Error "Excel application needs to be restarted ..." appears when opening Excel sections in NuGenesis LMS - WKB30100

SYMPTOMS

• The following message appears when opening Excel sections in LMS documents:
  • NuGenesis Smart Builder: "Excel application needs to be restarted in order to be able to use Smart Builder's UDF!"
  • NuGenesis LEME: "Excel application needs to be restarted in order to be able to use the method editor proxy UDF!"
• The section opens in Excel
• Smart Builder functionality that does not rely on UDF (user-defined functions) is not affected

ENVIRONMENT

• NuGenesis 9 LMS
• NuGenesis 8 LMS
• NuGenesis 8 ELN
• NuGenesis Smart Builder
• NuGenesis LEME (Laboratory Execution Method Editor)
• Waters.ELN.AC.Userinterface.dll

CAUSE

Smart Builder did not find the registry key that loads the UDF plugin on Excel startup.

FIX or WORKAROUND

1. Open the Registry Editor and browse to the path appropriate for your version of Microsoft Office:
   • 2007: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Options
   • 2010: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Excel\Options
   • 2013: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Excel\Options
   • 2016 or 365: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel\Options
2. Look for a key named "OPEN" or OPEN1, OPEN2, OPEN3, and so on..
3. If the OPEN key is not present, create the OPEN key; look for the highest-numbered "OPENx" key and create the next one in sequence. The key must be the REG_SZ type.
4. Enter the following value for the key:
   • /A "WatersUDF.FormDesignerUDF"
5. Close the Registry Editor.
6. If any Excel sections are open, close Excel.
7. Open an Excel section.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This key is registered in a user-specific part of the registry and exists as part of each user's profile. If the user profiles are ever erased after a user session (for example, erased when a user logs out of a Citrix session, or erased after a period of inactivity), this registry key is erased.

In all cases, it is recommended that this registry key be pushed to all user profiles with a Windows domain logon script or with a group-policy object.  Make sure that the value as pushed out by the script or GPO matches exactly the value given in the Resolution section. Smart Builder looks for this value in the OPENx keys with an exact-match search, and if the case is wrong, or if single quotes are used instead of double quotes, the error will occur even in the presence of a seemingly valid registry key.

In one case it was found that the "FormDesignerUDF" entry in the registry was overwritten by another Excel add-in. If the user profiles are not routinely erased, investigate whether any of the other Excel add-ins are writing their own entries to the "OPENx" keys.