SpotlightXL - Download & Installation

Spotlight is an Add-In to Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word that provides access to all Dynamic Planning capabilities. There are two methods to install it:

• Automated. Install Spotlight for Office once and receive automatic upgrades in the future. This is the ClickOnce method.
• Manual. Install Spotlight for Office the first time. When an upgrade is released, uninstall the old version of Spotlight for Office and install the new. This is the InstallShield MSI method.

Recommendation: We recommend getting automatic upgrades by installing ClickOnce. However, if this is not preferred, then install InstallShield MSI and upgrade it manually with every release. We support backward compatibility of Spotlight for Office so you can upgrade the Add-In less frequently (but at least quarterly).

Where to Download SpotlightXL and Version Information

The table below shows the links for the latest release. Click the link to access the installation program. If you are prompted to Run or Save the file, click Save, and the program will be downloaded to your Downloads folder. If you see the program at the bottom of your browser window, click the arrow to Show in Folder.

You can verify the checksum for the different Spotlight installers using the information from the following table.

What Version of SpotlightXL Am I Using?

To see which version of SpotlightXL you are currently using, hover your mouse over the Login or Logoff button on the SpotlightXL menu.

Incompatible SpotlightXL Error

Some users do not upgrade their Spotlight Add-In regularly. Occasionally, when a new version of Dynamic Planning is released, older versions of the Spotlight Add-In may not function properly. We recommend updating Spotlight Add-In at least four times per year.

If you have received the error message "Incompatible SpotlightXL version," then you need to uninstall the old version of the Spotlight Add-In and install the latest version on your computer. See Upgrading SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office for instructions on how to upgrade.

System Requirements

SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office require the following:

• Windows 10 or 11

• Microsoft Excel/Office 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Office 365

• SpotlightXL Native and SSO users

• Excel Add-In on Windows 32 and 64 bits

SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office Client Requirements

SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office require that you have .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Office Runtime on your computer.

Microsoft .NET 4.7.2 and TLS 1.2 Requirement Beginning February 1, 2019

Planful supports only TLS 1.2. All customers who are using either Spotlight or Dynamic Planning must do two steps:

• Upgrade to .NET Framework 4.7.2.

• Upgrade to the latest Spotlight Add-in.

By upgrading to Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2, you also get TLS 1.2. Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol is an industry standard designed to protect the privacy of information communicated over the Internet.

End users with ClickOnce, which provides automatic installation of the latest client software, must have Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 installed.

Users who manually install the January 2019 or later client software must have Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 installed.

MS Office Users:

If you are using Spotlight for Office (SpotlightXL, PPT, Word) or just SpotlightXL and do not have .NET Framework 4.7.2 installed, you affected by this change. We recommend to update the .NET Framework to 4.7.2 as early as possible. All users who do not have .NET Framework 4.7.2 installed will not be able to access the Spotlight Add-Ins.

If you do not have .NET Framework 4.7.2, then you will see a message on the menu ribbon:

".NET Framework needs to be upgraded. We recommend to do it at the earliest."

Browser Users:

If you use any of the modern browsers to log in to Planful (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, IE 10 and above), you will NOT be affected by this change. All the modern browsers already support TLS 1.2. If you are using lower versions of IE and use TLS 1.0 or TLS 1.1, please upgrade to TLS 1.2 by upgrading your .NET Framework.

Upgrading to .NET Framework 4.7.2:

If you see the message that .NET Framework needs to be upgraded, then you need to upgrade the .NET Framework to 4.7.2. To upgrade the .NET Framework to 4.7.2, you need to have Admin rights on your PC, otherwise you can ask your IT team to upgrade it.

If .NET Framework 4.7.2 is already installed, then you do not need to do anything and there will not be any impact for you to access the application.

Where to Download .NET Framework 4.7.2:

https://www.microsoft.com/net/download/dotnet-framework-runtime

How to Determine Which .NET Framework is Installed:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/migration-guide/how-to-determine-which-versions-are-installed

For Additional Information, Refer to the Links Below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Layer_Security

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/secauthn/transport-layer-security-protocol

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3140245/update-to-enable-tls-1.1-and-tls-1.2-as-a-default-secure-protocols-in-winhttp-in-windows

SpotlightXL Add-In: IE browser Deprecation; Introduction of WebView2 Control

The Spotlight Add-In has traditionally used the .Net Webbrowser control for the user login and Dynamic commentary; relying on the IE browser at runtime. With Microsoft deprecating IE browser support, we are transitioning to the WebView2 control, which is based on the Microsoft Edge Chromium browser. This change requires the WebView2 runtime for applications using it.

