This file path indicates where the add-in is installed on your computer

The Word STARTUP folder is the folder Word uses by default to store global templates and add-ins. When you start Word, the program automatically loads all Word files in the STARTUP folder that are in .dot, .dotx or .dotm format so they are ready for use in Word.

The Word add-ins provided by DocTools must be placed in the folder that is defined as the Word STARTUP folder. This article explains how you can find the STARTUP folder on your computer. By default, the folder is named STARTUP in English versions of Microsoft Word. However, the default name depends on your language version of Word. For example, the default name in a Danish version of Word is START.

• Microsoft Windows 11, WIndows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista
  C:\Users\[User name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP
• Microsoft Windows XP
  C:\Documents and Settings\[User name]\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP

You can find the location of the Microsoft Word STARTUP folder on your computer using METHOD 1 or METHOD 2 below. Once you have found the STARTUP folder, it is practical to add it to the list of favorite locations. This will make it easy to always find the folder.

Note that some people use the term directory for folder, e.i. startup directory instead of startup folder.

If you cannot see the STARTUP folder

By default, some files and folders are hidden. That is true for the Word STARTUP folder. If you cannot see the folder when you follow the procedures below, you must change a setting. See How to make hidden files and folders visible.

METHOD 1 – find the STARTUP folder via the macro editor

This method is most likely faster than METHOD 2.

1. In Word, press Alt+F11 to open the macro editor, VBE.
2. In the VBE window, press Ctrl+G to go to the Immediate window.
3. In the Immediate window, type: ?Application.StartupPath
4. Press Enter.

The path to the STARTUP folder is now shown below the line you typed as illustrated in Figure 1 below. You can copy the path and paste it into the address field in Windows Explorer and press Enter to go directly to the STARTUP folder.

Figure 1. Finding the STARTUP folder via the macro editor, VBE.

1. Start Microsoft Word.
2. Follow the relevant bullet below to open the File Locations dialog box:

• Word 2010 and newer versions: Select File > Options > Advanced > General group > File Locations (close to the bottom of the dialog box).
• Word 2007: Select Office button > Word Options > Advanced > General group > File Locations (close to the bottom of the dialog box).
• Word 2003 or an earlier version: Select Tools > Options > File Locations tab.

Figure 2. Finding the STARTUP folder via the Word Options dialog box.

1. Select Startup in the list to open the Modify Location dialog – the dialog box opens with the current STARTUP folder selected.

Figure 3. Click Modify to find the full path.

1. Note down the path to the STARTUP folder.
2. Close the opened dialog box(es) – click OK if you have changed settings, otherwise you can just click Cancel.

Note that you can specify any folder with any name as the STARTUP folder. However, do not change the default name or location unless there are important reasons to do so. The default STARTUP folder is specified as a trusted location. If you specify another folder as the STARTUP folder, make sure to add it to trusted locations. Otherwise, you may have problems with functionality in add-ins being blocked. Trusted locations can be added via Trust Center below Word Options.

Browse pages, sections, headings, tables, graphics, etc. and find text in Word with a single click

The AdvanceFlow addin allows you to include information directly from AdvanceFlow into your Microsoft Word and Excel documents. The information below walks through troubleshooting problems with the AdvanceFlow addin.  

If you receive an error message indicating that the Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime is not installed, download and install this component from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48217

This icon appears alongside links to resources that are not developed or maintained by Thomson Reuters. We provide access to these resources for your convenience, but we are not responsible for their accuracy. If you need additional assistance, please consult your qualified technician and/or the vendor who developed the resource.

The GoFileRoom and AdvanceFlow addins have key differences that effect how an issue should be resolved. Because all AdvanceFlow documents are housed within GoFileRoom, you first need to identify which addin is causing the problem. The table below lists some common problems and which addin is not working properly.

Steps for identifying addin problems

1. Verify all settings within the GoFileRoom and AdvanceFlow IT Checklists.
2. Verify that the AdvanceFlow tab is displayed in Microsoft Word and/or Excel. Show me.
   

   Note: If the Add-In does not appear in the ribbon, it may have been disabled or was not properly installed.

