Download & Installation

Spotlight

Spotlight is an Add-In for Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, providing access to all Dynamic Planning capabilities. You can install it in two ways:

• Automated: Install Spotlight for Office once and receive future upgrades automatically using the ClickOnce method.
• Manual: Install Spotlight for Office initially. Upon a new upgrade release, uninstall the previous version and install the updated version using the InstallShield MSI method.

Recommendation: We strongly suggest opting for automatic upgrades via ClickOnce installation. However, if this isn’t preferable, you can choose the InstallShield MSI method and manually upgrade with each release. We ensure backward compatibility of Spotlight for Office, allowing less frequent Add-In upgrades (at least quarterly).

Where to Download SpotlightXL and Version Information

The table below contains links for the latest release:

• You should install the 64-bit version if you are using a 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows. 
• Similarly, you should install the 32-bit version if you are using a 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows
• Backward compatibility refers to the Add-In client version that functions with the Dynamic Planning server and is maintained within three months. Planful recommends users receive automatic monthly updates using ClickOnce. If automatic updates are not feasible, then updates should be performed at least quarterly using the InstallShield MSI method.

Installing SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office

If you intend to exclusively utilize SpotlightXL without using SpotlightWord or SpotlightPPT, follow these steps:

1. Download the appropriate SpotlightXL executable file as instructed by your administrator. You can 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 downloaded file (usually found in the Downloads folder) to run it.

If you plan to use Spotlight for Office, follow these steps:

1. Download the appropriate Spotlight for Office executable file as instructed by your administrator. You can 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 downloaded file (usually found in the Downloads folder) to run it.

Additionally, the Installer page within the Spotlight Add-Ins screen, allows users to install the Spotlight add-ins:

1. Go to your profile and click Manage Your Account.
2. Select Spotlight Add-Ins.
3. Here, you will find the ClickOnce link for Automatic Installation and the Manual Installation links for Spotlight Add-In upgrades.
   

How to Use the ClickOnce Installer for Automatic Upgrades

Utilizing ClickOnce reduces ongoing maintenance as it requires a one-time installation and automatic updates. There are three versions of ClickOnce available for Spotlight for Office:

• ClickOnce for SpotlightXL
• ClickOnce for SpotlightWord
• ClickOnce for SpotlightPPT

If you intend to use Spotlight for Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, you'll need to run each of the three ClickOnce installers for these applications once. Subsequently, automatic updates for future releases will be received.

• Download the SpotlightXL_ClickOnce.exe, SpotlightPPT_ClickOnce.exe, and SpotlightWord_ClickOnce.exe files from the Where to Download and Version Information table mentioned above.
• Locate these files on your computer (typically in the Downloads folder) and double-click each file to run them.

• Click Install and then Close once the installation is completed.

See also  ClickOnce Best Practices.

How to Use the InstallShield MSI Installer

Utilizing InstallShield MSI provides control over the upgrade process for the Spotlight Add-In. Upon initial installation, subsequent releases require uninstalling the previous version before installing the latest one.

There are three variants of InstallShield MSI available:

InstallShield MSI 64-bit and 32-bit for SpotlightXL: Offers Spotlight functionality exclusively in Excel.

InstallShield MSI 64-bit for Spotlight for Office: Provides Spotlight functionality in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

The following steps apply to both MSI 64-bit and MSI 32-bit versions:

Download one of the following files from the Where to Download and Version Information table:

• SpotlightXL_MSI.EXE (64-bit version)
• SpotlightXL_MSI_32.EXE (32-bit version)
• SpotlightOffice_MSI.EXE (64-bit version)

Install the Spotlight version (64-bit or 32-bit) that matches your Microsoft Windows version.

Locate the downloaded file on your computer (usually in the Downloads folder) and double-click to execute it.

Proceed by clicking Next and follow the prompts to install SpotlightXL or Spotlight for Office. Upon completion, click Finish.

If attempting to run the downloaded file again, the installer will check if SpotlightXL is already installed. If so, it will provide options to Modify, Repair, or Remove the installation. Click Cancel.

When a newer release of SpotlightXL or Spotlight for Office becomes available, uninstall the existing Spotlight Add-In before installing the new version. Refer to Upgrading SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office.

See also InstallShield MSI Best Practices.

Incompatible SpotlightXL Error

Some users do not regularly update their Spotlight Add-In. Occasionally, when a new version of Dynamic Planning is released, older versions of the Spotlight Add-In might become incompatible. While we support backward compatibility for Spotlight, we recommend upgrading the Add-In at least four times per year. 

If you encounter the error message Incompatible SpotlightXL version, uninstall the old version of the Spotlight Add-In and install the latest version on your computer. Refer to the Upgrading SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office instructions for guidance on how to perform the upgrade.

Upgrading SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office

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

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

If you have installed the SpotlightXL, SpotlightWord, or SpotlightPPT Add-Ins using the ClickOnce automated method, there are no additional upgrade steps required. When you start Excel, Word, or PowerPoint, the Add-In automatically searches for a new version, uninstalling the old one and installing the newly available version.

