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Bizzarre error opening .XLS files

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5 replies

by johnnyextreme 1 view

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If there are any spaces in the file's path then it tries to open everything before the space, like 'C:\WINNT\My Documents\new file.xls' will give error messages stating Excel can't find C:\WINNT\My.xls - click OK then it says it can't find New.xls, then it can't find file.xls, then it opens. How do I correct this? Started when double clicking an .xls file caused the file to open in Excel Viewer instead of Excel. I shift+right clicked and selected Open With, then checked the "Always" checkbox and selected Excel to open the file. I have checked the File Types in Folder|Options and all settings are = to other NT workstations. HELP!

5 replies

by mtnsqs

Looks like your assocation is stuffed up - and interprets the space as the end of string.

Go to Explorer, View, options and select the file types tab.

Go down to Microsoft Excel Workbook and select it. Then select OPEN in the actions section and click on EDIT.

Make sure the use DDE is ticked and DDE message contains the following string
[open("%1")]
Ensure applicaiton is Excel and topic is system.

Select OK and that should fix it

by johnnyextreme

I tried this - didn't work. The problem was in the registry, so I forced Excel to re-register itself. I clicked on Start, selected Run, typed in 'Excel.exe /regserver' and Excel reinstalled without any intervention necessary - when the installer box went away I tried some of the files that I'd had problems with and they opened without any fuss.

by pan 13 x

It sounds if though long file name support is not acting correctly. I would unistall excel veiwer and reapply the latest service pack " sp6"

by johnnyextreme

I tried this - didn't work. The problem was in the registry, so I forced Excel to re-register itself. I clicked on Start, selected Run, typed in 'Excel.exe /regserver' and Excel reinstalled without any intervention necessary - when the installer box went away I tried some of the files that I'd had problems with and they opened without any fuss.

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