Problem opening xls files by double-clicking

[G.R. Toro]

Hi,

I am using Excel XP. Since I re-installed Office (in an un-successful
attempt to fix a problem with Outlook), I have trouble when I try to open an
Xls files by double-clicking.

I always get the message: "Windows cannot find 'filename'. Make sure you
typed the name correctly ....."

If the file name and path contains no spaces, Excel actually opens the file
after complaining. If the file name (or directory path) contains spaces,
Excel gets really confused and treats each portion of the name as a separate
Excel file.

The settings in the Explorer's Tools|Folder Options|File Types| Advanced
for the "Open" actions are as follows:

Action: &Open
Application used to perform action: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office10\EXCEL.EXE" /e %1
(I have tried enclosing the %1 in "", but this does not help)
Use DDE (checked)
DDE Message: [open("%1")]
Application: Excel
DDE Application not running: (blank)
Topic: System

This behavior is rather annoying. Any suggestions (other than the standard
"re-install ....") ?

Thanks,

Gabriel

 

[Frank Kabel]

Hi
try closing excel and reregistering it with windows:
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /unregserver
then
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /regserver

 

[G.R. Toro]

Frank,

Thanks for your suggestion, but it did not work. Now, Excel does not give
me the error messages, but does not open the file (even open the file when
the file name does not contain blank spaces).

More surprising, I went back to "Folder Options" after following your
procedure and I see that the Application used to perform action does not
include the %1 argument. I looked in another computer (running W98) and I
see that the argument is not there.

Should the %1 argument be there? If the argument is not there, how does
Excel get the name of the file to open?

I am completely confused.

Any other suggestions?

Gabriel

Hi
try closing excel and reregistering it with windows:
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /unregserver
then
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /regserver

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany

Hi,

I am using Excel XP. Since I re-installed Office (in an un-successful
attempt to fix a problem with Outlook), I have trouble when I try to
open an Xls files by double-clicking.

I always get the message: "Windows cannot find 'filename'. Make sure
you typed the name correctly ....."

If the file name and path contains no spaces, Excel actually opens
the file after complaining. If the file name (or directory path)
contains spaces, Excel gets really confused and treats each portion
of the name as a separate Excel file.

The settings in the Explorer's Tools|Folder Options|File Types|
Advanced for the "Open" actions are as follows:

Action: &Open
Application used to perform action: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office10\EXCEL.EXE" /e %1
(I have tried enclosing the %1 in "", but this does not help)
Use DDE (checked)
DDE Message: [open("%1")]
Application: Excel
DDE Application not running: (blank)
Topic: System

This behavior is rather annoying. Any suggestions (other than the
standard "re-install ....") ?

Thanks,

Gabriel

 

[Dave Peterson]

An alternative might be to do:
Try Tools|Options|General|Ignore other applications (uncheck it)

(If you may have messed up those folder options, you may want to
unregister/reregister excel--just in case??)

Frank,

Thanks for your suggestion, but it did not work. Now, Excel does not give
me the error messages, but does not open the file (even open the file when
the file name does not contain blank spaces).

More surprising, I went back to "Folder Options" after following your
procedure and I see that the Application used to perform action does not
include the %1 argument. I looked in another computer (running W98) and I
see that the argument is not there.

Should the %1 argument be there? If the argument is not there, how does
Excel get the name of the file to open?

I am completely confused.

Any other suggestions?

Gabriel

Hi
try closing excel and reregistering it with windows:
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /unregserver
then
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /regserver

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany

Hi,

I am using Excel XP. Since I re-installed Office (in an un-successful
attempt to fix a problem with Outlook), I have trouble when I try to
open an Xls files by double-clicking.

I always get the message: "Windows cannot find 'filename'. Make sure
you typed the name correctly ....."

If the file name and path contains no spaces, Excel actually opens
the file after complaining. If the file name (or directory path)
contains spaces, Excel gets really confused and treats each portion
of the name as a separate Excel file.

The settings in the Explorer's Tools|Folder Options|File Types|
Advanced for the "Open" actions are as follows:

Action: &Open
Application used to perform action: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office10\EXCEL.EXE" /e %1
(I have tried enclosing the %1 in "", but this does not help)
Use DDE (checked)
DDE Message: [open("%1")]
Application: Excel
DDE Application not running: (blank)
Topic: System

This behavior is rather annoying. Any suggestions (other than the
standard "re-install ....") ?

Thanks,

Gabriel

 

[G.R. Toro]

Thanks. Your suggestion worked.

Gabriel

An alternative might be to do:
Try Tools|Options|General|Ignore other applications (uncheck it)

(If you may have messed up those folder options, you may want to
unregister/reregister excel--just in case??)

Frank,

Thanks for your suggestion, but it did not work. Now, Excel does not give
me the error messages, but does not open the file (even open the file when
the file name does not contain blank spaces).

More surprising, I went back to "Folder Options" after following your
procedure and I see that the Application used to perform action does not
include the %1 argument. I looked in another computer (running W98) and I
see that the argument is not there.

Should the %1 argument be there? If the argument is not there, how does
Excel get the name of the file to open?

I am completely confused.

Any other suggestions?

Gabriel

Hi
try closing excel and reregistering it with windows:
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /unregserver
then
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /regserver

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany

G.R. Toro wrote:
Hi,

I am using Excel XP. Since I re-installed Office (in an
un-successful
attempt to fix a problem with Outlook), I have trouble when I try to
open an Xls files by double-clicking.

I always get the message: "Windows cannot find 'filename'. Make sure
you typed the name correctly ....."

If the file name and path contains no spaces, Excel actually opens
the file after complaining. If the file name (or directory path)
contains spaces, Excel gets really confused and treats each portion
of the name as a separate Excel file.

The settings in the Explorer's Tools|Folder Options|File Types|
Advanced for the "Open" actions are as follows:

Action: &Open
Application used to perform action: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office10\EXCEL.EXE" /e %1
(I have tried enclosing the %1 in "", but this does not help)
Use DDE (checked)
DDE Message: [open("%1")]
Application: Excel
DDE Application not running: (blank)
Topic: System

This behavior is rather annoying. Any suggestions (other than the
standard "re-install ....") ?

Thanks,

Gabriel