Office / Excel 2003

[RDavid]

Hello,

Hope someone here can help me out.

Upgraded from Excel 97 (Word too) to Office Pro 2003 installing everything
on an XP Pro desktop connected to a network running Microsoft SBS2000.

Now, when I simply open Excel, I get: "The file cannot be opened because
your virus scanner has detected a problem with the file.". But I'm not
trying to open any file, just Excel. HELP!

I get the same thing in trying to open an old file, saved in Excel 97.

If I add anything to one cell (or two, just something at all) and then save
the file it saves it but when I go to open it with the Open dialog box I get
the same thing, "The file cannot be opened because....".

Is this some new MS virus protection scheme? Just don't allow any files to
be opened?

Please understand that I'm a bit punchy after scanning MS KB's and google
out the wazoo.

HELP!

Rich

 

[Dave Peterson]

First, I don't use xl2003 (or office 2003) and I don't use WinXP (any version).

But the first question that pops in my head is: What happens when you disable
your antivirus software?

If everything works ok, then I'd either look for a solution at the AV's web
site, look for an upgrade or look for my money back and try a different AV.

===

You know, I think that the first thing I would do is make sure that there isn't
a virus on my pc. (A full scan???)

Then start excel in safe mode to see what happens when you disable lots of stuff
(macros, toolbars, templates).

Close excel
Windows start button|Run
excel /safe

There's a few workbooks/addins that can load when you start excel.

You can use some techniques that Chip Pearson shares on his web site:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/StartupErrors.htm

Essentially, you're going to move stuff out of your XLStart folder and uncheck
everything under Tools|Addins. (But keep track!)

Then one by one, you'll add one back and restart excel to see if that caused the
problem.

(maybe one of those files has a virus????)

 

[RDavid]

Okay,

For anyone who read this, I found out on my own what was what with this
issue. It's a doozie.

Finally found, under office support on MS site, a forum and searched for
"virus scan error". There was a thread where someone else had an identical
prob in Word as I do but didn't mention Excel. I followed their suggestion
as to a fix and bingo, it worked in Word and Excel.

Here's the thing, Norton AntiVirus has an Office plug-in that Office hooks
to and seems to use as it's personal scanner. Well I guess it doesn't work
all that well, or something, but it grouches every time you want to open a
file and generates an error. Even disabling the Office plug-in in NAV
doesn't work and, get this, uninstalling Norton AntiVirus *still* doesn't
remove the plug-in. (How did this software ever get released???!!???).

The trick is to find the right .DLL and remove it from the registry. Here's
the KB article link.

http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=329820

Thanks to anyone who read this and hopefully someone else will not trip
around like I did before finding this.

Rich

 

[RDavid]

Dave,

Thanks for the reply, you have some great thoughts. The first thing I did
was disable my AV software, but that didn't seem to help.

Look at my own reply to my original message. I found the source and
solution.

This Grrrrr is surely on MY list of Grrrr's.

Rich