Disabling Windows "Copy addin to Addin folder" dialog

[goblin]

I have an Excel Addin that I deploy as a read-only addin on a server share. I instruct my co-workers to add the Add-In as they would any other Add-In, but I tell the to answer NO to the Windows question "Copy 'AddinName' to the Addins folder for John Doe?".

That way, everyone will be working with the server version of the addin, and any time I want to roll out an updated version I just place a new addin file on the server. The next time the users restart Excel, the new version is loaded.

Except users never follow directions and some of them click the default 'Yes' when asked and get a local copy of the addin and never receive updated versions of the addin.

How do I disable the "Copy Addin" question completely? I don't want to depend on the user. I know this is possible because I have this 3rd party addin that we use that is installed from c:\Program Files\ and it just stays there and you're never asked to copy the addin when you install it in Excel.

I've Googled this to death but cannot find anything helpful.

 

[RoryA]

Well you either keep slapping the users until they learn, or perhaps use a login script to copy the addin to their addins folder each morning.

 

[goblin]

Nah, I'm writing the addin. I'll just check the path when it loads and pop a msgbox on their ***** if the path isn't correct

Problem really is that some of the users are kind old folks with limited Excel experience and I'm not allowed to use strong language in their presence.