Can one open PowerPivot-based pivot tables in non-PowerPivot SKUs of Excel?

[Greg Truby]

Okay, here's my situation -- my employer's 2013 version is Microsoft Home and Business 2013 which means I cannot use PowerPivot.

I can open up a remote desktop connection to test my 2013-based add-ins and workbooks under Excel 2016. It appears that the SKU for my company's version of '16 is Microsoft Office Standard 2016. I go into the COM add-ins and still no PowerPivot, so I'm guessing that once again I'm screwed. I didn't see the "Standard" SKU listed in Rob Collie's listing of PowerPivot-enabled 2016 SKUs. Can anyone confirm if I'm correct -- and "Standard" 2016 is also sans PowerPivot?

Assuming this is indeed accurate, my next question is: if I somehow manage to get my own personal desktop installed with a version of Excel 2016 that includes PowerPivot, then when I build queries into workbooks that are PowerPivot-based and I then distribute those workbooks to others who still have the "standard" version of Excel. Will the queries fail? I realize the users wouldn't be able to open/edit the query. But would pivot tables based on a PowerPivot-created query fail?

 

[barjoman]

I just spoke to Avi (who wrote that comment) and he confirmed had has the same understanding as me - i.e. it doesn't work for the home and student edition but it does work for professional. There may be other editions but I don't know what they are and regardless, I haven't test any of them. If someone has the home and student edition, then maybe they could download a sample workbook from one of the posts and comment back.

Matt,

I have Office Home and Student 2013 installed on a personal machine and I can confirm that I can work with (i.e. filter, modify pivot table fields, etc) a file containing a Data Model.

 

[Matt Allington]

Wow. So you are saying you can't edit the data model (ie there is no Power Pivot tab, no "Manage Data" button), but the pivot table connected to a Power Pivot data model does work? Do you see "loading data model" down the bottom right of the screen when you first open the workbook and interact?

 

[barjoman]

Wow. So you are saying you can't edit the data model (ie there is no Power Pivot tab, no "Manage Data" button), but the pivot table connected to a Power Pivot data model does work? Do you see "loading data model" down the bottom right of the screen when you first open the workbook and interact?

No PowerPivot tab or Manage Data button, and no "Loading data model" when I interact with the Pivot Table. It just says READING DATA...

In the Pivot Table field list, I can also see all the different tables, but there is no "fx" symbol next to the measures. They look just like regular fields.

 

[Matt Allington]

OK, well I appreciate you sharing your findings. It is very difficult to find the exact answers to these questions given it is not practical to purchase and install all of the various SKUs.