Case Is < 8
MsgBox "This program requires the installed version of
Microsoft Excel to be at least Microsoft Excel 97.", _
vbCritical + vbOKOnly, sFormTitle
Unload Me
Exit Sub
Case 8
'[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Application.8]
sExcel = GetRegistryString(HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT,
sProgIDVersion)
Case 9
'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]
sExcel = GetRegistryString(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, _
"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications" _
& sCharBackSlash & "Excel")
Case Else '10,11,???
'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]
sExcel = GetRegistryString(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, _
"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications" _
& sProgVersion & sCharBackSlash & "Excel" &
sProgVersion)
End Select
End If
' Debug.Print sExcel
'8:Microsoft Excel 97 Application
'9:Microsoft Excel 2000
'10:Microsoft Excel 2002
'11:Microsoft Excel 2003
If Len(sExcel) = 0 Then
sExcel = "Microsoft Excel version " & sProgVersion
End If

 

[Peter T]

Thanks for filling me in, guess I had deleted the earlier posts froim my
news-reader.

FYI I don't have this on my w98se/xl87/xl2k (will look at other machines
later)

'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]"

but I do have

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications\Excel\

but nothing of much use in its three sub keys ActiveWorkbook, ActiveWorkbook
& Charts.

The keys I mentioned previously should identify which version(s) is/are
installed (ie the "v.0"). Typically the latest version is the default
version, at least it should be, but to confirm I suppose could look at this

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Excel.Application\CurVer

Regards,
Peter T

My first post was:

"Does the following key exist in the Windows XP and Windows Vista registries
for an installed Excel?
The example is for Excel 2003 (version 11).

'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]"

Second post was:

"The usual method for displaying a string that identifies the version of a
program, in this case Excel, is to start the app, get the version and then
use a Select Case or If to determine which string to display.

A better, or more general, way would be to use the API to first see whether
the app is installed.
If installed, determine the version specific progid, then get the "title":
of the prog from the registry BEFORE opening the program.

This eliminates the need to hard code titles within programs, and, as long
as MSFT does't change things, eliminates the need to change the program, for
this purpose, by hard coding titles of future versions.

Being masochistic, I looked thru the registry and found the key I
referenced.
If the same key is available in Win 2000, XP and Vista, the hard coding of
titles is not necessary,

Of course, I have tested this only for Excel 2003, not yet for Excel 97,
2000, or 2002.
I expect to do this next week."

Currently, the following interim code works ( I left out obvious functions):

sProgIDVersion = GetProgIDVersion(sProgID)
sProgVersion = TrimNull(Mid$(sProgIDVersion, Len(sProgID) + 2))
On Error GoTo 0
' Debug.Print sProgID, sProgIDVersion, sProgVersion
' Debug.Print GetRegistryString(HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, sProgIDVersion)
'8:Microsoft Excel 97 Application
'9:Microsoft Excel Application
'10:Microsoft Excel Application
'11:Microsoft Office Excel Application
If Len(sProgVersion) <> 0 Then
Select Case CLng(sProgVersion)
Case Is < 8
MsgBox "This program requires the installed version of
Microsoft Excel to be at least Microsoft Excel 97.", _
vbCritical + vbOKOnly, sFormTitle
Unload Me
Exit Sub
Case 8
'[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Application.8]
sExcel = GetRegistryString(HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT,
sProgIDVersion)
Case 9
'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]
sExcel = GetRegistryString(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, _
"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications" _
& sCharBackSlash & "Excel")
Case Else '10,11,???
'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]
sExcel = GetRegistryString(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, _
"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications" _
& sProgVersion & sCharBackSlash & "Excel" &
sProgVersion)
End Select
End If
' Debug.Print sExcel
'8:Microsoft Excel 97 Application
'9:Microsoft Excel 2000
'10:Microsoft Excel 2002
'11:Microsoft Excel 2003
If Len(sExcel) = 0 Then
sExcel = "Microsoft Excel version " & sProgVersion
End If

 

[Howard Kaikow]

Thanks for filling me in, guess I had deleted the earlier posts froim my
news-reader.

FYI I don't have this on my w98se/xl87/xl2k (will look at other machines
later)

'[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications11\Excel11]"

but I do have

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared
Tools\MSInfo\Categories\Applications\Excel\

but nothing of much use in its three sub keys ActiveWorkbook, ActiveWorkbook
& Charts.

The keys I mentioned previously should identify which version(s) is/are
installed (ie the "v.0"). Typically the latest version is the default
version, at least it should be, but to confirm I suppose could look at this

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Excel.Application\CurVer

My goal was to get the version specific program "name", not the version.
The version can be obtained using the techniques in KB 183544: How To Call
CLSID And ProgID Related COM APIs in Visual
Basic.

My goal was to find an easily determined registry key that displayed the
version specific product name without my having to hard code such names.
This is doable for versions 10 and 11, but for versions 8 and 9, might as
well hard code the name, tho there might be language specific differences.