Second workbook (book2) opens automaticaly

[DDavid]

Hi,

I use Excel 2000 at work, and I recently started to get this issue,
when I first open any excel file, another workbook named "Book2" opens
automaticaly along with the first file. from then on, I can open
other files and no other books comes up. it only does it when I open a
first instance of excel. Do anyone have an idea of what could be
causing this?

 

[Dave Peterson]

Look in your XLStart folder.

Report what you find.

I'm guessing that you have a file in that folder that's causing the trouble.

 

[DDavid]

Hi,

I found two folders:
C:\Documents and Settings\xxxxxx\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel
\XLSTART - No files

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\XLStart - the only file
there is: personal.xls

 

[Dave Peterson]

First, when you open excel, do you see personal.xls or is it a hidden workbook?

If you see it, that's not the usual choice for most users. I'd hide it.

Open excel
activate personal.xls
Window|Hide (xl2003 menus)
Close excel and answer yes to the save prompt (since you changed the
personal.xls workbook by hiding it).

Then check by reopening excel.

If that doesn't work...

There's a setting in windows that allows users to hide extensions in windows
explorer--and excel respects that option and does not display the extension in
the title bar.

So the next thing to check is to see if that book2 is really book2.xls (an
existing workbook) or a newly created workbook.

Open excel.
Activate Book2

Type this in an empty cell:
=cell("Filename",a1)

This will return the name (including drive and path) if the file has been
saved. The cell will look empty if the file has never been saved.

If the file exists, make a note of its location, close excel and delete it.

There's an option under Tools|Options|General Tab (xl2003 menus) that allows the
use to specify a folder so that "at startup, open all files in:" that folder
will will be opened.

Most people leave that entry empty.

If the file doesn't exist, then I'm guessing that you have another XLStart
folder (you can have lots depending on your version of windows and upgrade
path).

Try shelling to DOS:
Windows start button|Run
CMD
(to get to the command prompt)
type this and see if any more XLStart folders show up.

Dir C:\xlstart /s

 

[DDavid]

Type this in an empty cell:

=cell("Filename",a1)

When I did this, no path was found. it is always with this name when
I first open a workbook file.

Personal.xls is hidden, it does not show at startup

One thing that I have noticed is that if I open a file "File 1" (excel
is closed) the file opens and the BOOK2 opens too., then I close the
Book2 workbook and for as long as I have the "file 1" open, I can open
as many other files as I want, and the book2 does not comes again,
until I close all instances of excel and open a file again it comes up
with the book2.

Only the two folders Xlstart that i mention before appeared in command
line. should I erase one of those folders??

 

[Dave Peterson]

If one of those xlstart folders is empty, then it shouldn't matter. (Did you
look for hidden files in either of those folders???)

I don't have any real good guesses left...

But some more questions...

How are you starting excel?

Are you double-clicking on a file in windows explorer?
Are you clicking on a shortcut to an excel file?
Are you clicking on a shortcut to excel itself?

(Since you're writing that you're opening another workbook, it can't be the last
choice, right?)

If you're using a shortcut, are you sure that the target is correct???

====
A complete guess that shouldn't cause any trouble and may (probably???) not
work:

Close excel
windows start button|run
excel /unregserver
then
windows start button|Run
excel /regserver

This resets a bunch of settings to factory defaults in the windows registry.

 

[Gord Dibben]

How about Tools>Options>General> At Start up, open all file in:?

You did not mention if you had checked there for a path?


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[DDavid]

I checked, but it was empty.

How about Tools>Options>General> At Start up, open all file in:?

You did not mention if you had checked there for a path?

Gord Dibben  MS Excel MVP

I che

 

[DDavid]

There are no hidden files in any of the folders,

Are you double-clicking on a file in windows explorer? Yes, in the explorer, or in the desktop. it doenst really matters where the file is, it always opens the Book2
Are you clicking on a shortcut to an excel file? No, just to the file itself
Are you clicking on a shortcut to excel itself? No,

I did the Unreg/registry, and as you said... no luck!

 

[Dave Peterson]

I'm out of guesses.

Sorry.

There are no hidden files in any of the folders,


I did the Unreg/registry, and as you said... no luck!