How to temporarily disable a DocTools Word add-in
This article is for you if you want to temporarily disable a DocTools Word add-in on your computer without uninstalling it entirely. By disabling a Word add-in, you do not remove it from your computer. This means that you can quickly enable it again.
When would it be relevant to disable a Word add-in?
Note that all the DocTools Word add-ins provided via this website can be installed at the same time without conflicting.
However, you may have installed other Word add-ins together with one or more DocTools add-ins. You may experience that one or more features in a Word add-in from elsewhere stops working when a specific DocTools add-in is installed too. If the conflict occurs only when performing a specific action such as using a specific command, you can disable the add-in that provokes the problem just before performing the problem action and re-enable it again afterwards. Below, you will learn how you can quickly disable and re-enable a DocTools Word add-in or any other add-in listed in the Templates and Add-Ins dialog box.
Example
It has been reported to me that the Insert Citation command in the EndNote add-in for Word fails with the error "Cannot edit range" if DocTools StopSpellingPopUp is installed and enabled. The problem is in EndNote and I cannot prevent it. However, if you disable DocTools StopSpellingPopUp just before using the Insert Citation command and re-enable it again immediately after, you can keep both add-ins installed.
You may run into other conflict issues with other Word add-ins.
Other terms for disable/enable in relation to add-ins
You may also see the following terms used for disabling/enabling an add-in, depending on the situation:
- deactivate/activate
- unload/load
In VBA macro code, the term "Installed" in relation to an add-in means that the add-in is enabled/activated/loaded if Installed is TRUE and disabled/deactivated/unloaded if Installed is FALSE.
Two methods for disabling/enabling an add-in
Below, you will find two methods for disabling (or enabling) a Word add-in. METHOD 2, the macro solution, is the fastest to use. But if you rarely need to disable an add-in, METHOD 2, the dialog box solution, will work fine.
METHOD 1 – How to disable a Word add-in via dialog box
- Select the Developer tab in the Ribbon > Click Document Template to open the Templates and Add-ins dialog box.
For help on showing the Developer tab, see https://wordaddins.com/support/how-to-add-developer-tab-in-word/. - In the list on the Templates tab in the dialog box, turn OFF the add-in you want to disable, e.g. because it is causing a conflict. Then click OK.
The Templates and Add-ins dialog box – turn OFF the add-in you want to disable. The DocTools StopSpellingPopUp.dotm add-in is used in this example.
When an add-in is turned off in the Templates and Add-ins dialog box, it is unloaded from Word and the result is the same as if it was not installed. This also means that any tools the add-in ads to the Ribbon or elsewhere will be gone until you re-enable the add-in.
The method described above can be used to disable any add-in listed in the Templates and Add-ins dialog box – not only DocTools add-ins.
How to re-enable a disabled Word add-in
To re-enable an add-in again, repeat the steps above but turn ON the add-in instead.
All DocTools add-ins are installed in the Word STARTUP folder. This means that the add-ins will automatically be loaded and enabled when you start Word. Thus, if you exit Word after having disabled a DocTools add-in and without re-enabling it, it will automatically be enabled after exiting and restarting Word.
METHOD 2 – How to quickly disable and enable a Word add-in by using a macro
If you have to disable and re-enable an add-in repeatedly, the most efficient it to us a macro. Below, you will find a macro that you can adjust to work with precisely the Word add-in you want.
For help on installing a macro, see https://wordmvp.com/FAQs/MacrosVBA/CreateAMacro.htm.
Sub DisableOrEnableDocToolsWordAddIn()
'=========================
'Macro created 2023 by Lene Fredborg, DocTools - wordaddins.com
'The macro will handle the Word add-in specified in the constant cstrAddInName
'If the add-in is turned ON, the macro will turn it OFF
'If the add-in in turned OFF, the macro will turn it ON
'This way, you can use the same macro to disable and re-enable the add-in
'=========================
Dim oAddIn As AddIn
'=========================
'Enter the name of the Word add-in between the quotation marks below
'NOTE: The name works both without and with the extension .dotm
Const cstrAddInName As String = "ADD-IN NAME"
'=========================
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Set oAddIn = AddIns(cstrAddInName)
'Disable the add-in if currently enabled and vice versa
oAddIn.Installed = Not oAddIn.Installed
ExitHere:
Set oAddIn = Nothing
Exit Sub
'=========================
ErrorHandler:
MsgBox "Could not disable/enable the " & cstrAddInName & " add-in.", vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "Disable/Enable Word Add-In"
Resume ExitHere
End Sub
Example – how to make the macro work with DocTools StopSpellingPopUp
If you want the macro to toggle DocTools StopSpellingPopUp off or on, replace the code line:
Const cstrAddInName As String = "ADD-IN NAME"
with this line:
Const cstrAddInName As String = "DocTools StopSpellingPopUp"
OR with this line:
Const cstrAddInName As String = "DocTools StopSpellingPopUp.dotm"
Tips – quick access to the macro
For easy access to the macro, you can add the macro to the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) or you can assign a keyboard shortcut to the macro.
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