Many users have experienced recent issues with the use of Open in Excel templates in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations and/or Supply Chain Management – possibly related a recent Service Update, or an update to the Office Add-in – which causes a strange error when attempting to use Open in Excel functions.
The error states, “Please connect to the Internet to use Open in Excel” – in a standard pink error ribbon.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 FO/SCM is a web-based service. Obviously…we’re connected to the Internet. So what’s the deal here? This error doesn’t make any sense.
The issue is actually with the Excel Add-In itself.
Open Excel on your workstation, and click Add-ins.
- Some users will still have the add-in present in My Add-ins.
- Some users have seen their Microsoft Dynamics Office Add-in disappear completely. If the Add-in is no longer present, re-install the Add-in.
Click the Microsoft Dynamics Office Add-in icon.
Click Add server information.
Enter the base URL of your D365FO/SCM environment up to the .com portion of the URL. Don’t include anything after the .com. Click OK.
If prompted, click Yes to confirm that the change requires the app to be reloaded.
The Add-in will note that it is Retrieving server configuration. This may take several seconds.
If prompted, Sign in to the Office Add-in – using the same Microsoft Entra ID you use to access Dynamics 365 FO/SCM.
Once you’ve successfully logged into the Add-in, you may close Excel.
Return to Dynamics 365 FO/SCM, reload the page – and reattempt the Open in Excel function. It should be successful now.
If you’re interested in working with a support partner like Arctic IT who has your back to address issues like the one discussed in this article, connect with us today. We offer 24/7 U.S.-based support from our dedicated team of experts who are certified in Microsoft Dynamics 365 cloud solutions. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss your needs.
By John Wainwright, Senior Client Services Consultant at Arctic IT