PowerPoint Add-In Loaded Behavior ‘Disabled’: Re-Enable Steps

You open PowerPoint and navigate to File > Options > Add-ins, only to find that an add-in you rely on shows “Loaded Behavior: Disabled” in the list. This means the add-in is installed but PowerPoint is blocking it from running. The cause is usually a security policy, a crash during a previous session, or a conflict with another add-in. This article explains exactly why an add-in gets disabled and provides the steps to re-enable it in PowerPoint for Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Why PowerPoint Shows “Loaded Behavior: Disabled” for an Add-In

PowerPoint tracks how each add-in behaves during startup and runtime. If an add-in causes the application to crash, hang, or throw an unhandled exception, PowerPoint marks it as disabled on the next launch. This is a protective mechanism to keep the application stable. The add-in is not uninstalled, but its load behavior flag in the Windows Registry is changed from 3 (load automatically) to 2 (load on demand) or 16 (disabled).

There are three common scenarios that trigger this disabled state:

Add-In Crashed During Startup

When an add-in fails to initialize during PowerPoint’s startup sequence, the application records the failure. On the next launch, PowerPoint sets the add-in’s load behavior to “Disabled” to prevent repeated crashes. This is the most frequent cause.

Group Policy or IT Security Restrictions

In corporate environments, system administrators can deploy Group Policy Objects that disable all unsigned or untrusted add-ins. Even if the add-in is installed, the policy overrides the local setting and reports the add-in as disabled. You will see “Disabled” in the Add-ins dialog but cannot change it through the UI.

Add-In Conflict or Manual Disable

If two add-ins interfere with each other, PowerPoint may disable one to prevent instability. Also, if a user or a previous troubleshooting step manually unchecked the add-in in the COM Add-ins dialog, it will show as disabled until re-enabled.

Steps to Re-Enable a Disabled Add-In in PowerPoint

The following methods cover the standard UI re-enable, the Trust Center override, and a registry-based fix for stubborn cases. Start with Method 1.

Method 1: Re-Enable Through the COM Add-Ins Dialog

1. Open the Add-ins dialog
   In PowerPoint, click File > Options. In the left pane, select Add-ins. At the bottom of the window, next to the Manage dropdown, select COM Add-ins from the list and click Go.
2. Locate the disabled add-in
   In the COM Add-ins dialog, look for the add-in that shows an unchecked checkbox. The add-in name appears in the list, but its box is empty. This is the disabled add-in.
3. Check the box to re-enable
   Click the empty checkbox next to the add-in name so a check mark appears. Click OK to close the dialog.
4. Restart PowerPoint
   Close and reopen PowerPoint. The add-in should now load. Verify its status by returning to File > Options > Add-ins and checking the Loaded Behavior column — it should now say “Loaded”.

Method 2: Override the Trust Center Block

If the COM Add-ins dialog is grayed out or the checkbox cannot be changed, a Trust Center setting is blocking all add-ins.

1. Open Trust Center Settings
   Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.
2. Navigate to Add-ins settings
   In the Trust Center dialog, select Add-ins from the left pane.
3. Uncheck the disable-all option
   Uncheck the box labeled Disable all application add-ins. This allows all add-ins to load unless they are individually blocked.
4. Apply and restart
   Click OK twice to close both dialogs. Restart PowerPoint and check the add-in status.

Method 3: Edit the Registry LoadBehavior Value

When the add-in still shows as disabled after using both UI methods, the Registry key may be stuck. Only use this method if you are comfortable editing the Windows Registry. Create a backup before making changes.

1. Open Registry Editor
   Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter. If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes.
2. Navigate to the PowerPoint Add-ins key
   Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\PowerPoint\AddIns. Under this key, you will see subkeys named after each installed add-in (the name may be a GUID or a short identifier).
3. Find the add-in subkey
   Click each subkey and look at the FriendlyName string value to identify the add-in you want to re-enable.
4. Change the LoadBehavior value
   Double-click the LoadBehavior DWORD value in the right pane. Set the value to 3 (load automatically) and click OK. If the value is already 3, try setting it to 2 (load on demand) and then back to 3.
5. Close Registry Editor and restart PowerPoint
   Exit Registry Editor, start PowerPoint, and verify the add-in loads correctly.

If the Add-In Still Shows as Disabled After Re-Enabling

The add-in checkbox remains grayed out in the COM Add-ins dialog

This indicates a Group Policy restriction. Contact your IT administrator to request an exception for the add-in. If you have local admin rights, check the machine-level Registry key at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\PowerPoint\AddIns. A LoadBehavior value of 0 there overrides the user setting. Change it to 3 if present.

PowerPoint crashes again after re-enabling the add-in

The add-in is incompatible with your version of PowerPoint or with another add-in. Try disabling all other add-ins, re-enable only this one, and test. If the crash persists, contact the add-in vendor for an updated version.

The add-in loads but its features do not appear

The add-in may be disabled by a different mechanism. Go to File > Options > Add-ins and check the Disabled Application Add-ins list at the bottom. If the add-in appears there, click Go next to that dropdown, select the add-in, and click Enable.

PowerPoint Add-In Re-Enable Methods Comparison

Item	COM Add-Ins Dialog	Trust Center Settings	Registry Editor
User interface	File > Options > Add-ins > Go	File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Add-ins	regedit.exe, manual key navigation
Best for	Single add-in disabled after crash	All add-ins blocked by security policy	Add-in that remains disabled after UI attempts
Risk level	None	Low — may allow untrusted add-ins	Medium — incorrect edits can break Office
Requires admin rights	No	No	No (user key only) or Yes (machine key)
Persistence	Lost if add-in crashes again	Persistent until policy changes	Persistent until registry is reverted

You can now re-enable any PowerPoint add-in that shows “Loaded Behavior: Disabled” using the COM Add-ins dialog, the Trust Center override, or a Registry edit. If the add-in continues to fail, check with your IT department for Group Policy restrictions or contact the vendor for a compatible version. As an advanced step, after re-enabling, set the add-in’s LoadBehavior to 3 in the Registry to prevent PowerPoint from disabling it again after a crash.