Solution

Kiosk AddIn for Excel Office 365 (32bit or 64bit) and Windows 10 or 11 by Mark Kubiszyn

A brief outline of this Project and what is in the purchased file

So here is my latest Kiosk AddIn for Office 365 that launches an Excel Workbook into Kiosk Mode for any File either via the AddIn or automated via the AddIn upon opening (with the AddIn installed). You can exit Full Screen Mode using the Escape {ESC} Key. It can also be automated via VB Script using a .VBS File that does not display the Excel Splash Screen

I like to use Kiosk to give me FullScreen Excel (Maximum Window space) and then still allow the Formula Bar and Sheet Tabs to let me switch Sheets. This can be handy when presenting Excel via a Projector when you want to have as much actual usable area to display as possible or just to present a Sheet in a Kiosk Style, no Border, nothing. This work is the culmination of over 12 years creating various Kiosk style Appications for Excel. It is simple to install and use. Kiosk AddIn does not even need to hide the Taskbar anymore. All of the work is done via the restyling of the Excel Application and the Software takes care of any issues around the Windows 11 Rounded Windows feature. Hopefully you will all love it! Check out the Installer and Setup Screen Shots and features below

And new for Version 10.3 - Kiosk Developer Code (Kiosk_Dev_v10.xlsm) to allow you to go in and out of Kiosk Mode without using an AddIn, so this version combines all of the best features in the Kiosk v10 AddIn, with all Settings stored in Memory. This means that you have more flexibility around how you use the Software and means that you can incoprorate the lastes Kiosk Software into your own Projects without shipping any AddIns!

Kiosk Installer · display's a notification upon successful installation of the AddIn

Kiosk on the Ribbon · once installed, Kiosk Launch and Setup are available on the View Tab underneath the Kiosk Options Group on the Ribbon

Kiosk Setup · configure all of the options for Kiosk via the Setup Dialog

Kiosk Full Screen Excel running Montage which is my image Software for Excel. The only Objects allowed are the Formula Bar, the Sheet Tabs, the Status Bar and the Horizontal and Vertical Scroll Bars · Press the {ESC} Escape Key to exit

Kiosk Full Screen Excel running Montage for two photots inserted into Excel as Images and hiding everything in Excel, so pure Kiosk Mode · Press the {ESC} Escape Key to exit

Prerequisites

32bit or 64bit Excel
Basic Excel skills
Windows PC running Office 365 (32bit or 64bit) and Windows 10 or 11 · NOT a Mac!
No support is provided for customization of this Software

Features

Hides stuff in Excel and then launches the Window into a Kiosk Mode
Does not need to hide the Taskbar as the Window sits topmost. You can still use ALT+TAB to switch Windows and the Taskbar is not affected
Simple to install and use. Just 2 Buttons on the Ribbon, Launch and Setup
Set to Autolaunch to run any Excel file on opening into Kiosk Mode
Current Sheet settings and the Application settings are all stored locally prior to launching into Kiosk Mode. If the Excel Window is Maximized upon launching then it will be restored to this state upon Exit. The Sheet that was selected upon launch will be set to Active and any Gridline or Headings settings will also be restored along with any of the original Application settings
Exit Full Screen Mode using the Escape {ESC} Key
Launch Excel File without the Splash Screen displaying and then go directly into Full Screen Kisk Mode - see the How To section below for more information on how to achieve this 'Launching Kiosk Mode using VBScript or .VBS so that the Excel Splash Screen does not Display'
New for Version 10.3 - Kiosk Developer Code to allow you to go in and out of Kiosk Mode without using an AddIn. This version combines all of the best features in the Kiosk v10 AddIn, with all Settings stored in Memory. This means that you have more flexibility around how you use the Software and means that you can incoprorate the lastes Kiosk Software into your own Projects without shipping any AddIns!

