Applies to: All products, when used with Excel 2013 and 2016

Excel Settings Recommended for @RISK, BigPicture, Evolver, and Other DTS Software

Recommended Excel Settings

1. Enable Multi-Threaded Calculation
Multi-threaded calculation allows Excel to use multiple CPU cores, improving simulation performance.

Note: This is a global Excel option, but it can also be overridden in a workbook where the setting was previously changed. Always check the status of the option while your workbook is open.

2. Disable the Excel Start Screen (DTS 7.0.1 or Older)
If using Excel 2013 or newer and a DTS release earlier than 7.5, disable the Excel start screen to prevent add-ins from failing to load.

Steps:

1. Launch Excel (opening a workbook is not necessary).

2. Click File » Options » General.

3. Uncheck Show Start screen.

4. Click OK and close Excel.

Disabling the start screen does not remove any functionality—you can still access all features via the File tab. This step reduces the risk of intermittent errors caused by add-ins not loading properly.

Note: For DTS 7.5 or newer, disabling the start screen is optional.

3. Optimize for Compatibility (Excel 2016 and Newer)
To improve behavior when using multiple displays:

1. Click File » Options

2. Under User Interface Options, locate When using multiple displays

3. Select Optimize for compatibility

This helps ensure consistent behavior of DTS add-ins in Excel when multiple monitors are used.

 

 

Related Articles:

Getting Better Performance from Excel

For Faster Simulations: How should I set up Excel?