We have a tenant level flag "NewWebBrowserControl" which will enable us to track WebView2 data installed on the customer system and will analyze which users from the tenants have WebView2 installed in their machine. Admins can enable this flag for all the users in the system. Once the tenant flag is enabled, the SpotlightXL office Add-In will capture the flag details to check the WebView2 installation status on each user's system. You will be able to login via WebView2 control once the server details are captured. In case you face any issue while logging in from WebView2 control, you will have the option to Login via IE.

Where to Download WebView2:

https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=2124703](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=2124703

Below are the use-cases that are most likely to occur after the server details are captured post initial login:

1. When the Tenant level flag is ON and the user has WebView2 installed in the user’s system:

• User login will directly be done via WebView2 control. The login experience and the user interface will remain the same.
• You will be able to SSO login with WebView2.
• Last login URL details will be displayed in the URL dropdown. The last logged-in URL will open in webview2 as well.
• Last login details will be captured in the Login page but will not be carried across different browsers controls in case the user switches between IE and WebView2.

2. When the Tenant Level Flag is ON, WebView2 is Not Installed OR Tenant Level Flag is OFF; Webview2 Installed / Not Installed in user’s system:

•  Users will be logged in via IE. The user interface will remain the same.
• While logging in to the SpotlightXL, you will see a notification requesting you to install WebView2. This will also contain a link to the WebView2 help documentation.
• Once WebView2 is installed in the user’s system, login details will be captured and will allow you to login directly via WebView2 from the next login.

In Practice: To use WebView2 control

1. In SpotlightXL, when the Tenant level flag is ON and the WebView2 runtime is installed in the system, Click Login.

2. You will be navigated to the Login page in the Microsoft Edge Chromium browser.

Visual Studio

If Visual Studio is not detected, you are prompted to install it.

See also Installation Best Practices.

Installing SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office

If you plan to use SpotlightXL exclusively and not use SpotlightWord or SpotlightPPT, complete the following steps:

1. Download the appropriate SpotlightXL executable file as instructed by your administrator (choose from ClickOnce, InstallShield MSI 64-bit, or InstallShield MSI 32-bit). The executable files are listed here: Where to Download and Version Information.

2. Double-click the file (likely in the Downloads folder) to run it.

If you plan to use Spotlight for Office, complete the following steps:

1. Download the appropriate Spotlight for Office executable file as instructed by your administrator (choose from ClickOnce, InstallShield MSI 64-bit, or InstallShield MSI 32-bit). The executable files are listed here: Where to Download and Version Information.

2. Double-click the file (likely in the Downloads folder) to run it.

Upgrading SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office

The SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office Add-Ins are updated regularly by Planful.

Recommendation : Planful recommends that you upgrade it at least quarterly.

If you have installed the SpotlightXL, SpotlightWord, or SpotlightPPT Add-Ins with ClickOnce (automated method), no additional upgrade steps are required. When you start Excel, Word, or PowerPoint, the Add-In looks for a new Add-In and then automatically uninstalls the old Add-In and installs the newly available Add-In.

If you have installed the SpotlightXL or Spotlight for Office Add-In with InstallShield MSI (manual method), you will need to uninstall the Add-In from your computer, then install the new version.

Uninstalling SpotlightXL or Spotlight for Office

The following steps apply to either InstallShield MSI 64-bit or InstallShield MSI 32-bit.

1. Close out of your Office applications: Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

2. Start Windows Control Panel or Windows Run/Search "Add or Remove Programs."

3. Scroll down to find SpotlightXL or Spotlight XL|PPT|WORD.

4. Depending on the version of Windows Control Panel used, select it and click Uninstall, or double-click it.

5. Click OK when asked if you are sure you want to remove the customization from your computer.

6. To reinstall, follow the instructions for installing the Add-In, either with How to Use the ClickOnce Installer for Automatic Upgrades or How to Use the InstallShield MSI Installer.