Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies
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In Excel 2013, the PowerPivot add-in, introduced in Excel 2010, that enables you to efficiently work with and analyze large datasets (such as those with hundreds of thousands or even millions of records) has been made a much more integral part the program.

In fact, the PowerPivot technology that makes it possible for Excel to easily manage massive amounts of data from many related data tables is now part and parcel of Excel 2013 in the form of its Data Model feature.

This means that you don’t even have to trot out and use the PowerPivot add-in in order to be able to create Excel pivot tables that utilize tons of data records stored in multiple, related data tables.

If you do decide that you want to use PowerPivot in managing large datasets and doing advanced data modeling in your Excel pivot tables, instead of having to download the add-in from the Microsoft Office website, you can start using PowerPivot simply by activating the add-in as follows:

  1. Choose File→Options→Add-Ins or press Alt+FTAA.

    Excel opens the Add-Ins tab of the Excel Options dialog box with Excel Add-Ins selected in the Manage drop-down list.

  2. Click the Manage drop-down list button and then select COM Add-Ins from the drop-down list before you select the Go button.

    Excel displays the COM Add-Ins dialog box that contains (as of this writing) three COM (Component Object Model) add-ins: Inquire Add-in, Microsoft Office PowerPivot for Excel 2013, and Power View.

  3. Select the check box in front Microsoft Office PowerPivot for Excel 2013 and then click OK.

    Excel closes the COM Add-Ins dialog box and returns you to the Excel 2013 worksheet window that now contains a PowerPivot tab at the end of the Ribbon.

Keep in mind that the Excel PowerPivot add-in is available in Office 2013 Professional Plus edition as well as all editions of Office 365, except for Small Business. However, PowerPivot is not supported in Excel 2013 running on the RT version of the Microsoft Surface tablet. Sorry, but you have to have the Microsoft Surface tablet with Windows 8 Pro in order to install and use the PowerPivot add-in.

About This Article

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About the book author:

Greg Harvey, PhD, is President of Mind Over Media and a highly skilled instructor. He has been writing computer books for more than 20 years, and his long list of bestsellers includes all editions of Excel For Dummies, Excel All-in-One For Dummies, and Excel Workbook For Dummies.

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