Can't open many XLS files at once

[Dennis]

I have Excel 2000 and Win XP pro.

I used to be able to highlight many XLS files in Explorer, right click, choose
open and all the highlighted files would open in Excel with the different xls
files on my task bar.

I can still do this on my W98 computer, but I can only open one file at a time
on my Win XP computer. If I double click on a 2nd XLS file the 2nd XLS file
opens and the first file closes.

I tried the run excel.exe /regserv fix but this did not solve the problem.

Does anyone know how to fix this for Win XP?

Thanks

Dennis

 

[Frank Kabel]

Hi
maybe: Tools - Options - General and uncheck 'Ignore other applications'

 

[Dennis]

Hi Frank.

It's unchecked.

I compared every "Options" window selection of the WinXP computer with the
Win98SE computer and they are exactly the same. However, as I stated before,
the Win98 computer will allow multiple XLS files to be loaded at the same time
and the WinXP will not.

It's frustrating!

Dennis

 

[Gord Dibben]

Dennis

In your first post you "I tried the run excel.exe /regserv fix but this did
not solve the problem."

Did you get any error message or any message at all?

Maybe a typo, but proper syntax is excel.exe /regserver

Also try excel.exe /unregserver first then excel.exe /regserver

Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Dave Peterson]

Are you sure that they're closing?

xl2002 added a windows in taskbar that allowed you to see all the open
workbooks/windows in the Windows taskbar.

Maybe you have all of the workbooks open, but the taskbar only shows the
activewindow.

If you click on window on the worksheet menubar, how many open workbooks do you
see.

If you see lots (and are running xl2k (or higher)), then
tools|options|View tab|check windows in taskbar.

 

[Dennis]

Maybe you have all of the workbooks open, but the taskbar only shows the
activewindow.

No. when I first bring Excel up there is a blank worksheet labeled book1.xls.
If I then use Explorer to go to the directory with XLS files and highlight two
or more files and then right click and choose "Open" nothing happens. If I
choose only one XLS file and right click and click "open" it opens in Excel
immediately. If I go and double click on another XLS file while the first one
is shown, the 2nd one appears immediately and the 1st one is shown on the task
bar. That is two XLS files are now loaded

What I can't figure out is why one highlighted file will open in Excel but 2 or
more highlighted files will not load at the same time..that is nothing happens.

In Win98SE all highlighted files open in Excel and are shown on the task bar.

If you see lots (and are running xl2k (or higher)), then
tools|options|View tab|check windows in taskbar.

This option is checked

 

[Dennis]

In your first post you "I tried the run excel.exe /regserv fix but this did
not solve the problem."

Did you get any error message or any message at all?

I made a typo above I should have typed regserver not regserv.

Also try excel.exe /unregserver first then excel.exe /regserver

I tried the unregserver and regserver but this did not solve the problem. When
I run regserver it asks for my Excel 2000 SR1 CD and then runs the regserver
program when I give it the CD.

 

[Dave Peterson]

Sorry, I don't have any other guess.

No. when I first bring Excel up there is a blank worksheet labeled book1.xls.
If I then use Explorer to go to the directory with XLS files and highlight two
or more files and then right click and choose "Open" nothing happens. If I
choose only one XLS file and right click and click "open" it opens in Excel
immediately. If I go and double click on another XLS file while the first one
is shown, the 2nd one appears immediately and the 1st one is shown on the task
bar. That is two XLS files are now loaded

What I can't figure out is why one highlighted file will open in Excel but 2 or
more highlighted files will not load at the same time..that is nothing happens.

In Win98SE all highlighted files open in Excel and are shown on the task bar.


This option is checked

 

[Dennis]

I'm guessing it must be a WinXP Pro Aministrative or Services thing but I can't
find where it's happening.

Thanks anyway for your help.

Dennis

 

[Dave Peterson]

If you find the problem, post back. Then google will have it for the next
victim, er, user.

 

[Dennis]

I found the solution to this problem.

Actually it is a WinXP Register problem and not an Excel problem.

If you Google "can't open multiple files" you will find the answer.

In my case I installed the AVG Virus software(the free version) on my computer
recently.

This software made a registry entry in the folder.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

When I deleted the "AVG Antivir" key in this reg folder everything worked ok and
I was now able to open multiple files in Excel, Word, etc.

Some people had installed other programs that caused the same problem in this
folder. When they deleted the keys for their program in that folder everything
worked as it should.