Excel 97 message, "A document with the name '-----.xls' is already open. . . ."

  • Thread starter Thread starter Neil Harrington
  • Start date Start date
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Neil Harrington

I've just installed Excel 97 on a new computer. It works fine when I start
Excel first and then open a file. But when I double-click on the file to
start Excel, it opens the file all right but then warns me that that file's
already open and I "cannot open two documents with the same name." It does
this every time, though there isn't really another file open.

It doesn't prevent me from working with the file, it's just annoying. How do
I get rid of this false warning?
 
Neil

Try the usual fix(es) for this problem.

Tools>Options>General uncheck "Ignore other Applications"
Exit Excel and try again

If this doesn't work try to re-register Excel

Close Excel first and On the Windows Taskbar

1) Start>Run "excel.exe /unregserver"(no quotes)>OK.
2) Start>Run "excel.exe /regserver"(no quotes)>OK.
See the space between exe and /regserver

You might have to designate a full path to excel.exe.
In that case Start>Run "C:\yourpath\excel.exe /regserver"(no quotes)>OK.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

I've just installed Excel 97 on a new computer. It works fine when I start
Excel first and then open a file. But when I double-click on the file to
start Excel, it opens the file all right but then warns me that that file's
already open and I "cannot open two documents with the same name." It does
this every time, though there isn't really another file open.

It doesn't prevent me from working with the file, it's just annoying. How do
I get rid of this false warning?
Click to expand...

Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP
 
Adding to Gord, I would also load the many service packs available for this
version, or the final release of XL97 called XL2000 ;-)

--
HTH
Nick Hodge
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Southampton, England
www.nickhodge.co.uk
(e-mail address removed)
 
Gord Dibben said:
Neil

Try the usual fix(es) for this problem.

Tools>Options>General uncheck "Ignore other Applications"
Exit Excel and try again
Click to expand...

When I did that, it opened Excel all right and simultaneously said (with
another warning "boomp!") it couldn't find it. :-)

If this doesn't work try to re-register Excel

Close Excel first and On the Windows Taskbar

1) Start>Run "excel.exe /unregserver"(no quotes)>OK.
2) Start>Run "excel.exe /regserver"(no quotes)>OK.
See the space between exe and /regserver
Click to expand...

Perfect! That did the trick, and many thanks, Gord!

I'll have to save this tip, as probably in a few years I'll be doing the
same thing all over again with another new computer.

Thanks again,

Neil
 
Nick Hodge said:
Adding to Gord, I would also load the many service packs available for
this version, or the final release of XL97 called XL2000 ;-)
Click to expand...

Thanks, Nick, I will look into that. I wasn't even aware there were service
packs available for Excel 97, so that's a good tip too.

As for that "final release," Excel 2000, heh, I'm sure it's great, but Excel
97 has really done everything I need it to do since I got it -- in '97. I
use it almost daily, but I'm not exactly a power user. ;-)

Neil
 
Neil,

And the xl97 help file is far superior to that in xl2000.
--
Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.realezsites.com/bus/primitivesoftware

Re: "As for that "final release," Excel 2000, heh, I'm sure it's great, but Excel
97 has really done everything I need it to do since I got it -- in '97. I
use it almost daily, but I'm not exactly a power user."
 
Gord, according to the requirements listed on that page for both SR-1 and
SR-2b, supported OSs are Windows 2000, 95, 98 and NT. My new machine on
which I'm running Excel 97 is WinXP SP2 (Home). Can I safely use those
service releases anyway? The thing is, I'm quite satisfied with Excel as it
is and I'd hate to screw it up. It appears that no entries have been made
about these releases on the Microsoft site since 1999, so whether they'll
work with XP isn't clear.

Neil
 
Neil

Not sure about Win XP but I'd be willing to bet that because the site hasn't
been updated for a few years, Win XP is not listed.

If it were me, I would try the service packs. Excel 97 unpatched had some
serious bugs, especially with re-calculation AFAIR.

Make sure you create a System Restore point prior to installation if you decide
to take the plunge.

There are others hanging about these news groups that are running 97 on Win XP.

Perhaps one of them will jump in.


Gord
 
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