This page is for an IT or security team assessing whether Frank for Excel can be installed on a managed machine. It describes exactly what the add-in does, what it writes, and what it never does. If something here is not enough detail, email me and ask.
The one-line version. Frank is a per-user Excel add-in that needs no administrator rights, installs no service or driver, and makes no network connections of any kind — no telemetry, no update check, no licence server, no account. Licensing is an offline signed file.
Frank makes no outbound network calls. There is no telemetry, no crash reporting, no update check, no licence activation, no account and no cloud component. The add-in has no code path that opens a socket.
You do not have to take that on trust. It is straightforwardly verifiable:
The one exception to “nothing leaves the machine” is under the user’s direct control: Settings › About › Send feedback composes an email in the user’s own mail client with diagnostic details filled in. The user sees the content and chooses whether to send it. Frank does not send it.
The installer is not yet code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may warn or block installation. Code signing is planned and this page will be updated when signed builds ship. If your policy requires signed binaries, say so when you contact me — it is useful to know how many evaluations it is blocking.
Frank installs and stores its settings under the current user’s profile. Most settings are plain text; the add-in binary and encoded trial record are not:
| Path | Contents |
|---|---|
| %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Frank\Frank64.xll | The add-in itself |
| %APPDATA%\Frank\shortcuts.cfg | Keyboard bindings |
| %APPDATA%\Frank\prefs.cfg | Colours, number formats, feature settings |
| %APPDATA%\Frank\windows.cfg | Window sizes and positions |
| %APPDATA%\Frank\licence.hdl | The signed licence file |
| %APPDATA%\Frank\trial.dat | Trial start date |
| %APPDATA%\Frank\lastseen.dat | Last-used date for offline clock checks |
| %APPDATA%\Frank\migration.complete | Records that legacy settings have been copied |
| %APPDATA%\Frank\log.txt | Error log, written only when something fails |
| HKCU\Software\Frank | Trial start and last-used dates |
Settings and licences are kept when you upgrade or reinstall. Uninstalling does not remove your settings folder or local trial records. An upgrade does not restart the trial.
Error reports write the workbook name, sheet name, cell address and exception details to the local log and clipboard. Exception details may include file paths. Review these before sharing them. Comparing a file with the same name as the open workbook creates a copy in the Windows temporary folder. Frank attempts to remove that copy in cleanup, including on failure; a crash or a locked file may leave it behind.
Licences are offline files. A licence is a short plain-text record signed with an RSA private key; the add-in verifies the signature against a public key compiled into the build. There is no activation call, no licence server and no phone-home. A licence file contains the licensee’s name, email address, issue date, expiry date and digital signature.
Uninstall through Windows Settings or Add/Remove Programs. It removes the add-in and the Excel registration entry. The %APPDATA%\Frank folder is deliberately left in place so that a user’s settings survive a reinstall. Legacy backups and local registry records are also retained; contact support if you need help removing all local data.
Frank is built and maintained by one person. There is no SOC 2 report, ISO certification or third-party penetration test. These notes describe the implementation; they are not an independent security assessment.
Email support@frankforexcel.com. I handle technical questions directly.