Make the solver work! (Input boxes should use the reference/range picker)
Fix the solver so that fields that take range references as inputs have the reference picker control (RefEdit), which you can click on and then select the range to use. Today, you have to manually type in the range, and it's super frustrating.
[Note: Title and Description updated on 10/19/2015 by Dan [MS]. Original description follows:)
just make it work!

Great news – as of Mac Excel 15.19.1 this should be fixed – the reference picker in Solver is back!
Thanks,
Dan [XL]
70 comments
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Keith commented
I have a model that is able to converge in excel for windows but does not fine a solver solution when I run the same model in excel for mac os. I have a different model that optimized the system correctly when ran in excel for windows but, when the solver was used in mac os, the solver indicated that it found a solution and all constraints had been met; upon inspection constraints had not been met. I kept the decision variables as were found in the 1st run, ran it again, and got a different solution that indicated again constraints had been met; again they had not, and this time I got a different set of values for the decisions. I ran the model a third time and it found a solution and all constraints were actually met; however the solution was not the same solution that was found in the windows excel version. Three other models were created by colleagues, covering the same dataset; all models were set up slightly different however they were all linear and ran using the simplex method with integer constraints; All three of those solutions agreed with the solution I found when I ran my model in windows. Is there something going on here? The two excel versions of solver should be using the same algorithm.
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Anonymous commented
Mine is 15.19.1 and doesn't give me any answer, it just wont do anything :(
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What's not good Karina? This should be fixed if you have 15.19.1 or later.
Cheers,
Dan [MS] -
Karina Bolaños commented
Not good! Please help!
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khashayar commented
:(
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@Nicole - if you're running 15.19.1 or later, you should see the range picker. What version are you running?
Cheers,
Dan [MS] -
Nicole commented
does anyone know how to fix Solver on excel 2016 to get the range picker?
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Anonymous commented
Does anyone know what the Problem could be if the solver always comes to a different optimization?
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Luiz Xavier commented
Solver still remains the same. What a shame!
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Roberta commented
Is there a solution for not typing the cells into Solver? It's really annoying.
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Anne Onimous commented
Reference picker in Solver is back (Excel 15.20)... but Solver doesn't solve anyway. Useless. What a shame. Hey guys! Use OpenOffice's or NeoOffice's Solver, it works fine there.
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Anonymous commented
Terrible.. I should have been in this forum. I was learning and wondering why the solver does not work as shown by the samples given. Oh well, I have the 15.18 version.. Just unfortunate for user like me, got the MBP early February. Updating what I have right now. Hope it's fixed.
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Anonymous commented
I am teaching Excel to my students. All with Excel 2016 on their Mac can not use the Solver: it indeed does not calculate. Half of my program is using the Solver. I need a fix ASAP!
Thanks -
benji commented
I don't know how many of you (Mac Users) have their system language in German, but since I've changed it into english, deactivated the solver Add-In an then reactivated, it works properly (although the results slightly differ from solutions on a windows version). If it doesn't work, it was worth a try..
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Shelton Lee commented
SOLVER DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY ON MAC 2016 EXCEL! I HAD TO USE FREAKIN REMOTE DESKTOP TO DO MY ASSIGNMENT. OF COURSE MICROSOFT REMOTE DESKTOP IS POS AS WELL, SO I HAD TO FIND SOME ALTERNATIVE.
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Bert commented
Solver simply doesn't solve at all anymore after the recent update. After entering the parameters in the Sover-box, nothing .........
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Bert commented
Please fix. I'm using the solver every day, and can't use my Mac now.
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Anonymous commented
Is not solving yet...
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Anyone having trouble with Solver post 15.19.1 - please see this idea on UserVoice - we're working on a fix, and have a workaround in the meantime.
Cheers,
Dan [MS] -
Igor commented
Microsoft, when are you going to fix solver? It is really powerful and useful tool which a lot of your users are using.