Error installing PowerPivot - "This add-in requires Excel 2010"

When trying to install PowerPivot for Excel 2010 you may receive the following error message:

Setup is missing prerequisites:
This add-in requires Excel 2010. If you have 32-bit Excel, you must install the 32-bit version of the add-in. If not, you must install the 64-bit version.
This add-in requires that the Office Shared Features component of Microsoft Office 2010 is installed.
Go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=168472

There are two possible reasons for this error. The first is the easiest to resolve - you just need to run the install file from an elevated command prompt.

Solution 1

First, make sure you are downloading the latest possible version of PowerPivot. You can install it from here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=7609

About a quarter of the way down the page you should see the install buttons. "1033\x64\PowerPivot_for_Excel_amd64.msi" is for 64-bit versions of Excel and "1033\x86\PowerPivot_for_Excel_x86.msi" is for 32-bit versions of Excel. One you have the file downloaded, open an elevated command prompt. To do this, click the START button and in the run command line type CMD. You will see CMD appear under Programs as you type this. Right click on CMD and left click "Run as Administrator". In the black command dialog box type the following:

msiexec/i  <path to your powerpivot install file>

Hit ENTER and follow the installation wizard.

Solution 2 

The second possible cause of this error is highlighted in this KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982765. The problem is caused by a "click to run" install of Office 2010.

To resolve this issue, you have to install the .msi-based installation of Microsoft Office 2010 or of Microsoft Excel 2010.

To do this, uninstall Microsoft Office Click-to-Run 2010. Then, install Microsoft Office 2010 or Microsoft Excel 2010 from an installation DVD or from another installation point.

To determine whether you are running a Microsoft Office Click-to-Run 2010 installation, click the File tab, and then click Help. If there is a Click-to-Run Product Updates section, then you are running a Click-to-Run installation.

To uninstall the Microsoft Office Click-to-Run 2010 installation, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click the Add or Remove Programs item or the Programs and Features item.
3. In the list of installed programs, click Microsoft Office Click-to-Run 2010, and then click Uninstall.
4. Click Yes when you are prompted to remove all applications that were installed by Office Click-to-Run. For example, you may be prompted to remove Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010 or Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010.