Frequently Asked Questions
What is Power Utility Pak 2000?
The Power Utility Pak (also known as PUP 2000) is a unique collection of add-ins that enhance Microsoft Excel by adding new features and making existing features easier to use. It consists of general purpose utilities, new worksheet functions, enhanced shortcut menus, a handy PUP Bookmarks toolbar, and a workbook task bar. All told, PUP 2000 adds more than 100 new features to Excel.
Does PUP 2000 work with all versions of Excel?
No. PUP 2000 requires Excel 97 or later.
Does PUP 2000 work with Excel 2002?
Yes, with one possible exception. The Add Path to Header or Footer utility may generate an error in Excel 2002. Refer to this document for details:
What happened to PUP97?
PUP 2000 replaces PUP97, so the older version is no longer available. PUP 2000 contains all of the features in PUP 97, plus many more.
Is there a Macintosh version of PUP?
No, and there are no plans for one.
Is there a version available for 1-2-3?
No, and there are no plans for one.
Is the trial version fully functional?
Yes. The trial version is not crippled in any way, and it doesn't even display any annoying nag messages. It works just like the real thing -- because it is the real thing. You may use the trial version for 30 days. After that, you should either purchase a license or delete the files from your system.
How much does it cost?
The price for PUP 2000 is US $39.95.
If you would also like the complete VBA source code, add $20.00 (total of $59.95).
I purchased an earlier version. Can I get an upgrade?
Yes, free upgrades are available. Click here for an upgrade form. Please note that upgrades are free, but upgrades to the VBA source code are $20.00. Also, there is a $5 upgrade processing fee.
Why do I have to pay the upgrade processing fee if I chose to download it?
It costs time and money to process an upgrade. When you download a file from this web site, someone (me) has to pay for the data transfer. Most people simply have no idea of how much it costs to operate a large web site on a fast and reliable server. I'm giving you the upgrade free, and I'm asking you to cover the distribution and processing costs. The vast majority of users (about 99.73%) don't have a problem with this.
How can I purchase PUP 2000?
The most efficient method is to use a credit card and register online using a secure server. Your credit card is approved online, and you can download the files immediately.
You can also order by mail or fax.
Do you offer discounts for multiple copies?
Yes, significant discounts. Refer to the table below.
| No. of Copies | Discount % | Unit Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 0% | $39.95 |
| 5-9 | 25% | $29.96 |
| 10-24 | 35% | $25.97 |
| 25-49 | 50% | $19.98 |
| 50-99 | 60% | $15.98 |
| 100-499 | 70% | $11.99 |
| 500-999 | 75% | $9.99 |
| 1000-4999 | 85% | $5.99 |
| 5000+(site license) | $30,000 | |
Do you offer any special deals?
Yes. Each of the books listed below contains a coupon for a free (or significantly discounted) copy of PUP 2000. These books are all published by IDG Books Worldwide, and are written by John Walkenbach, who is also the developer of PUP 2000.
- Excel 2000 Bible
- Excel 2000 Power Programming With VBA
- Excel 2000 Programming For Dummies
- Excel 2000 Formulas
I have a copy of Excel 2000 Power Programming With VBA, and I can't find the coupon for PUP 2000.
The coupon was accidentally omitted from the first 3,000 copies of that book. However, you can follow this link to print a copy of the coupon.
I have the Trial Version, and I'd like to become a licensed user. Is there a way to "unlock" the trial version?
No. When you become a licensed user you'll need to download a new (very small) file to update your installation.
Do you offer any educational discounts?
Officially, no. However, the author spent nine consecutive years in college, so he understands that students often have financial problems. Therefore, educational discounts will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Contact sales@j-walk.com and describe your situation.
Is PUP 2000 copy protected?
No. Copy protection only serves to inconvenience honest users, and does very little to prevent software piracy. If you like PUP 2000, you should purchase a license. Doing so will keep you honest, enable you to get free upgrades, and support the concept of independent software development.
What programming language did you use to develop the Power Utility Pak?
Power Utility Pak is written exclusively in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). This is Excel's built-in macro language. It doesn't use any custom DLL files, and it does not make any changes to your system.
Is the VBA source code available?
Yes. The complete VBA source code is available to licensed users for an additional $20.00. That works out to about $0.31 per file -- a small price to pay for literally hundreds of examples of useful programming techniques.
If I purchase this product, can I adapt your VBA code for applications that I develop?
Sure -- but the applications that you develop may not be sold or used for commercial purposes. If you have any questions about this, please contact support@j-walk.com.
Does PUP 2000 include a user manual?
No. The product's documentation is in the form of a thorough, context-sensitive online help file. However, if you would prefer a written manual you can download a 70-page Microsoft Word document that you can print, and then read at your leisure.
Is PUP 2000 a memory hog?
Not at all. Memory usage was a primary consideration in developing this product. PUP 2000 is modular, so only the utilities that you actually use are loaded into memory. Plus, you can unload any or all of the utilities at any time to free up memory.
