Excel UI corrupted on startup (menu, document pane MIA)

G

Guest

Lately when I start Excel 2007 I get a window full of UI garbage. More
specifically, there is no document pane, no menu bar, not even a title bar
with close window button. Instead, the only thing the window has in it is
the status bar ("Ready", etc.), which is wedged in at the top of the window
where the title bar of the window should be. Resizing the window brings back
the ribbon bar, but not the document pane. Documents can be opened (I can
use Ctrl-O even when the title bar is not showing, only the useless status
bar), but do not display anywhere in the window. Even the close button on
the title bar (when it reappears) fails to work, instead flickering non-stop
when you click on it. I have to close Excel via right-clicking on the taskbar
button.

Closing and reopening Excel works only about 1/10th of the time in restoring
the correct UI (the intermittence makes me wonder whether there is an
underlying race condition bug on multiprocessor machines like my new
computer...)

The only successful workaround I know that seems to work 100% of the time is
to open *another* instance of Excel while the garbage instance is open. Then
everything displays as normal. But when you close both instances the same
problem comes back when you try to start up again from scratch. Basically I
can only get Excel to work every other time in launch it! I can demo with
screenshots if anyone's interested.

This is a major bug as far as I am concerned. But I am interested in a
permanent workaround. More specifically, I am wondering whether it could
have something to do with a UI customization or custom workbook template that
is opened on startup. I haven't been able to find anything yet, and I don't
remember setting up anything. I'd only run Excel 2007 about 5-10 times
before the problem started up. I copied over my "App Configuration Settings"
from Excel 2003 using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. Could this be
the problem? How would I clear any Excel-specific customization info? Any
ideas more generally?
 
G

Guest

I have the exact same problem.

My workaround is to launch and keep open another one of the Office
applications (eg Word or Powerpoint) before launching Excel.

I too use a multi processor machine.

Waiting for a solution from MS
 

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