.xls file won't open

[Guest]

Properties for the file now look different than other .xls files.... Under
the General tab is shows MS Excel Worksheet, but there is a Version tab that
shows: Description: Windows Picture & Fax Viewer; Internal Name:
ShImgVw.dll
It's a file I use constantly, and my latest backup is also corrupted.
Any ideas on recovery or hidden places to look for the 'real' file?

 

[Dave Peterson]

I'd try to reregister excel so that it can take back its associations:

Close Excel and
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /unregserver
then
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /regserver

The /unregserver & /regserver stuff resets the windows registry to excel's
factory defaults.

If that fails (but I bet it doesn't!), maybe you can do the reassignment
manually.

Windows explorer
find a .xls file
shift-right click on it
choose "Open with"
Browse to excel.exe (if it's not in the list)
And make sure you have that little box at the bottom checked--to use this
program for that extension.

 

[Guest]

The manual reassignment didn't work. Excel opens, but the file doesn't.
On the reregister suggestion: I clicked Start, then Run and where it says
'Open' I put in excel /unregserver .... Excel opened and gave an error
message 'unregserver.xls' can't be found

 

[Dave Peterson]

I bet you used the backslash instead of the slash.

You may want to just copy|paste from the posting.