KB484036: After logging into MicroStrategy for Office add-in, the sidebar appears blank, after installing MicroStrategy 2019 Update 1 and up

Description

In Strategy for Office 2019 Update 1 and up, the add-in appears blank after providing the appropriate user credentials. 

Steps to reproduce

• Install the MicroStrategy for Office add-in.
• Open Microsoft Excel and in the Home ribbon, click on your Strategy environment. 
  

• Log into your Strategy environment.
  

• After a successful login, you can see a blank sidebar on the left.
  

Why is this happening?

The Strategy for Office add-in, executed in the Excel desktop version on Windows, uses Internet Explorer in the background. In this case, it is likely that Internet Explorer is running on compatibility mode. However, Strategy does not support Compatibility View mode in Internet Explorer. 
To verify if Internet Explorer is running your Library environment in compatibility mode:
 

• Open Internet Explorer.
• Enter the same URL of your Library environment that was used when installing Strategy for Office. 
• Press F12.
  In the HTML tab, if you see "Compat View" as the Browser Mode, then Internet Explorer is running on compatibility mode.
  

• This explains why your add-in sidebar is appearing blank.
   
  

Solution

This issue is being investigated by the Strategy Technology Team. A fix is expected to be addressed in Strategy 2020 Update 2, where Internet Explorer is forced to use the rendering of the latest version. 
Please contact Technical Support for the latest information regarding this fix and its availability. 

Workaround 

Please deactivate Internet Explorer Compatibility View mode and restart Office. The sidebar should work as expected. 
See KB483338 to make sure all requirements are met.