Automatically update to new version?

**JP Romano** · 09-25-2009, 12:01 PM

No idea if this is possible via Excel/VBA, or if it's more of a packaging & delivery thing, but...thought I'd ask anyway.

I have an excel based appliction that I distribute to about 150 people in the US, London, Hong Kong and Singapore. Distribution is currently done by email containing a link to a Sharepoint site (the email has the link, release notes, etc). The end users open the file and save it to their desktops, overwritting the previous version. I'm finding that many users are not updating their versions as they should be.

So what I'm wondering is if there's a way to have this process automated - so that when the user opens the file, it checks a repository (sharepoint or otherwise) for a more current version, then prompts the user to download it.

Thanks, as always, for any input.
JP

**royUK** · 09-25-2009, 12:34 PM

What kind of fil - is it an addin or just a workbook?

**JP Romano** · 09-25-2009, 12:53 PM

Sorry I didn't clarify...it's just an xlsm file. But that got me wondering if I could save it as an add in on the network, then have all the users just point to that add in, and update the add in on the network.... hmmm...
If I were to do that would the users have load a new copy of the add in when I changed it, or would it auto-magically download for them?

**royUK** · 09-25-2009, 01:07 PM

It should be fine if it's on the network, once they have installed it correctly.

**JP Romano** · 09-25-2009, 01:13 PM

Very cool. Already saved it to the network for some testing. Now I just have to figure out how to assign a toolbar button or something to load it . Much apprecaited Roy!