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HomeTroubleshooting@RISK for Excel: Optimization (RISKOptimizer)"Unable to run macro tool during optimization."

5.4. "Unable to run macro tool during optimization."

Applies to: @RISK 7.5, Industrial Edition

When I click Start in RISKOptimizer, this message pops up:

"Unable to run macro tool during optimization."

What is the "macro tool" that the message refers to? How can I run my optimization?

The "macro tool" of the message refers to the Excel Tool selection in Simulation Settings (not RISKOptimizer Settings), on the Macros tab. In a simulation, that selection is a shortcut to running Excel Solver, Excel Goal Seek, or Palisade Evolver in every iteration of your simulation. But in an optimization, that selection is not allowed, because of technical problems with running Evolver inside RISKOptimizer.

Future releases of @RISK may relax that restriction and let you use the shortcut method to run Excel Goal Seek or Solver within every iteration of every simulation of an optimization. But for now, the workaround is to select Simulation Settings » Macros » VBA Macros and have your macro run Solver or Excel Goal Seek. On that same Macros tab, in the last section, select Fixed Samples, not Different Samples Each Recalculation. See "Solution (beginning with @RISK 6.2)" in Solver and Other Excel Recalculations within Your Macros. The example attached to that article shows you some sample VBA code.

Last edited: 2017-02-27

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