How To

Step 1 - Install the AddIn

The first thing you need to do is to Install the Kiosk AddIn. Right-click and extract the Zip Archive to your PC. Two Files will be extracted, Kiosk.xlsm and Kiosk.xlam. The Kiosk.xlsm File is the base File used for the AddIn which is then Saved as an .XLAM File - I have included both Files so that you can easily view the Code used for Kiosk

Now Install the 'Kiosk.xlam' AddIn File. Copy Kiosk.xlam. Open Excel. File->Options. Click on Add-ins. Click 'Go...'. Click 'Browse'. Right-click and Paste the AddIn. Select the File and click OK. Click OK again. The AddIn is now installed and ready for use - you should receive the following success notification via the Installer. See Fig. 1. Uninstalling Kiosk is the opposite process to this - simply uncheck the Kiosk AddIn to remove it from Excel once you have done File->Options. Click on Add-ins

Fig. 1

Step 2 - Using the AddIn

Click on the View Tab of the Ribbon. On the 'Kiosk Options' Group, you will see the two Buttons used by Kiosk. The first Button is used to Launch Excel into Kiosk Mode and the second Button is used to display all of the settings for Kiosk, including Hiding various Objects in Excel like the Scroll Bars, Worksheet Tabs, Gridlines etc. See Fig. 2

Fig. 2

Step 3 - Adjusting the Settings for Kiosk

Click on the Setup Button. A Dialog will appear ontop of a Lightbox displaying all of the available Kiosk Options. You can drag this Dialog around using the left Button of the Mouse. Click on the grey text or the Checkbox to toggle the option. The available options are:

Hide the gridlines - hides the Cell Gridlines when launched
Hide the headings - hides the Column Headers when launched
Hide the formula bar - hides the Formula Bar when launched
Hide the sheet tabs - hides the Workbook Sheet Tabs used to navigate through Sheets in Excel when launched
Hide the horizontal scrollbar - hides the Scroll Bar used to go left and right in Excel when launched
Hide the vertical scrollbar - hides the Scroll Bar used to go up and down in Excel when launched
Hide the status bar - hides the Status Bar used at the bottom of Excel when launched
Hide the ribbon - hides the Ribbon when launched. This is a required Option to correctly remove the Excel Caption and Borders, therefore you cannot adjust this setting
Hide the cursor - hides the Screen Cursor when launched
Auto Lanch Kiosk - automates a direct launch into Kiosk Mode when any Excel File is opened once the AddIn is installed
Add border - allows you to select a Colour and add this as a 1 px Border around the Kiosk Window (new in Version 10.2)

You can toggle any of these settings and then press the 'UPDATE' Button to Save the settings and exit the Setup Dialog. See Fig. 3

Fig. 3

Step 4 - Launching into Kiosk Mode (you exit Full Screen Mode using the Escape {ESC} Key)

Click on the Launch Button. Kiosk will now go into Full Screen Kiosk Mode. To exit this mode use the Escape {ESC} Key. By default I have not hidden the Sheet Tabs so that you can navigate the Sheets whilst in Full Screen but you can hide these in the Setup Dialog. I closed Excel and then opened my Montage Software used to display images. I then launched into Kiosk Mode with different Excel Objects hidden. When you exit Full Screen Mode using the Escape {ESC} Key then Excel will select the Sheet that you were on when you pressed the Launch Button. If this Sheet has been renamed or deleted whilst in Full Screen Mode then the Code will skip this part and not apply the original Gridlines and Headings settings stored. See Fig. 4

Fig. 4

Drawing a 1 px Border around the Kiosk Window

If you want you can add a 1 px Border around the Kiosk Window by ticking the 'Add border' Checkbox on the Setup Dialog and choosing a Colour (Lime and Red work the best) ie. #46FC14 for a bright Lime. Caution! don't use Red 255 as this is being used as the Transparancy Key, 254 is okay or #FE0000 for bright Red or even #FEFE06 for a bright Yellow (or #FFFF00). See Fig. 5 & 6

Fig. 5

Draw a 1 px Border around the Kiosk Window in bright Lime

Fig. 6

Draw a 1 px Border around the Kiosk Window in bright Red with the Gridlines and Headings on in Excel

Automating Kiosk Mode

If you want an Excel File to go directly into Kiosk Mode upon opening, tick the 'Auto Launch Kiosk' checkbox on the Setup Dialog. Close Excel. Open the File to go directly into Kiosk Mode. Obviously this will apply to every Excel Workbook that is now opened if you have the AddIn Installed - I may look at a version that can maintain a list of specific Files but this option is not yet included in version 10

Launching Kiosk Mode from your own VBA Code

If you want to launch into Kiosk Mode through your own Code then you can use the following Code to accomplish this:

' use ONE of these Code snippets ONLY in any Code Module in your own VBA Projects to automate a Kiosk Launch
Application.Run "Kiosk.xlam!mdKiosk.LaunchKioskMode"
Application.Run "Kiosk.xlam!LaunchKioskMode"

To exit you can use the following Code like this:

