Unable to Open Excel

[Pete Q]

I have been experiencing a problem over the past couple of
days trying to open Excel. I am using Excel 2000.

Every time I try to open the application the following
message appears:

" Excel.exe has generated errors and will be closed by
Windows. You will need to restart the program. An error
log is being created"


When I try to restart the program I still get the same
error message. I have also tried to reboot and the same
error message occurs.

I can see all my excel files when I go into Explorer but I
can not open any of the files.

Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions. Prior to
this problem occuring I have not had any problems with
excel. I am also not having any problems with my other
Office applications

Thanks!

 

[Rob Bovey]

Hi Pete,

This isn't guaranteed to solve the problem, but it's worth a try. Use
Windows Explorer to search all of your hard disks for files with a .XLB
extension. Delete any that you find. Excel uses these files to store
information about its toolbar configuration, but they frequently become
corrupt and cause strange errors like this. Excel will create clean new
default versions after you delete the old corrupt ones, but you will lose
any toolbar customizations you've made.

--
Rob Bovey, MCSE, MCSD, Excel MVP
Application Professionals
http://www.appspro.com/

* Please post all replies to this newsgroup *
* I delete all unsolicited e-mail responses *

 

[Pete Q]

Bruce,

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I didn't come
across any files with an XLB extension

Pete

 

[Rob Bovey]

Hi Pete,

If you have Excel installed you must have at least one .xlb file. If
you're running Windows 2000 or XP the file will be located in:

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\

The name of the file will be Excel.xlb.

--
Rob Bovey, MCSE, MCSD, Excel MVP
Application Professionals
http://www.appspro.com/

* Please post all replies to this newsgroup *
* I delete all unsolicited e-mail responses *

 

[Pete Q]

Hi Rob-

I have some good news and bad news.

The good news is that I was able to get a copy of an xlb
file from someone else. This was then copied into the
file you referenced and seemed to solve the problem! I
was then able to get into excel with no difficulties.

The bad news is that it seemed to have an impact on my
Outlook settings. (I can't see how since the two seem
totally unrelated). When I clicked on Outlook it gave me
an error message saying I didn't have authorization or
access rights to view the mail messages--even though it
referenced my name as the user!

I started thinking back to the DLB file that was copied
into my excel directory and remembered that the username
of the DLB file still had the name of my friend who I
received the file from.

We then removed the file from excel (which strangely
didn't have an impact on being able to access Excel once
the DLB file was removed).

Someone else started messing around with my Outlook
settings and finally the problem with me viewing mail was
solved. Unfortunately this left yet another problem when
composing email messages.

When I try to press the "send" message on a new message
to get it to move into my "out box" nothing happens. I
just keep clicking on the "send" button but the message
never gets closed and moved to my "out box".

I am not having any trouble receiving messages.

The other issue that suddenly came up with outlook is
that that when I put my mouse on a message in my inbox I
am unable to "right click" to allow me to use any of the
functions that would normally come up when you right
click (delete, copy, etc.)

I didn't think the two were related but thought I would
mention this as well.

Unfortunately I no longer have the original installation
discs for my MS Office 2000 Professional. As a result I
can't do a full re-install of the application.

Any suggestions? Sorry for making this so long but wanted
to try and give you as much background as possible

Pete

 

[Dave]

This is exactly what has happened to me. I was using an
excel workbook as a simple database for an access program.
I had multiple worksheets in the workbook. One worksheet
was giving me some problems in a field with the
value "1002". I would not perform properly when I sorted
it no matter what I tried. I linked it into the access
program and made a change that it didn't like and I knew
it wouldn't like it but I couldn't resist. I forced a
change in the value through access to see what would
happen and exactly what you wrote below is what happened
to me. Now I can't open the file because of the errors
just like you wrote below. All of this to say that if a
solution to your problem is found, maybe it will fix my
problem as well. If somebody responds to your need, will
you be so kind as to send me the answer as well? I wish I
had the answer for you but I am like you, in deep doodoo.

Dave