Web Extension XML Files Generated from Multiple Excel Custom Add-Ins

[vyvo2412]

I have a few custom add-ins (one for Production and the other for Test environments) in my Excel. When I open a production workbook, if I accidentally click anywhere on the test-environment add-ins, I notice Excel will generate an additional XML file called webextension*.xml. I was able to capture the xml files by converting .xlsx to .zip and open the zip package -> xl -> webextensions. When users open those sheets later, they get an error (see below) that they don't have permission to access the add-in.

Please note: The content of the workbooks doesn't include any custom functions from the Test add-ins. It is merely a click action on one of those add-ins that causes the issue.

Your Environment

• Platform: Desktop
• Host: Excel
• Operating System: Windows

Expected behavior

Is there a way to prevent Excel from capturing these XML snapshots of the add-ins? Or how to stop those validation check on what add-ins user has?

Work around

I could get rid of the issue for users temporarily with some workarounds but ideally would hope for it not to happen because we have different group of users with different add-ins accessing the same file.

• File => Info => Inspect Document => Remove All Taskpane Add-ins
• Remove the web extension folder in the zip package and convert the file back to .xlsx

Provide additional details

Below is the content of the taskapanes.xml file