' use ONE of these Code snippets ONLY in any Code Module in your own VBA Projects to automate a Kiosk Exit
Application.Run "Kiosk.xlam!mdKiosk.ExitKioskMode"
Application.Run "Kiosk.xlam!ExitKioskMode"

If you want to change the settings for Kiosk before launching then use the Auto Kisok Subroutine passing the Bit-wise ^2 for the Objects that you want to hide, for example:

' to Hide the Headings and Worksheet Tabs add together 2 + 8 = 10 and pass it as a Parameter into the AutoLaunchKioskMode Subroutine.  use ONE of these Code Snippets ONLY
Application.Run "Kiosk.xlam!mdKiosk.AutoLaunchKioskMode", 10
Application.Run "Kiosk.xlam!AutoLaunchKioskMode", 10

' to Hide just the Formula Bar pass Bit-wise ^2 as 4 like this
Application.Run "Kiosk.xlam!AutoLaunchKioskMode", 4

Here is a full list of the Bit-wise Operator values starting at 1, then 2, then 4, then 8, then 16 etc. Add them together to Hide Stuff, simple!

Hide the gridlines := 1
Hide the headings := 2
Hide the formula bar := 4
Hide the sheet tabs := 8
Hide the horizontal scroll bar := 16
Hide the vertical scroll bar := 32
Hide the status bar := 64
Hide the ribbon := 132

To Hide the Screen Cursor set the next Parameter or Arg to True like this:

' to Hide the Headings and Worksheet Tabs plus the Screen Cursor use the following Code Snippet
' Caution!  remember when executed that the Cursor will vanish so ensure your automation exits Kiosk Mode or you will have lost your Cursor ;)
Application.Run "Kiosk.xlam!AutoLaunchKioskMode", 10, True

Remember that when using the Automation, none of the settings that you inflict on Kiosk will be saved with the AddIn

Launching Kiosk Mode using VBScript or .VBS so that the Excel Splash Screen does not Display

If you want to launch into Kiosk Mode and NOT display the Excel Splash Screen then you can use the following VB Script to accomplish this. Add the Code to a Notepad File and Save As 'Kiosk.vbs' and don't forget to change the FilePaths in the .Open parts to your own Folders (including the AddIn Folder on your machine). Create an Excel File called Blank.xlsm and Save it in the same Folder as the VB Script File. MAKE SURE that you have installed the Kiosk AddIn as well as the VB Script Code needs to talk to the AddIn and then run the 'LaunchKioskMode' Subroutine:

Dim xlObj
Set xlObj = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
xlObj.Visible = true
xlObj.Workbooks.Open "C:\Archive\Working\Software\Kiosk\version 10.2\testbed\Blank.xlsm"
xlObj.Workbooks.Open "C:\Users\<YOUR USERNAME>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\AddIns\Kiosk.xlam"
xlObj.Addins("Kiosk").Installed = True
WScript.Sleep 200
xlObj.Run "Kiosk.xlam!LaunchKioskMode"

That's it, now run the Kiosk.VBS File and sit back and watch your Excel File 'Blank.xlsm' launch directly into Kiosk Mode without displaying the Excel Splash Screen! The image below details the Code and where I saved my Files

Launch directly into Kiosk Mode without displaying the Excel Splash Screen using Kiosk v10 and some VB Script

Kiosk Mode Logic

So some logic is required when going Full Screen and hiding stuff and here I describe it. The first thing is that you cannot still display the Ribbon as this is required to successfully turn the Excel Application into a Full Screen Kiosk style Window removing the Windows Title Bar and Caption, so this setting is disabled in the Setup Dialog. When Kiosk goes into Full Screen Mode we also need to adopt some methodology around how we store and then restore some of the Excel settings. To do this we Save the original Workbook settings in a hidden Sheet within the AddIn prior to launching. This means that we can then select the same Sheet that you were on when launching into Kiosk Mode and restore the Sheet settings for Gridlines and Headings. We also then restore the original Application settings like the Sheet Tabs for example. Another piece of logic applied to Kiosk is that say you have the Excel Window Maximized prior to launching into Kiosk Mode, then this is also Saved and the Maximized Window will be restored along with the Normal settings for the Window. This allows you to toggle in and out of a Maximized Excel Window and retain your Normal Window settings when you double-click the Excel Title Bar
The logic applied using the settings is this. If your Sheet is NOT displaying Headings and you DON'T check the Hide the headings option then Kiosk will NOT turn them on, it will simply ignore the option. Kiosk is ONLY interested in hiding stuff for Excel. So if you need Headings on then, it follows that you would already have Headings being displayed in your Worksheet
Another piece of logic is that Kiosk Mode will only hide the Gridlines or Headings (if chosen) for the respective Worksheet that is being launched into Full Screen otherwise I would need to store every Sheet's settings in the AddIn and then restore every Sheet's settings which would be a major job on Workbooks containing say a hundred Sheets! I would also need to act upon every Sheet selection and then toggle off the Gridlines and Headings for the selected Sheet. If you need all of your Sheets to NOT have Gridlines or Headings then simply turn off the settings for each Sheet in Excel prior to using Kiosk

