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Converter failed to open file

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by t0c 2 views

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When a user tries to open an .xslx file on our terminal server they get the following message... 'Converter failed to open file.' When I log in as administrator I can open the file perfectly... Office 2003 professional is installed with the most up to date file format converter installed and all the latest microsoft updates installed also.
We have changed to the permissions on all the office .exe programs to everyone access in a hope this would work. The file format converter was installed to be 'run as administrator.'
Also, I have tweaked to DCom settings to allow access permissions on the office converter files.
Office has been removed and then reinstalled.
Still getting the message 'Convert failed to open file.'
Does anyone have any idea on a fix? Is there some permission that I've missed?

18 replies

by peconet tietokoneet

Possibility is that FileFormatConverters.exe was corrupted. Try a new download and then run it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en

Other ways to read the xlsx files from Excel 2007:

A. The free Microsoft Excel viewer:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1CD6ACF9-CE06-4E1C-8DCF-F33F669DBC3A&displaylang=en

B. The free Open Office suite:
http://www.openoffice.org/

by t0c

Hi mate,

yea we have tried multiple downloads of the fileformatconverter to no avail.

Also, as it is being run on terminal server we need users to be able to edit the .xslx files.

(so the viewer is out of the question i'm afraid)

by jfuller05

that not all 2007 excel formulas are compatible with 2003 excel.

Can the files be saved in the 97-2003 file format?

by t0c

Yea we have tried multiple files... even tested a worksheet with a basic addition function in one cell and it wouldn't open it.

As there are hundreds of files (about 400+ users) converting them to 97-2003 format is out of the question.

by jfuller05

So, forgive me if you already stated this, you probably want to edit the files on the terminal to? If not, could you open the files as pdfs?

I wonder if you could save the files to the terminal's hdd and then open the via the open dialog box in excel. Sometimes the converter does not kick in when opening the file from an email or from windows explorer.

by t0c

Yea, we've tried opening the files from a share on another server as well as directly off the terminal server. They do need to be edited so I guess pdf is also out.

Tried opening the file through the dialog box in excel as well as 'open with' the excel converter .exe file. No luck.

We have some sort of a hunch that it's a hidden permission somewhere or maybe an update. however, we've peeled back the updates and then reinstalled them. No luck with that one also.

Quite baffling actually... had four sys admins look at it and still fix. So serious kudos to anyone that comes up with one!

by t0c

Yip... we have granted them full access to the converter .exe files

by tobif

Does the converter use some file location for temporary storage (where you need to grant access)?

by t0c

Hi, that was a good one... I applied the everyone permission to the office temp folder in Application data under the administrator account. Still no luck though.
Is there somewhere else that it could be hidden?

by t0c

Just tried downloading the admin template and changed the registry settings but it still doesn't work.
Getting to the point where we may just have to rebuild the server.
Thanks for your help all the same

by jfuller05

I've been following this problem since it started.

Just like you have, but in an entirely different way. :D

by htown1035

Try changing the programs in the Office12 folder to Run in XP compatibility mode along with the converter executable and see if that works.

by rasedden

I have just built a new Win2k8R2 server running Terminal Services & Office 2003. As above I have downloaded & installed the FileFormatConverter multiple times. Office 2003 still cannot open .docx or .xlsx files.
I can open the same files on another machine which runs XP with Office 2003 (and the same FileFormatConverter download !)
I can open the same files on another Win2k8 R2 server with Office 2010.
I can open the same files on an old Win2k3R2 Terminal server with Office 2003.
So it most certainly is not the files

To me it's something to to with Office 2003 on Win2K8R2
or its something to do with Office 2003 and Terminal Services on Win2k8R2

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