Excel in IE browser

[Tim_S]

I have a small problem and don't know where/when it
started or what caused it.

I am running Windows XP and Office XP Pro. Both Fully
Patched.

Issue. I have an excel file I open in the IE web
browser. (Actually the excel file is created when I visit
a web site. However I can reproduce the error just by
opening the file from the desktop too.) I right click on
the excel file. file.xls on the desktop and pick Open
With.. then select Internet Explorer. Once the excel
document is in the browswer, some of the top menu items
stop working. I say some because I get the File menu
(drop down) but Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Data,
and Adobe PDF buttons do nothing. The Go to, Favorites
and Help along with the File menus function.

I used to be able to use the View button and turn on
another tool bar while excel sheet was open. I could also
use the Data tool bar to sort the spreadsheet.

I can open the spreadsheet within Excel (not in a
browser) and the buttons function correctly.

Does anyone know why/how/when this feature stopped
working? I get nothing when i press any button except
the ones mentioned above.

Thanks.

 

[David McRitchie]

Why do you want to open an Excel file as IE instead of as Excel.
I would change open file types so that the file is opened as Excel from IE or any
other application.
http://google.com/[email protected]

 

[Tim_S]

Why do you want to open an Excel file as IE instead of as Excel.
I would change open file types so that the file is opened as Excel from IE or any
other application.
http://google.com/[email protected]

 

[Tim_S]

First, I don't create the file, it is generated from an Apache Server using
a cgi script. The file opens in IE automatically as an excel file.

Second, this behavior of the MENU items (Like View) used to operate a couple
of weeks ago. Now they don't. I suspect that one of MS's Latest Patches has
disabled the menu features.

I have been able to verify this with several other people who use the site
as well.

 

[Dave Peterson]

I'm not sure if this is feasible for you, but you may want to consider opening
the file in excel--instead of MSIE.

There's a setting in Windows that you can change.

In win98, I can do this:
Start Windows Explorer
View|Folder Options
File Types Tab
scroll down to MS Excel Worksheet
Select it
click the edit button
There's an option to "browse in same window". Uncheck it.

That's where you can toggle the "confirm open after download", too.

How to Configure Internet Explorer to Open Office
Documents in the Appropriate Office Program Instead of in Internet Explorer
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=162059

 

[Tim_S]

If I wanted to open the file in excel instead of IE I could do so by just
pressing File >save as> and store it on my hard drive. then Open the
document in excel. However, this creates extra steps for me and it is also
not the point. As of a couple of weeks ago, i could press View>Toolbars>
and pick a custom tool bar to display in the browser. I could also pick
Data>Sort from the menu and sort the data before saving as a file, WHILE
still in IE. Now it does not work. My question is WHY did it stop working?
I know I could do several work-arounds.

 

[Dave Peterson]

I don't have a guess.

If I wanted to open the file in excel instead of IE I could do so by just
pressing File >save as> and store it on my hard drive. then Open the
document in excel. However, this creates extra steps for me and it is also
not the point. As of a couple of weeks ago, i could press View>Toolbars>
and pick a custom tool bar to display in the browser. I could also pick
Data>Sort from the menu and sort the data before saving as a file, WHILE
still in IE. Now it does not work. My question is WHY did it stop working?
I know I could do several work-arounds.

 

[Lonnie]

Tim,

Did you ever determine what was causing the problem with the pull down
menus. We too have started experiencing the exact same problem.

Thanks,

 

[Guest]

Tim, Lonnie

You are not alone ... I have experienced the same and I am still looking for the solution.