Forum Discussion
Python in Excel - Missing from desktop Excel but exist in web Excel
Good Morning!
Yes, again this topic :-(
When I join to a professional forum I also search for the topic I having a problem with. Found a lot of similar questions but I could not find a post with a solution. Maybe I was not enough attentive and patient but I did not.
Well, we are a University in Hungary, and we have Microsoft 365 A1, A3 and A5 licenses. I attahced a screenshot which shows: in the desktop Excel I got #CALC! error msg when I type =PY and press TAB. But it works in Excel on the Web version.
So the root of the problem cannot be the license, right?
Of course I saw this article about "Python in Excel availability":
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/python-in-excel-availability-781383e6-86b9-4156-84fb-93e786f7cab0
Our licenses are based on user, not device so no, it cannot be that the computer is a device with shared license:
My Excel version is on:
So the version and the channel are also OK. (OK?)
I am also a Global Adminisitrator in our tenant, so I could check if the Connected experiences and Optional connected experiences and all related possibilities are disabled or not: no, it is not disabled. On "Microsoft 365 Apps admin center" :
https://config.office.com/
... I did not find any policies which controls those options so in "Policies for all users" policy I modified all these settings from "Not configured" to "Configured" and "Enabled".
In my Excel the Trust center related settings looks like this:
Of course my Office package up to date, I ran the Update Office and Update License command from Excel. Did not help. I went also to https://admin.microsoft.com site if I can find any related setting, but did not.
I also tried to Sign out and Sign back in Excel - did not help.
Finally, as our computers are in Hybrid environment (so our users are logging in inti on-prem AD, and their properties are synchronised to Azure) I have cerated a Group Policy object (I am also a Domain Admin), which also allows connected and optional experiences for all domain users:
I should not mention: did not help :-( I have checked if the GPO is applied or not by running GPRESULT /R, it applied, it is in the registry.
But despite all the settings so far - nothing helped. The Python in Excel feature in desktop Excel do not want to work. But it does in web based Excel.
I would be very happy to receive any ideas from anyone. Or if U say I should go to official Microsoft support, then I go.
Have a nice day!
Regards,
Andras
/sorry for the very detailed case description, but maybe easier and quicker if I "aswer" all usual questions in advance/
6 Replies
One more information: it came out the AX (A1, A3, A5) licenses are Educational licenses. So based on this official statement:
"If you have an Education subscription, Python in Excel is available on Windows through the Microsoft 365 Insider Program. Choose the Current Channel (Preview) Insider level and install the latest build of Excel. Python in Excel is available for Education subscriptions starting with Version 2406 (Build 17726.20016)."
So I enabled the "Microsoft 365 Insider" possibility for my computer and I regisitered on M365 Insider program, selected the Current channel. Now on my Excel Acccount details panel, the relevant part is:
Of course I ran Update Office, Update License, restarted computer .... but I still not have the Pyton in Excel function active. Not in the Formulas ribbon, and not by typing "=PY" function, still get the #CALC! error msg.
At least one thing is wrong - you are to be on Current (Preview), not on Current.
You may check build numbers for each channel here Release notes for Current Channel (Preview) releases - Office release notes | Microsoft Learn
You may deploy proper channel using Office Deployment Tool or by other way, details shall be on Insider site. Not sure how to do that exactly for consumer or educational subscriptions.
so it appears the functionality changed at some point. Let me confirm you do SEE in the function tool tip/drop down the PY function right? As long as you see it there it is in Excel. So type "(" like you are entering a formula, instead of TAB or ENTER and see if that works for you.
Hi Tarler,
Thanks for your reply! You can see in my earlier post what happens when I press TAB key after =PY. If I type "=PY(" as you suggested, then Excel clears the cell's content and shows this error message:
Also, I cannot see the "Insert Python" icon or Formulas ribbon. This should be look like (found on Internet):
But my Formulas ribbon looks like this:
I've also read on net that maybe it just did not put this function to Formulas ribbon. So I went to Options - Customize Ribbon, selected All commands. But did not find "Insert Python" command.
Logged on with with my same university's account to the web based Excel, it works fine. I have no more idea :-(
Of course, we can use web Excel as a "B plan". But would be much easier to have this function activated in the desktop Excel as well. I have also read Python in Excel is not an addin, this "feature" existits in all Excel, but not active except if ... you know the offical requirement list.
- Personally I have A3 license, so it is Educational license
- I have registered to Microsoft 365 Insider program. My Excel shows this information, also the correct Channel. I have put this screenshot earlier, but see it again:
- I have 64bit Office installed
- We have user based license, not shared device license.
- Connected and optional connected experiences are also enabled.
I don't know what else requirement I miss.