Are there any other products like Power Utility Pak?
I know of four products that are also collections of add-ins for Excel:
I have an idea for a new utility for the next version of Power Utility Pak. Are you open to suggestions?
Absolutely. The main requirement is that the utility must be general purpose in nature, and add something that's useful to a fair number of users.
When will the next version be available?
The next version of PUP (tentatively called PUP 2002), will be available in late 2001. All licensed users will be eligible for a free upgrade (a small processing fee will apply).
How do I get technical support?
Technical support is available by e-mail, directly from the developer. Questions are typically answered within 24 hours, usually more quickly. Send e-mail to support@j-walk.com.
What do I do if I discover a bug in PUP?
First, check the PUP 2000 Update Site. An updated version of the utility may be available, and you can download the new file.
If an update is not available, send e-mail to support@j-walk.com, and describe the problem and the steps required to reproduce it. The problem will be corrected, and the updated file will be made available to everyone.
I developed an application that uses one of the custom worksheet functions contained in PUP 2000. Can I distribute the *.xla file that contains the functions along with my application?
Yes. However, the worksheet function files are the only files that can be distributed to others. A more efficient approach is to purchase the PUP 2000 source code. Then you can include the VBA code for the function directly in your application.
Should I uninstall PUP97 before installing PUP 2000?
Yes. In Excel, choose Tools * Add-Ins. Remove the checkmark from Power Utility Pak 97. You can then delete all of the files in your pup97 directory. If you forget to uninstall PUP97, you'll see a reminder message when you start PUP 2000.
When I insert the PUP 2000 CD-ROM, nothing happens. Defective CD?
Probably not. Unlike many CD-ROM, the PUP 2000 CD-ROM is not self-installing. Open an Explorer window and activate the CD-ROM drive. Then double-click the setup.exe file to begin extracting the files.
How do I install PUP 2000?
Installation is a two-step process:
- Execute the setup.exe file to extract the files. In the trial version, execute pup2000t.exe to extract the files.
- Start Excel and choose Tools * Add-Ins. Click the Browse button and locate the pup2000.xla add-in file
Can I temporarily uninstall PUP 2000?
Sure. In Excel, choose Tools * Add-ins. Remove the checkmark from the Power Utility Pak 2000 item and click OK. This will remove the PUP 2000 menu. To install PUP 2000 again, repeat the command, but place a checkmark next to the Power Utility Pak 2000 item.
The PUP 2000 menu sometimes disappears. What's wrong?
The most likely cause is that another Excel application has reset the menu bar. Press Ctrl+Shift+U to rebuild the PUP 2000 menu. If you use another add-in that insists on resetting the menu bar, you can create a PUP 2000 toolbar and access the PUP utilities from the tool bar.
I changed the directory for my PUP 2000 files, and now the toolbar buttons don't work.
The solution is to create a new toolbar: Choose Create a PUP 2000 Toolbar from the PUP 2000 menu. This will delete the old toolbar and create a new one that points to the new location of your PUP 2000 files.
Everyone once in a while, Excel starts acting strangely. Is this a PUP 2000 problem?
Unfortunately, it's not uncommon to encounter a situation in which Excel stops working properly. For example, the video display may be incorrect ,or Excel may suddenly stop responding.
The most common cause of general "strangeness" on the part of Excel is not enough system
resources (Excel has always had a serious problem in this area). The solution is to exit Excel and re-start Windows. If possible, don't run any other applications while you use Excel.
This problem is not caused by the Power Utility Pak per se. However, if you've loaded many of the PUP 2000 utilities, you might try unloading some or all of them. You may find that restarting Windows several times per day solves this type of problem.
Some of my VBA macros don't work correctly if PUP is installed.
If you write VBA macros that use event-handlers, you may find that the "Workbook Task Bar" utility causes problems. This particular utility monitors all file open/close events. In such a case, you should disable the Workbook Task Bar option.
I have a formula that uses one of the PUP worksheet functions. The formula returns #NAME! error.
If you create a formula that uses one of the PUP 2000 custom worksheet functions, that formula will return an error (#NAME!) if the add-in file that contains the function definition is not installed or loaded.
When you load a function file by using the Worksheet Functions command on the PUP 2000 menu, the functions are available for the current session only. To make a particular function file always available, install the function file add-in by using the Add-Ins command on the Tools menu.
When PUP 2000 loads, I get an error message: Can't Create Embedded Object
The most likely cause is a problem with your Excel installation. Try uninstalling and then re-installing Excel.
The text in the PUP 2000 dialog boxes is cut off
If the text in some of the PUP 2000 dialog boxes appears cut off, or is not displayed correctly, you're probably using the "Large Fonts" system option. Unfortunately, this setting is not fully compatible with Excel custom dialog boxes. Activate the Windows Control Panel and access the Display Properties dialog box. Click the Settings tab and change the Font Size setting to Small Fonts.