Excel 2007 unable to open documents

[smoosh]

When I double click on a excel document with office 2007 I am getting excel to open but the document fails to open.  If I then go to open the document while excel is open it open no problem.  I have been trying to find a fix as this seem like a common issue with office 2007 and the following seems to fix it for most people but not me. 

I have tried the follwoing
Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Excel Options.
Click Advanced, and then click to clear the Ignore other applications check box in the General area.
Click OK.

Excel Options> Select Add-ins> Select manage: Excel Add-ins then hit go. Check Lookup wizard and hit ok.

Tried removing office 2007 and the reg keys but still the same.  It does this with XLS and XLSX files if Excel is open and then open the file no problem.

[killerb255]

Do you have Office 2007 Service Pack 2 installed?

[smoosh]

Yeah it has SP2 installed I tried to to the Excel.exe /unregserver and /regserver.  I also removed SP2 and same thing it was an upgrade from 2003 it seems like lots have had this same issue and lots of ways to try fix it. Yet to find my fix though! 

[Allan]

Have you tried a repair of Office (http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/excel-help/automatically-repair-office-programs-HP005237200.aspx)?

[smoosh]

Have you tried a repair of Office (http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/excel-help/automatically-repair-office-programs-HP005237200.aspx)?

Hi thanks for your help in 2007 you dont get the detect and repair for each application it was a great tool for 2003 but in 2007 its been taken away. 

[Allan]

Okay, I forget what is with each version (I'm currently using 2010). Insert the Office CD and see if it offers a repair option - I believe it does.

[smoosh]

Okay, I forget what is with each version (I'm currently using 2010). Insert the Office CD and see if it offers a repair option - I believe it does.

Yeah there is in the add remove programs and with the disk already did this but did not work.  Bit of a pain.  I have office 2010 on my other laptop working well just my old laptop trying to get working with MS 2007!

[soybean]

When I double click on a excel document with office 2007 I am getting excel to open but the document fails to open.

Well, exactly what happens?  What error message do you see?

[smoosh]

Well, exactly what happens?  What error message do you see?

There is no error message at all excel loads but the document wont load if I then open the same document while excel is open it will open fine.  while it trys to open the document when double click it gets a light blue screen in the location the cells should be the functions are greyed out.

[soybean]

How long has this been happening?  Did you make any changes to your computer around the time it started?

You might also post in http://www.excelforum.com/

[smoosh]

It was fine on office 2003 I just upgraded and it started.  It only happens in excel all programs load normal.  It a very strange one as this was the only update on the computer at the time.  I have seen it on others and the things I put in the first post worked but now I am a little confused on what to do next?  I am tempted to put excel 2003 along side 2007 and see if it works?

[soybean]

I think the "file association" in Windows XP may be the problem.  See How to change or select which program starts when you double-click a file in Windows XP and check your system to see whether it's file association is set correctly.

Alternatively, you can uninstall and then reinstall Excel 2007. That might fix the problem.

[Allan]

If file associations was the problem the files would not open in Excel at all. If I understand correctly, they do open - just not the way they are supposed to.

[soybean]

If file associations was the problem the files would not open in Excel at all. If I understand correctly, they do open - just not the way they are supposed to.

Oh, really?  I was thinking a problem with file associations would prevent the file from opening properly when double-clicked on in Windows Explorer but that the specific application could still open the file via it's File | Open menu. That's what the link I posted seems to imply.

[Allan]

Yes, really. I don't know what that link implies, but if the file association is broken there is no way the OS will know which app to use to open the extension. That's the whole issue with damaged file associations. If the correct program opens the file but there is a problem once it's opened, the problem is within the program not the file associations.

[soybean]

... if the file association is broken there is no way the OS will know which app to use to open the extension.

But, if you open the application and then use its Open command to find the file and open it, the OS does not need to know which app to use.  So, again, are you absolutely sure about this?

[Allan]

I'm not sure I understand the question soybean. Any app can open a file without an associated file extension. But the file association for the OS is required for the OS to know which app is used to open a specific extension. I hope I'm being as clear as I think I am

[soybean]

Let's recap some basic facts here. We're talking about two methods of opening a file.

METHOD 1: Open Windows Explorer, browse to the folder containing the file to be opened, and then double-click on that file.

• OS needs the correct file association

METHOD 2: Start this application (in this case, Excel 2007), and use the Open command on Excel's menu to find the file, select it, and open it.

• OS does not need to know the correct file association since the file is being opened from within Excel

Does this make sense?

[Allan]

Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying too. Not sure where we disagree.

[soybean]

Well, OP has a problem with METHOD 1, right?  He does not have a problem using METHOD 2.  In reply #11, I was referring to the problem with METHOD 1, which you've just stated you agree with.  So, I'm still wondering why you posted the response you posted in reply #12.  This link I posted was purely to address the issue with METHOD 1.

[smoosh]

I think the "file association" in Windows XP may be the problem.  See How to change or select which program starts when you double-click a file in Windows XP and check your system to see whether it's file association is set correctly.

Alternatively, you can uninstall and then reinstall Excel 2007. That might fix the problem.

Hi thanks for all the replys to just keep updated I installed office excel 2003 along with 2007 and 2003 opens fine but same issue with 2007. 

I have tried this but still the same this is a issue that want to fix the more time i spend on it the more i just want to fix it!


I also fount another way to try fix it but still did not work may be a possible issue with Personal.xlsb - the file where your personal macros are stored. Navigate to here and delete the file (if there is a file)

C:\Documents and Settings\USERID\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART

Excel will create a new file if you record a macro.

[smoosh]

another permanent solution to this issue but not sure want to try this incase it messes things up?

In Windows Explorer go to:
Tools>Folder Options>File Types

Then scroll down to XLSX and click Advanced.
Under Optionsdouble-click/Edit OPEN

Change the line under "Applications to Perform action" from

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE" /e

to

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE" /e "%1"

Also DDE Message should be:
[open("%1")]

[killerb255]

Actually...I just ran into this issue a couple days ago, and I was thinking about this topic when I did!

The problem?  Someone had The Weather Channel installed on their PC, their Internet connection went down, and when The Weather Channel doesn't have an Internet connection, it seems to freak out Microsoft Office for some reason.  Makes sense?  It didn't to me either, but then again, a lot of those weather programs can be classified as "bloatware" for good reason...