Monkey Tools

Installation and Activation Issues

Article Overview

While we hope that Monkey Tools installs easily and keeps running, the reality is that software is a complicated thing, and sometimes things break. This article is intended to capture the most common issues that can occur, and provide solutions to get you (back) up and running as quickly as possible.

This article is divided into three main sections

Issues Which Prevent or Block Installation

For the most part, installing Monkey Tools is easy, and can be accomplished following the steps in the Installing Monkey Tools support article. Having said this – for those who do run into issues – these are the most common we’ve experienced.

Issue 1: Your Organization Blocks Web Installers

For a variety of reasons, Monkey Tools installs using a “Click Once” installer via the https://monkeytools/software/monkeytools.application link. Whether you download the installer or run it from the web, it will still contact https://monkeytools.ca for the installation files as well as future updates. If your organization blocks Click Once installers or the ability to install software from the internet, it will most likely block the installation of Monkey Tools.

Issue 2: You Have an Extremely Aggressive Anti-Virus Software

In the entire time we have been distributing Monkey Tools, we have only ever received one support call related to this issue.  The Anti-Virus software in question was PC Matic, and was blocking our installer from running.  Once the anti-virus was temporarily disabled, it allowed the Monkey Tools installation to proceed as expected.

Issue 3: Digital Certificate Prevents Installation

Monkey Tools is signed by a “Sectigo RSA Code Signing CA” certificate, which should be trusted by most organizations. We have encountered one government agency who does not trust this issuer however, which blocks the installation of Monkey Tools completely. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to resolve this issue, as the IT department needs to whitelist our digital certificate provider.

Issues Which Prevent License Activation

In most cases, activating your Monkey Tools license can be done by following the steps listed in our Activating Your License article. If you run into an error, however, please read the section below for known issues/resolutions.

Issue 1: License Activation Blocked

Monkey Tools licensing is managed via Soraco‘s licensing service, which makes a call to the https://qlm2.net domain. If you are experiencing issues with activating your license, we suggest that you whitelist this domain in your firewall software. If that still doesn’t solve the issue, please reach out to us.

Issues Which Occur After a Successful Installation

We consider a successful installation one where you were able to install Monkey Tools and see the Monkey Tools tab in your Excel ribbon as shown below.  If you’ve never got to this point, skip down to the section on “Issues which prevent installation” below.

Issue 1: Custom UI Runtime Error popups

Issue Symptoms

After installing Monkey Tools, you receive one or more Custom UI Runtime Error in MonkeyTools error messages.

Resolution - Turn of "Show Add-in User Interface Errors" setting

Unfortunately, the implementation of the framework Microsoft provides us to customize the Ribbon interface is poorly designed to handle changes between version, as Power Query has been subject to. This means that – in order to support multiple Excel instances – our user interface has no option but to include invalid control IDs.

The good news is that these error messages can be suppressed via the following setting:

  1. Got to File -> Options
  2. Select the Advanced section
  3. Scroll all the way to the bottom
  4. Un-check “Show Add-in User Interface Errors”

Issue 2: Monkey Tools tab disappears

Issue Symptoms

Monkey Tools was installed and appearing on your ribbon, but no longer appears when you launch Excel.

Trying to enable the add-in via File -> Options -> Add-ins -> Manage COM Add-ins -> Go and checking the box next to Monkey Tools returns the message “Not loaded. A runtime error occurred during the loading of the COM Add-in.” 

Potential Resolution 1 - Hidden Corrupted Excel Instance

The first (and most likely) cause of this issue is that Excel is be running in a hidden and corrupted instance. To resolve this:

  • Close all instances of Excel
  • Type Windows + R to launch the Run prompt
  • Type taskmgr -> Enter to launch the Task Manager
  • Click More Details and select the Details tab (1)
  • Look for “EXCEL.EXE” in the list of process names (2)

If you find “Excel.exe” in this list:

  • Select it
  • Click End Task (3)
  • Re-launch Excel

At this point, Monkey Tools should be back on your ribbon.

If you do not find EXCEL.EXE in the list, check the next potential cause below. 

Terminating a rogue Excel instance

Potential Resolution 2 - Monkey Tools has been Disabled

The next thing to check is whether Monkey Tools has been added to the Disabled Add-ins list in Excel:

  • Go to File -> Options -> Add-ins
  • Choose to Manage -> Disabled Items -> Go…
If Monkey Tools appears in this list:
  • Select it
  • Click Enable -> Close
  • Restart Excel
We do not want Monkey Tools in this list!

Potential Resolution 3 - Reinstall Monkey Tools

On rare occasions an issue can come up where the Monkey Tools application needs a reinstall.  There is no need to uninstall the old version, just re-install using the following steps:

  1. Close Excel
  2. Click here to Re-install Monkey Tools
  3. Wait for the “Monkey Tools Registration has Succeeded” message to appear
  4. Restart Excel

Is Your Issue Not Listed?

We currently don’t have any other issues listed here. But if you encounter an issue that you think should be covered, please take the time to:

  • Submit a bug via the Monkey Tools help menu, or
  • Submit a bug through our contact form

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