3. Verify that the document has been added to an engagement within AdvanceFlow. The document must be added to an AdvanceFlow engagement to use AdvanceFlow add-in functions.
   • Engagement Link
   • Workpaper Reference
   • Procedure Completed
   • Checkmark
   • Recalculate
   • Load Tickmarks

Resolving addin problems

Addin is installed properly, but not functioning

The addin should load for any Word or Excel document that is included in an engagement within AdvanceFlow and then opened for editing (through either GoFileRoom or AdvanceFlow). 

1. Close Microsoft Word and Excel.
2. Open Microsoft Task Manager and close any open sessions of Microsoft Word or Excel.
3. Re-open the document for editing again.

If you open a document outside of AdvanceFlow or GoFileRoom, the addin will not be available to use.

1. Navigate to C:\Users\[your username]\AppData\Roaming\AdvanceFlow\logs.
2. Open the log file with Notepad.
3. Look for an item with today's date that says "This is not an AF document, either path is not recognized or doesn't have custom property."

Addin not "sticking"

If the addin turns on, but when you re-open Microsoft Word or Excel, it is turned off again, use the following steps.

1. If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer, verify you are running the application as an Administrator.
2. In Microsoft Word or Excel, choose File > Options and then select Add-Ins.
3. Choose "Disabled Items" in the Manage field, and then select Go.
4. Verify that the AdvanceFlowWordAddin or AdvanceFlowExcelAddin items are not listed.
5. If listed, select the AdvanceFlow addin and then select Enable.

If the addin is still not "sticking", try these steps:

1. Verify that Microsoft Word and Excel are fully updated.
2. Browse to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office [YY].
3. Locate the EXCEL.EXE or WINWORD.EXE file.
4. Right-click on the file and choose Run as Administrator.

If the addins still aren't "sticking", verify the registry behavior (the load behavior should equal 3; however, if the addins ever failed to load for any reason, the value may have changed).

Thomson Reuters recommends having a qualified technician make registry changes as problems with the registry can cause serious problems with the operating system. It is also recommended that you backup the registry before making changes to it.

1. Open the Start menu and enter regedit in the search box and open regedit.exe (Registry Editor).
2. In the Registry Editor, browse to the following:
   • 64-bit machine: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Excel (or Word)\Addins\AdvanceFlow.Excel(Word)AddIn
   • 64-bit machine: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Excel (or Word)\Addins\AdvanceFlow.Excel(Word)AddIn
   • 32-bit machine: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Excel (or Word)\Addins\AdvanceFlow.Excel(Word)AddIn
   • 32-bit machine: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Excel (or Word)\Addins\AdvanceFlow.Excel(Word)AddIn
3. On the right, you should see an option for "LoadBehavior" - verify that it is set to a value of 3.
4. If not 3, right-click on LoadBehavior, select Modify, and set the value to 3.
5. Test if the addins are sticking.

If STILL not sticking, here are MORE steps to try:

1. Close all Microsoft Office applications.
2. In the Registry Editor, browse to: \HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\XX.X or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\XX.X.
3. Rename the XX.X folder that corresponds to the version of Microsoft Office on that machine.  Show me
   

4. Reopen Office and see if the addins are sticking now.

The last thing to try if the addin still won't stick is to run a full or online repair on Microsoft Office, from the Control Panel.

Tickmarks

If the Tickmarks button indicates "Load Tickmarks" the addin is not signed into AdvanceFlow.

Click the Load Tickmarks button and log into AdvanceFlow. Once signed in, the tickmarks will display.

Addin is not displayed at all

Verify that the addin is installed by following the steps below.

1. Click the Start Menu, open the Control Panel and then open Programs and Features.
2. Verify that both the GoFileRoom and AdvanceFlow addins are listed.

Verify that the addin is active by following the steps below.

