Category: Troubleshooting and FAQ
If the NetDocuments tab is missing from your Word, Excel, or PowerPoint ribbon, or the ndMail filing panel is not appearing in Outlook, there are a few common causes. Most of the time the fix is straightforward: you just need to find ndOffice and launch it, or re-enable an add-in that got disabled. This guide walks through the most common scenarios and how to resolve them.
Step 1: Make Sure ndOffice Is Running #
The most common reason the NetDocuments tab is missing from Office applications is that ndOffice is not running. ndOffice needs to be running in the background for the add-ins to appear in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Check Your System Tray #
Look in the Windows system tray at the bottom right of your taskbar. You may need to click the small up arrow to expand the tray and see all icons. Look for the nd logo. If you see it, ndOffice is running. If you do not see it, ndOffice is not running and you need to launch it.
Launch ndOffice #
If ndOffice is not running, you can start it manually:
- Click the Windows Start button or press the Windows key on your keyboard.
- Type ndOffice in the search bar.
- Click on ndOffice when it appears in the search results.
ndOffice will launch and you will see the nd icon appear in your system tray. If you are not already logged in, it will prompt you to log in.
To log in, click on the nd icon in the system tray, then click Log in. ndOffice will open a web page in your browser. If you are already logged into NetDocuments in your browser, it will ask you to Allow the connection. Click Allow and ndOffice will connect. If you are not logged into NetDocuments in your browser, you will be prompted to sign in with your credentials or through your firm’s SSO first.
Once ndOffice is logged in and connected, the NetDocuments tab should appear in your Office applications. For help with the login process and setting your region to Canada, see Setting Your NetDocuments Location to Canada.
Step 2: Check If the Add-in Is Disabled in Office #
Sometimes Microsoft Office will disable a COM add-in automatically. This can happen if the add-in takes too long to load, if Office crashes while the add-in is active, or after an Office update. When this happens, ndOffice is running in the background but the NetDocuments tab disappears from the ribbon because Office has disabled the add-in on its side.
To check and re-enable the add-in:
- Open Word (or whichever Office application is missing the tab).
- Go to File > Options.
- Click Add-ins in the left sidebar.
- At the bottom of the window, make sure the dropdown says COM Add-ins and click Go.
- Look for the NetDocuments add-in in the list. If it is unchecked, check the box next to it and click OK.
If the add-in does not appear in the COM Add-ins list at all, look at the bottom of the Add-ins page in Options. There is a section that shows Disabled Items. Change the dropdown to Disabled Items and click Go. If the NetDocuments add-in is listed there, select it and click Enable. Then restart Office.
You will need to repeat this process for each Office application where the tab is missing (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Each application manages its add-ins independently.
Step 3: ndMail Add-in Missing from Outlook #
The ndMail add-in for Outlook can also get disabled by the same mechanism. If the ndMail filing panel is not appearing in Outlook, follow the same steps as above: go to File > Options > Add-ins > COM Add-ins and check that the ndMail add-in is enabled.
If your firm is using the ndMail for M365 add-in (the newer version) rather than the classic COM add-in, the troubleshooting is different. The M365 add-in does not get disabled the way a COM add-in does. If it is not appearing in Outlook:
- Make sure the add-in has been added from the M365 add-in store. In Outlook, go to the add-in store (sometimes labeled Get Add-ins or Store in the ribbon) and search for NetDocuments. Add the ndMail add-in if it is not already installed.
- Once added, look for the nd logo in your Outlook ribbon or toolbar. Click it to open the filing panel.
- If you want the panel to stay visible, pin it so it remains open as you work through your emails.
The M365 add-in works across Outlook on Windows (classic and New Outlook), Outlook on the web, Outlook for Mac, and the Outlook mobile app. For a detailed comparison of the two versions, see ndMail for Outlook (Classic) vs. ndMail for M365.
For IT Administrators: Preventing Add-in Disabling #
If add-ins are being disabled frequently across your firm, there are steps your IT team can take to reduce the issue.
Resiliency Registry Keys #
Microsoft Office uses resiliency registry keys to track add-in performance. If an add-in loads slowly or causes a crash, Office records the event and may disable the add-in on subsequent launches. Your IT administrator can configure registry keys to prevent Office from disabling the NetDocuments add-ins. This applies to both the ndOffice add-ins (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and the classic ndMail COM add-in for Outlook.
These registry settings do not prevent every instance of add-in disabling, but they significantly reduce the frequency. NetDocuments provides documentation on the specific registry keys and values to set.
Force-Enable ndMail via Registry #
For the classic ndMail COM add-in specifically, there is an additional registry key that can be set to force-enable the add-in even if Outlook tries to disable it. This is a more aggressive approach and is useful for firms where the ndMail add-in is business-critical and cannot be allowed to disable itself.
Your IT administrator or NetDocuments implementation partner can help configure these registry settings across your firm’s workstations.
ndMail for M365 Add-in #
The M365 add-in does not suffer from the same COM add-in disabling issues. If your firm is experiencing frequent add-in disabling problems with the classic version, this is another reason to consider transitioning to the ndMail for M365 add-in. IT administrators can deploy it centrally through the Microsoft 365 admin center, ensuring it is available for all users without relying on individual installs.
Still Not Working? #
If you have tried the steps above and the NetDocuments add-ins are still not appearing:
- Try restarting your computer. A full restart clears any stuck processes and allows ndOffice to launch fresh.
- Make sure ndOffice is up to date. An outdated version may have compatibility issues with newer versions of Office.
- Confirm that ndOffice is installed. If your firm recently set up your computer, ndOffice may not have been included in the initial setup. Check with your IT department or see What Is ndOffice and Why You Need It for installation details.
- Contact your firm’s IT department or NetDocuments administrator if the issue persists. There may be a group policy or configuration issue specific to your environment.
Need help troubleshooting NetDocuments for your team? HFSM Technology provides implementation, training, and ongoing support for Canadian law firms. Visit hfsm.ca/contact to learn more.