However, if you have installed the SpotlightXL or Spotlight for Office Add-In using the InstallShield MSI (manual method), you will need to uninstall the existing Add-In from your computer before installing the new version.

Uninstalling SpotlightXL or Spotlight for Office

The following steps apply to both InstallShield MSI 64-bit and InstallShield MSI 32-bit:

1. Close all Office applications: Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
2. Open the Windows Control Panel or search for Add or Remove Programs using Windows Run/Search.
3. Locate SpotlightXL or Spotlight XL|PPT|WORD in the program list.
4. Depending on your version of Windows Control Panel, either select it and click Uninstall or double-click it.
5. Confirm by clicking OK when prompted to remove the customization from your computer.

For reinstallation, refer to the instructions on how to install the Add-In, using either the How to Use the ClickOnce Installer for Automatic Upgrades or the How to Use the InstallShield MSI Installer guide.

System Requirements

SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office require the following:

• Operating System: Windows 7, 8, or 10
• Microsoft Excel/Office Versions: 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Office 365
• SpotlightXL Native and SSO users
• Excel Add-In compatible with Windows 32 and 64-bit

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 you do not have .NET Framework 4.7.2 installed, then you are affected by this change. We recommend updating 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 doing 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 the .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 been using the .NET WebBrowser control for user login and Dynamic commentary; the IE browser has been in use at runtime. However, with Microsoft's deprecation of IE browser support, we are now providing users with the WebView2 control, which is based on the Microsoft Edge Chromium browser. This transition requires the installation of the WebView2 runtime for apps that utilize it. 

You can track WebView2 installations on customers' systems and analyze which tenants have WebView2 installed on their machines. The SpotlightXL Office Add-In will check the WebView2 installation status on each user's system. Once server details are captured, you'll be able to log in via the WebView2 control. In case you encounter any issues while logging in through the WebView2 control, you will have the option to log in via IE.

Where to Download WebView2:

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

After the initial login following are the most likely use cases that can occur after capturing the server details:

1. When 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.
• The last login URL details will be displayed in the URL dropdown. The last logged-in URL will open in webview2 as well.
• The last login details will be captured on the Login page but will not be carried across different browser controls in case the user switches between IE and WebView2.

2. When the WebView2 is Installed / Not Installed in the user’s system:

• Users will be logged in via IE. The user interface will remain the same.
• While logging in to 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, log in details will be captured and will allow you to log in directly via WebView2 from the next login.

In Practice: To use the WebView2 control

1. In SpotlightXL, when 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.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

See also Installation Best Practices.

Troubleshooting Tips

The following articles offer troubleshooting tips for resolving errors encountered while using SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office:

If you Install both ClickOnce and InstallShield MSI

If you accidentally install both the ClickOnce and InstallShield MSI versions of SpotlightXL, an error message will appear when you start Excel. To resolve this issue, you need to uninstall both Add-Ins and then reinstall the preferred version of the Add-In going forward.

1. Close Excel.
2. Open the Windows Control Panel or search for Add or Remove Programs using Windows Run/Search.
3. Scroll down to locate SpotlightXL. You will find two instances of it.
   
   
4. Depending on your version of Windows Control Panel, either select the first SpotlightXL listed 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. Repeat the same process for the second SpotlightXL entry to remove it.
7. Then, reinstall the required version of SpotlightXL.

SpotlightXL with ClickOnce has this icon:

SpotlightXL with InstallShield MSI has this icon:

Visual Studio Error

1. When you see an error like the one below, rename the VSTOInstaller.exe. The location of the VSTOInstaller.exe is provided in the error message.
   
   
2. When an error is displayed (like the one below) upon Login:
   1. Uninstall all the Excel VSTO Add-Ins files. (VSTO stands for Visual Studio Tools for Office.)
   2. Install SpotlightXL.
   3. Install the remaining Add-Ins.
      
      

      To uninstall Excel VSTO Add-Ins, open the Control Panel, and select Add or Remove Programs. Locate the Add-In (s) and click Uninstall. As a best practice, it is always suggested to clear the cache before reinstalling.

      Note:

      The first Add-In installed determines the .NET runtime loaded for Excel. For example, if you installed the AirliftXL Add-In (which requires the .NET Framework 4.0) before the SpotlightXL Add-In (which requires the .NET Framework 4.7.2), then the .NET Framework 4.0 is activated at run-time preventing the needed SpotlightXL .NET Framework 4.7.2 dependencies to load.
3. If you are upgrading SpotlightXL from a prior release, you may run into the following error during installation.
   
   

This issue occurs because the cache is not properly cleared. Clear the cache by running the following command at the command prompt:

rundll32 dfshim CleanOnlineAppCache

Then install the latest version of SpotlightXL.

