Excel 2000 want to open Access files

[Sheila Caim]

This just recently started happening. When I open Excel, either from a
shortcut key or by double clicking an Excel file, I get a series of error
messages saying that Excel can't open Access files. After clicking OK to
all of them, it finally opens the Excel startup spreadsheet, or the specific
file. I uninstalled Office and reinstalled it but the same thing happens.
Word and Access open normally.

I looked at associations and everything looks right there. I also looked at
the registry, but there's too much there that I don't understand. Nothing,
however, seems to point to telling Excel to open Access files.

Does anyone have any idea what is going on and how to fix it?

Thanks,
Sheila

 

[aaron.kempf]

Excel 2002/2003 can open Access files right?

File, Open, Files of Type = MDB?

Thanks

-Aaron

 

[Sheila Caim]

There are NO macros at all. And the only files in XLSTART are Book.xlt and
sheet.xlt.

The error message starts with "Excel cannot open Access mdb files
directly... By the number of times the error message appears, it seems that
it is trying to open every Access database on the computer. The only one
specifically named that it tries to open is the only *.mde file I have.

This is really weird...

Sheila

 

[Gord Dibben]

Sheila

Can you get Excel to open fully?

If so go to Tools>Options>General.

Delete any path you have in "At startup ooen all files in"

You could be pointing to the folder where you have your Accesss files.

If you can't get Excel open, post back for more workarounds.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[aaron.kempf]

you got a reference to external data then?

you can make a pivotTable that refers to MDB file.. and it woudln't
contain any macros.. right?

I'd just turn off 'prompt to refresh external data' and then i'd lose
the ****ing training wheels and just blatantly uninstall Excel from
every machine everywhere

-Aaron

 

[Sheila Caim]

That was it!!! Even though the folder didn't have access files in it, when
I deleted the path, Excel opened fine. Then I re-entered the path, and it
still opens OK.

Thanks very much for solving this really strange problem!

Sheila

 

[Gord Dibben]

That is strange unless the you re-entered the path just a tiny bit differently
than was in the dialog box originally.

There is no real reason to have an alternate starup folder when XLSTART is
available.


Gord