Word taskpane failure

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Tom Waddell




Posts: 6
Joined: 2024-06-24
We have a number of customers reporting our Word Add-in is failing to open in the latest versions of Word. It appears to be affecting users of Word Version 2407. Users of Word Version 2406 are unaffected by the issue.
When the user tries to open the taskpane in Version 2407 nothing happens. The ADX taskpane is not created.

This behaviour is reproducible with the sample add-in (https://www.add-in-express.com/creating-addins-blog/sample-com-addin-projects-outlook-excel-powerpoint-word/)

I also created a basic sample VSTO add-in, without Add-in express, and the taskpane in this project will open correctly on both versions of Word.

We are using Add-in Express for Office and .NET, Standard Release 10.2.4714.
Posted 24 Jun, 2024 13:13:15 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18965
Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Tom,

We've got such reports. Note that Microsoft says that there are three primary update channels (from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/updates/overview-update-channels):

- Current Channel
- Monthly Enterprise Channel
- Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel

Add-in Express can only support these channels. It cannot support the Beta channel and all kind of Preview channels.

That is, your users should switch to one of the three channels above. All the other channels deliver beta versions of new features and may contain inconsistencies or even bugs along with actual changes.

PS. We do prepare a fix for this issue so that if (and when) they upload this change to the Current Channel, we are ready to publish an Add-in Express build or provide the fixed assembly.

Regards from Poland (GMT+2),

Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 24 Jun, 2024 14:11:11 Top
Tom Waddell




Posts: 6
Joined: 2024-06-24
Hi Andrei,

Thank you for the update, we will encourage our users to switch to one of those 3 channels.
I'm glad to hear you are working on a fix for the issue as well, would you be able to release that fix before the issue gets to the Current Channel?
If we run through this scenario it is a bad experience for our customers:
- We wait for the issue to get to the Current Channel.
- Once the issue gets to the Current Channel all our users can no longer use our product.
- We must wait for Add-in express to release the patch after the issue has arrived on the Current Channel
- Then we need to update ADX in our add-in and run through QA before releasing the hotfix to users.

This would result in customers being unable to use the software over a number of days and us having to coordinate a hotfix roll out in a very short space of time. I'd far rather get ahead of the problem and for us to also have a hotfix of our add-in prepared in advance of this change going to the Current Channel.

If it was possible to get early access to your fix, that would allow us to make preparations as well.

Many Thanks,
Tom
Posted 24 Jun, 2024 14:30:19 Top
Tom Waddell




Posts: 6
Joined: 2024-06-24
Hi Andrei,

In my initial report I stated that Word Version 2406 was working. Unfortunately this is not the case, only Version 2405 (Current Channel) is working currently.
Version 2406 is on "Current Channel (Preview)" and looking at the recent Office release history my team is estimating that 2406 will go up to the Current Channel in the next few days (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/update-history-microsoft365-apps-by-date).

My Customer Support team is understandably worried that we are sitting on a timebomb without a solution. Do you have any updates on how your fix is going?

Many Thanks,
Tom
Posted 26 Jun, 2024 13:49:58 Top
Tom Waddell




Posts: 6
Joined: 2024-06-24
Just a quick update to let you know that Microsoft have now started pushing Version 2406 to the Current Channel.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel#version-2406-june-26
Posted 27 Jun, 2024 06:45:25 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18965
Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Tom,

I've sent an email with a download link and instruction to Daniel.

Regards from Poland (GMT+2),

Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 27 Jun, 2024 07:27:01 Top
Tom Waddell




Posts: 6
Joined: 2024-06-24
Hi Andrei,

Thank you for sending instructions for early access to the patch we will start testing the fix and let you know how we get on.

Many Thanks,
Tom
Posted 27 Jun, 2024 10:32:35 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18965
Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Tom,

It looks like the fix works, yes?

Regards from Poland (GMT+2),

Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 28 Jun, 2024 09:11:03 Top
Tom Waddell




Posts: 6
Joined: 2024-06-24
Hi Andrei,

The fix is working well in our testing. Thank you very much.

Thanks,
Tom
Posted 28 Jun, 2024 13:27:28 Top
Marcel Mrozinski




Posts: 13
Joined: 2019-10-28
Hi Andrei,

we've faced the same issue, can you share the solution with me?

With best regards,
Marcel Mrozinski
Posted 16 Jul, 2024 23:58:39 Top