Excel Excel files will not open when I double-click

[tschnell]

Running Office 2007 on Window XP. Suddenly any and all Excel files will not open when I double-click the file. I can only open Excel files from within Excel program using the option "Open".

I have repeatedly tried both fixes suggested in several user groups:

1) Excel Options button / Advance / deselect (uncheck) "Ignore other applications ... (DDE)"

2) Run: Open: excel /unregserver and then Run: Open: excel /regserver

Neither soves problem. Need Help!

 

[SlimJim]

Can you say what happens when you double-click an excel file?
If you right-click an excel file is Open the default option?
If you right-click does "Open with" appear in the context menu? If it does you could try Open with "Choose Progam" Then when the list box arrives tick "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" and choose excel; either from the list or by browsing to the application in the Office folder.

 

[tschnell]

Did not correct problem.

Thanks for the suggestion but the file (any excel file) will not open. When I double-click or I use the "open with" method the program loads, but the spreadsheet file doesn't come up.

HEELLPP!!

 

[SlimJim]

A quick search of the MS Knowledgebase reveals that this is a fairly common problem with various versions of excel and indeed contains the advice that you mentioned in the first post and I am probably going over the ground you have already covered. One thing that you have not mentioned is the repair install and this is described in this article


A file does not open in the program that you expect .....

There are also specific links to excel problems at the bottom of th article.

 

[tschnell]

No Luck - files still will not open

SlimJim,


I ran the repair tool. No Luck - files still will not open with double-click.

What else?

 

[SlimJim]

This is a mystery. Unfortunately I do not have Excel 2007 (2003 only) so this may not help. I have looked up the settings on my system for the Excel Workbook filetype so that you can verify that yours are the same

In an explorer window goto Tools>Folder Options - File Types. If you choose xls and click Advanced you should get a property sheet with various options with "Open" in bold. Select Open and click the Edit button on the right then you get a second property sheet with

Action
&Open
Application used to perform action:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE" /e
Use DDE (checked)
DDE Message
[open("%1")]
Topic
system

Other box blank (and your application path will be different.) With these settings my system opens *.xls files with double-click

 

[tschnell]

Hi Slim,

I finally got around to trying your solution. I may have found something. In the "editing action for type:' window there is a fill-in box above the "Topic" box called DDE Application Not Running", and in the box it says "{rem see command line}". Shoud I delete that message? I am afraid to try something without your input.

Ted

 

[SlimJim]

Hi Slim,

I finally got around to trying your solution. I may have found something. In the "editing action for type:' window there is a fill-in box above the "Topic" box called DDE Application Not Running", and in the box it says "{rem see command line}". Shoud I delete that message? I am afraid to try something without your input.

Ted

Hi Ted

I looked at the property sheet again and the box you mentioned is empty on my system. What I suggest that you do to ensure that you can get back to your current situation is keep a careful note of the message in the box and then delete it and see what happens - "experimentation is the foundation of science". Good luck

SlimJim

 

[hazy68]

Same Problem

I had the same problem and this fix took care of it.

Close Excel and

Windows Start Button|Run

excel /unregserver

then

Windows Start Button|Run

excel /regserver

The /unregserver & /regserver stuff resets the windows registry to excel's

factory defaults.

 

[OTIS]

Same problem with double-clicking on excel file

I had the same problem and this took care of it.

Make sure you close Excel

Start | Run | Open

Type in the box: excel /unregserver

then click ok

Start | Run | Open

Type in the box: excel /regserver

then click ok

 

[StacyB]

I used Microsoft Fix it and it took care of the problem for me, you can find it at:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/211494