MySQL Bugs: #96047: MySQL for Excel 1.3.8 Connections Missing from Dialogue Window

Bug #96047	MySQL for Excel 1.3.8 Connections Missing from Dialogue Window
Submitted:	1 Jul 2019 12:53	Modified:	1 Aug 2019 14:11
Reporter:	J Meza	Email Updates:
Status:	Won't fix	Impact on me:	None
Category:	MySQL for Windows: MySQL for Excel	Severity:	S1 (Critical)
Version:	1.3.8	OS:	Windows (10 Pro, 1803 64)
Assigned to:		CPU Architecture:	x86
Tags:	Missing Connections, MySQL for Excel, windows

Description:
Same issue as here ... https://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=91117, but in version 1.3.8.  Recently (about a week after 1.3.8 was released) upgraded from 1.3.7 to 1.3.8, and now I'm experiencing same; connections are missing from the MySQL for Excel Dialogue window. No problems w/ Workbench or other applications.

Attempted (1) Uninstalling / reinstalling, (2) Creating new connections, (3) this: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/50498742/mysql-for-excel-no-connection-showing, (4) Confirmed I have latest version of MS Excel, and (5) De-Activating / Activating the add-in from with MS Excel. No joy. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

OS: Windows 10 Pro, 1803 64
Excel: v 1906 (Build 11727.20230)
MySQL for Excel: 1.3.8 (Latest as of 070119)

How to repeat:
Launch MySQL for Excel Add-in

I woke up this morning and I'm afflicted by the same bug. I did the same steps that J Meza did. Here is my Excel version:

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019
Version 1906 (Build 11727.20230)

MySQL Excel 1.3.8

Oracle: I hope this gets fixed soon, this app is non-functional with the bug!

J Meza if you find the fix please post it here please.

Do you think it might have something to do with a Microsoft Office update? As far as I know I had MySQL Excel 1.3.7 this morning when the bug appeared. I uninstalled and reinstalled with MySQL Excel 1.3.8 only to face the same bug.

Thanks

... also checked if this was related to my security software; it does not appear to be.

So this is going to be unanswered for months like the other thread of last year? Users can't use the software anymore with this bug.

I was able to repeat on my laptop which wasn't able to repeat before ( I handled prior similar bug as can't repeat) I wasn't able to check why suddenly this machine Windows 10 Pro changed it's behavior suddenly on another side on another desktop machine with same Windows 10 Pro doesn't presents this issue showing all the connections. Both machine have the Office 365.

Also affects me. I have Office 2016 (x64), Win10 (x64). Makes the application unusable for me. Hoping for a quick solution.

I have the same problem after install the Excel Add On (version 1.3.8), the dialog box don't show any connection.

Hello guys, after run (Run As Administrator) the command bellow, the connection appear again:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ClickToRun>OfficeC2RClient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.11601.20144

Connection list up after removing/installing twice Microsoft Office 365

Attachment: 96047-3.png (image/png, text), 44.53 KiB.

This is an Office issue, I got the connection empty list and then after twice removing/installing the Office suite the connection list on Excel worked (see screenshot prior attached), then is obvious is an Office issue.

Hi, same problem here.

Windows 10 v. 1803
Office 2016

The workaround provided involving cmd works, I'm able to see my connections again; but now I have to freeze all my Office versions in order to use MySQLForExcel. Hoping for a quick solution!

BTW, seems like this issue is not new. Take a look at https://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=91117, https://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=91061 or https://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=91050.

All of our Windows 10 machines have recently stopped showing available connections in MySQL for Excel. Rolling back Office to 1904 on all of the machines and turning updates off is not a viable solution.  This is critical to us and is of great significance to our day to day business operations.  Please fix this ASAP.

Hi, any updates on this?

Thanks,
Ruben

Posted by developer:
 
This issue is something that cannot be reproduced consistently, there are no set of steps that ensure this can be reproduced on any environment.
If you have a clear set of steps (like upgrade to X version of Office, on Y version of Windows, and ensure you have other Z things on your environment), please provide them so we can expedite a fix.
We do not even know if a fix is possible for a problem that the development team can't reproduce and that other users have reported fixing without the need for a change in the source code.

This will be scheduled to be worked on, we are VERY thin on manpower and we have a set of priorities developing different MySQL products, we can't spend time trying to wonder a combination of factors that is leading to this problem to surface. The only information you have been giving so far is "I open MySQL for Excel and the connections list is not there", and the evidence via screenshot is there, but still this seems to be very specific to some environments.

Please help giving as much information as you can as to how to reproduce this.

Two scenarios, both with Windows 10 Pro 64 bit version 1803 build 17134.855 and KB4507435 and KB4480730, Office Subscription Product 365 Business version 1906 build 11727.20244 monthly channel.

1) Server 8.0.16 (x64), workbench 8.0.16 (x64), Excel connector 1.3.8 (x86), visual studio 1.2.8 (x86), shell 8.0.16 (x64), connector/ODBC 8.0.16 (x64), connector/NET 8.0.16 (x86), visual c++ 2013 redist 12.0.30501 (x64), visual c++ 2015 redist 14.0.2413 (x64), vs tools for office runtime 2010 redist 10.0.60724.0

2) Excel connector 1.3.8 (x86), vs tools for office runtime 2010 redist 10.0.60724.0

Both show no connections in MySQL for Excel.  In scenario 1 existing connections don't show and new connections will test okay but do not show up in the list.  In scenario 2 new connections will test okay but do not show up in the list.

Let me know if you need anything else.