Spotlight Office Utility Tool

You can use the Spotlight Office Utility tool to quickly troubleshoot installation issues with the Spotlight Office applications. You can identify and troubleshoot the following issues:

• Installation issues - The Spotlight Office Utility tool provides the capability to enable the log file to capture the MSI & ClickOnce installation procedure. This log file can be used to quickly identify the problem with the installation. Previously, MSI & ClickOnce installations did not provide details about the installation.
• User account type identification - The user account in the Utility tool helps you to quickly identify whether the account is an Admin or a non-Admin authorized account. This information provides insight into the appropriate installer type for each customer. If the user account is non-Admin, then the customer can use the ClickOnce installer.
• Compatibility issues - The Spotlight for Office applications requires an appropriate software environment on the customer machine like the Operating System, Microsoft Office version, and the .Net framework. The Utility tool quickly gathers this information, and based on the collected data; the tool suggests the right action to the customer to solve compatibility issues.
• Installed version information - The Utility tool gathers version information on the installed SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office applications along with the respective type.
• Logs for Spotlight Office Add-ins- By default, the Spotlight for Office Add-ins logs all errors and exceptions within the application. The following are the different levels that you can select for getting the logs printed:
  • Error
  • Warning
  • Info
  • Debug
    • When you select any level, the Spotlight Add-in prints logs for that level along with the levels above it. For example:
      • If you select Debug, then the Spotlight Add-in prints logs for the Error, Warning, Info, and Debug levels.
      • If you select Info, then the Spotlight Add-in prints logs for the Error, Warning, and Info levels.
      • If you select Warning, then the Spotlight Add-in prints logs for the Error and Warning levels.
      • If you select Error, then the Spotlight Add-in prints logs only for the Error level.
• Conflicting Add-Ins - The Utility tool gathers Add-In information, which helps in reproducing the problems as reported by the customer.

Installation Best Practices

The SpotlightXL and Spotlight for Office Add-In installations are distributed in the Microsoft ClickOnce form and Installshield MSI form. InstallShield MSI form comes either as 64-bit or 32-bit.

ClickOnce Best Practices

ClickOnce allows the user to run an installation program one time to install SpotlightXL, SpotlightPPT, or SpotlightWord and thereafter to receive updates to these Add-Ins automatically.

This format automates the process of updating the Add-Ins each month. Instead of uninstalling the old Add-In, downloading the new Add-In, and then installing the new Add-In each month, users set it up once and then allow the updates to be installed automatically going forward. When a new version of Dynamic Planning is released, the latest Add-Ins will be available in ClickOnce. When users start Excel, Spotlight will look for a new Add-In and then automatically uninstall the old Add-In and install the newly available Add-In.
This format is automated and does not need any local admin privileges.

ClickOnce is recommended for all users.

You can also find installation instructions for the Office 365 application in the following resources:

• Microsoft Office Customization Tool Overview
• Change the Microsoft 365 Apps Update Channel for Devices in your Organization Deploy Office
• How to Revert to an Earlier Version of Office - Microsoft Support

If you need further assistance, please reach out to your IT team.

In Practice: To Check the Release Version of the Office 365 Application

1. Open Excel and navigate to the File.
   
2. Click Account.
   
3. The Product Information, including the release version, will be displayed.
   

InstallShield MSI Best Practices

This format of the Add-In is MSI (Microsoft Installer) and it is installed with InstallShield. When a new version of Dynamic Planning is released, the latest Add-In will be available in InstallShield MSI, and users can download it. New users can run it immediately. Existing users must use the Control Panel to uninstall the previous release before running the new InstallShield MSI file.

This format is controlled by the user and is manual. It requires local admin privileges on the machine to uninstall and install the Add-In.

You should install the SpotlightXL or Spotlight for Office version (64-bit or 32-bit) that matches your Microsoft Windows version.

Best Practice Examples

Example 1 Basic ClickOnce Installation

User A installed the ClickOnce Add-In on May 17. Then when we release the June 17 Add-In, User A does not have to do anything because Excel automatically installs the latest Add-In. This option is recommended for all users.

Example 2 Basic InstallShield MSI Installation

User B installed the InstallShield MSI Add-In on May 17. Then when we release the June-17 Add-In, User B has to uninstall the May-17 Add-In with Control Panel and then install the June-17 Add-In.

Example 3 Switch from InstallShield MSI to ClickOnce Installation

User C already has the SpotlightXL Add-In installed from previous months but wants to automate the Add-In installation going forward. User C has to uninstall their Add-In using Control Panel, and then install the May-17 ClickOnce Add-In.

Example 4 Switch from ClickOnce to InstallShield MSI Installation

User D installed the ClickOnce Add-In on May 17 and got the latest Add-In on June 17 automatically. If the user does not want to get the latest Add-In automatically on July 17, then User D can uninstall ClickOnce, uninstall the current Add-In, and then install the June-17 InstallShield MSI Add-In so that the process will be manual going forward.