1. Open Microsoft Word or Excel.
2. Choose File > Options and then click Add-Ins.
3. In the Manage section, select COM add-ins and then click Go.
4. For Microsoft Word, verify that AdvanceFlowWordAddin is listed and enabled.
5. For Microsoft Excel verify that AdvanceFlowExcelAddin is listed and enabled.
6. If you do not see either of these listed, reinstall the AdvanceFlow Client Add-Ins.
7. Repeat steps 1-3, but choose Excel addins from the Manage section and then click Go.
8. Verify that AdvanceFlow.ExcelAutomation.ExcelFns is listed and enabled. If not listed, click the Automation button to enable it.

Disable other addins that may be causing a conflict

1. In Microsoft Word or Excel, choose File > Options and then click Add-Ins.
2. In the Manage section, select COM add-ins and then click Go.
3. Disable any addins that you are not using, such as the Send to Bluetooth or Cisco Click to Call addins.

Reinstall the AdvanceFlow addin

1. From the Control Panel, uninstall the AdvanceFlow addin.
2. Browse to C:\Program Files (x86)\Thomson Reuters\AdvanceFlow\Office and rename the Office folder to OfficeOld.
3. Browse to C:\Users\[your username]\AppData\Roaming\AdvanceFlow and rename the AddInsConfiguration.ini file to AddInsConfigurationOLD.ini
4. In AdvanceFlow, choose Administration > Downloads. Download and install the Office Client Add-in.

If a message is displayed that says "The older version of AdvanceFlow Client Add-Ins cannot be removed. Contact your technical support group." do the following:

1. Make a backup of the registry.
2. In the registry editor, browse to the following locations and rename the AdvanceFlow.ExcelAddin and AdvanceFlow.WordAddin items:
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Word\Addins
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Word\Addins
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins
3. Reboot the computer.
4. Log in to AdvanceFlow and reinstall the Client Addins.

"Unable to open accounts.xml" message displays

This message is commonly displayed when editing a Word document in AdvanceFlow that was converted from CSA. Use the following steps to resolve this message.

1. Open the document, and click OK when the message displays.
2. Choose File > Options and then click Add-Ins.
3. In the Manage field, select Word Add-ins and then click Go.
4. On the Templates tab, click the Attach button.
5. Browse to C:\Users\[your username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates and select normal.dotm
6. Click Open and then OK.
7. Save the file back to GoFileRoom or AdvanceFlow, as appropriate.
8. Re-open the document and verify that the message is not displayed.

Excel cells showing #NAME

When one of the addins does not load properly, some cells in the Microsoft Excel document may show as #NAME instead of the value. Use these steps to correct the problem.

1. With the Excel document open, choose File > Options.
2. Click Add-Ins, and then select Excel Add-Ins from the Manage field.
3. Click Go.
4. If the AdvanceFlow.ExcelAutomation.ExcelFns item is listed, verify that the checkbox is marked.
5. If the AdvanceFlow.ExcelAutomation.ExcelFns item is not listed, click the Automation button.
6. In the list, highlight the AdvanceFlow.ExcelAutomation.ExcelFns item and then click OK.
7. Click OK to close the dialog.
8. Click the Recalculate button on the AdvanceFlow addin.
9. If you are still seeing #NAME, close and reopen the document.

Addin was previously uninstalled via Excel COM addins and is not reinstalling properly

If you uninstall or reinstall the AdvanceFlow addin as part of your troubleshooting steps, we recommend uninstalling from Programs and Features, or simply downloading and reinstalling the client addin, which will also remove the previously installed version. If you have removed the addin via Excel COM addins, it may not reinstall properly. Use the steps below to complete the removal of the addin if the addin was removed via Excel COM addins.

Thomson Reuters recommends having a qualified technician make registry changes as problems with the registry can cause serious problems with the operating system. It is also recommended that you backup the registry before making changes to it.

1. Close all Microsoft Excel sessions on the machine.
2. Open the Start menu and enter regedit in the search box and open regedit.exe (Registry Editor).
3. In the Registry Editor, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun\REGISTRY\MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins.
4. Locate the AdvanceFlow.ExcelAddIn.
5. Verify that the LoadBehavior is set to a value of 3. If still having problems after this, continue with the next step.
6. Delete the AdvanceFlow.ExcelAddIn.
7. Reinstall the AdvanceFlow client addin.

Related topic

Uninstalling the GoFileRoom Client Addin

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