It would be useful if someone from the MySQL for Excel team could clarify whether:

1. This is an issue caused by the MS Office 
2. This is an issue caused by MySQL for Excel
3. This is an issue for which a workaround at the MySQL for Excel side is possible 

In case of (1 && !(3)) how could we expedite the resolution of the problem, and where can we report this problem at the MS side?

Any progress?  Have you been able to duplicate the problem?  Do you need anything else from us?  Please advise as we are in need of a solution.

Posted by developer:

Thanks to the people that have provided some kind of feedback and information about your particular configurations.
You need to understand this bug is scheduled to be fixed on the next release, and although your comments and the number of people reporting the same problem helps to somewhat plan a sooner schedule, it does not help that you ask if there has been progress on this. We have a schedule and work on different products, we will try to work on this to see if there is a fix according to our product schedule.

As I said before, this seems to be a very random bug, people have reported the connections list disappearing suddenly, and the only thing that causes that is an Office update or a Windows update (most likely the former). So I am unsure a code change will fix anything, in fact I haven't been able to reproduce the error myself, but will keep trying.

The only suggestion I have heard to reproduce this problem is: keep installing and uninstalling Office until the connections list disappears. So far no accurate set of steps or no specific Office version that causes this problem to appear.

We are sorry to hear this is affecting many people, and we will work on this as soon as possible.
In the meantime you should try any of the workarounds given by other folks that have been able to solve this problem, which seems to be caused by an Office upgrade.

You can try uninstalling MySQL for Excel, downgrading your Excel version to one that does not present the issue, and then install MySQL for Excel again.
A user suggested just that running this command:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ClickToRun>OfficeC2RClient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.11601.20144

https://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=96364 marked as duplicate of this one.

I too have been experiencing this problem. After reading through this thread, I was able to duplicate the problem the same as in this post - [19 Jul 17:41] Glynn Ellis - 

Can you please try to duplicate it as well? We all need this addressed.

Thank you.

Connection list after Office 365 repair

Attachment: mysql for excel after office repair.png (image/png, text), 52.47 KiB.

Control Panel Office selected change to perform repair

Attachment: usechangetorepairoffice.png (image/png, text), 8.55 KiB.

Selecting the Office repair method

Attachment: selectrepairmethod.png (image/png, text), 26.48 KiB.

Hello guys,
I think I discovered what is the reason for this issue and it's Office issue, that was searching Office addons issues. Please see screenshots prior attached. To fix this bug just repair Office installation (it re-install the Office stuff) using the Control Panel programs and selecting change/repair.

The problem with the fix suggested by doing a repair as well as with the previous posting to rollback to a previous office update is that neither of them are viable for those of us with a volume license of Office 365 Business.  Repairing an installation, reverting a click to run update or using the Office Deployment tool to rollback an update do not appear to be available for this type of installation.  Even if they were, they would represent a short term fix and not a long term solution.  Does anyone out there have a volume license installation and an interim fix for that type of install?  As you might expect given that we are running a volume license we have a large volume of inoperable systems.

For those of you still struggling with this issue, I have discovered a fix for our situation (Office 365) that does not require a downgrade of Office and turning Office updates off.  The fix will probably work for Office 2016 as well.  Simply start up Excel, click on File at the top left, click on Options at the bottom left, select General in the Excel Options dialog and under User Interface Options select Optimize for Compatibility, click OK and restart Excel.  Your connections should now appear.  I have cycled this a couple of times and my connections appear and disappear with changes to this setting.  Hope this helps some of you out!

The workaround / fix discovered by Glynn Ellis really works very well.
Until now I have tested this on 2 WIN 10 machines and both work flawlessly.
Thank you so much Glynn

Hello,
I can confirm that the Glynn Ellis fix worked for me.

Testing the fix suggested by Glynn Ellis this A.M. ... Seems to function as described. Thank you.

Product under sustaining support

Don't know if this issue has already been resolved already and finally so I'm posting what worked for me in 'desktop' Excel 365:
Click File upper left corner in Excel.
Double Click More... lower left corner,
Click 'Options'
Go to 'Add-ins' and you will see MySQL For Excel as a 'COM Add-in', if installed properly.
Go lower left corner to' Manage:'
Select COM Add-ins from drop down window.
Click 'Go...' button
You will see 'Add-ins available'; check the MYSQL For Excel checkbox.

In the bottom of this pop-up you can see that your action 'Loads' the selected 'at Startup'.

Restart Excel, click 'Data' on the ribbon, and you will see MySQL For Excel on the left hand side of the ribbon.

Comment: I also went to File -> Options -> Trust Center -> 'Trust Center Settings...' clicked, went to upper left corner, 'Trusted Locations' and added the path to MySQL For Excel in 
C\...Files(x86).  Not sure if this has any effect though, really.

Don't know if this issue has already been resolved already and finally so I'm posting what worked for me in 'desktop' Excel 365:
Click File upper left corner in Excel.
Double Click More... lower left corner,
Click 'Options'
Go to 'Add-ins' and you will see MySQL For Excel as a 'COM Add-in', if installed properly.
Go lower left corner to' Manage:'
Select COM Add-ins from drop down window.
Click 'Go...' button
You will see 'Add-ins available'; check the MYSQL For Excel checkbox.

In the bottom of this pop-up you can see that your action 'Loads' the selected 'at Startup'.

Restart Excel, click 'Data' on the ribbon, and you will see MySQL For Excel on the left hand side of the ribbon.

Comment: I also went to File -> Options -> Trust Center -> 'Trust Center Settings...' clicked, went to upper left corner, 'Trusted Locations' and added the path to MySQL For Excel in 
C\...Files(x86).  Not sure if this has any effect though, really.

Apologies for the dublication of my previous comment; captcha indicated it was not entered correctly so I tried again and surpise!... got two renderings...