I hope you love this version of Kiosk. I had fun writing it using some of my Classes developed over the years. I have had to redact some Code as I sell it separately on this site, but you get some insight into how the Easing Class and the Screen Class work. The use of an additional Lightbox UserForm is required due to using the Code in an AddIn

Things Kiosk Cannot Do

Multiple Files launched at once into Full Screen Kiosk Mode! In Auto Launch Kiosk Mode if you open a Blank Excel File and then another Blank Excel File only the first instance will be launched into Kiosk Mode. Upon Exit by pressing Escape {ESC} launching another Blank Excel File, the File will remain as a Normal Window. This also applies to Multiple Files opened from Explorer - only the first will be launched into Kisok Mode. It is therefore recommended that when using the Auto Launch Mode that you use a single Workbook and ensure that the Full Screen Mode is exited prior to opening another Excel File. The reason that you cannot launch more than one Workbook into Full Screen Mode automatically is that the single AddIn applies to all Excel Instances and as such Excel will not detect that a New Excel File is being opened. Also any settings will overwrite the settings currently stored by the AddIn for the other instance of Excel and its respective Workbook

Kiosk Full Screen Excel AddIn for Excel Video

This is a video of Installing the Kiosk AddIn, adjusting the Setup Options and using Kiosk. I also use it it to Automate various Excel Workbooks on opening. I then Uninstall the AddIn. Music is 'Night Time - Underbelly & Ty Mayer, licensed via YouTube' · view the Kiosk video on YouTube

Support

Support is 100% optional and I provide it for your convenience, so please be patient, polite and respectful

Support for my Software

Responding to questions or problems regarding the Software and its features
Fixing valid (replicated) bugs and reported issues for the VERSION I HAVE WRITTEN

Software support does not include

Customization and installation services
Support for third party software or ANY kind of development whatsoever

Before seeking support

Make sure your question is a valid Software Issue and not a customization request
Make sure you have read through the FAQ's, online documentation and any related video guides before asking support on how to accomplish a task
Ensure that you access to the VBOM is allowed and that Macros can run in Excel
Make sure to provide 'proof of purchase' and state the name / version of the Software that you are having issues with when requesting support by Email or via Facebook

How to get Support

Contact Mark Kubiszyn on the Email address provided when you purchased the Software, including the Order Number
Remember to be patient, if there has been an issue with your download, Mark will always respond within 48 hours and will Email you the File directly if neccessary. For other issues the response time may be considerably longer and I may choose to respond to specific questions only (as is my right), depending on what has been asked

Changelog

You can find the version history below - the latest Version including a description of any changes made is always shown first:


26.12.2022 - (Version 10.3)

Kiosk Developer Code (Kiosk_Dev_v10.xlsm) to allow you to go in and out of Kiosk Mode without using an AddIn. This version combines all of the best features in the Kiosk v10 AddIn, with all Settings stored in Memory. This means that you have more flexibility around how you use the Software and means that you can incoprorate the latest Kiosk Software into your own Projects without shipping any AddIns!


1.09.2022 - (Version 10.2)

Added the ability to draw a 1 px Border around the Kiosk Window in any chosen Colour (Lime and Red work the best)


29.08.2022 - (Version 10.1)

Tidy up Code
Replace Match Function used to read and write Object status from the Setup Sheet with Local Constants
Added Code example of launching Kiosk from a users own VBA Project if the AddIn is installed
Added a separate AutoLaunchKioskMode Subroutine to allow the Bit-wise Operators to be set from a users own Code. Rationale for a separate Subroutine is for future development of any other Automation requirements allowing extra Parameters to be set


28.08.2022 - (Version 10) Released

General release of Kiosk v10 AddIn for Excel which follows on from legacy version 9 which you can still purchase via FastSpring