Cannot open fille from window explorer

[bho12345]

After installation of Office XP SP3, cannot launch Excel
files by clicking on the file icon. Clicking the icon will
only open a blank Excel window. However, can open the file
from WITHIN excel.

This same problem occurs in Office XP Word and Powerpoint.

Help!

bho

 

[Dave Peterson]

Sometimes one of these works:

Tools|Options|General|Ignore other applications (uncheck it)

--- or ---

Close Excel (both instances) 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.

====
You can do the /unregserver & /regserver in MSWord, too. (I don't use PPT, so
I'm not sure about that.)

 

[bho12345]

Thanks for the reply. I does not work. I notice that this
problem only occurs for certain user, but not all users.
In other words, some user in the Window 2000 Professional
can open a file by clicking on the file icon.

I have also noticed the for those user having this
problem, right clicking on the file icon shows the first
two entries as "open" and "open" whereas other users
show "open" and "new". Similarly for Word and Powerpoint.

How to fix this?

bho

 

[Dave Peterson]

Maybe you can copy the information from a pc that's working to the troublesome
pc.

I'd use windows explorer and (in win98--not sure about win2k),
tools|folder options|file types tab

Scroll down to Microsoft Excel Worksheet
click on Edit

Not all the options under the Action category
click on the Open option
and click Edit

Make note of the values.

In fact, I'd do a few print screens (alt-prtscr) and then paste them into MSWord
and then walk over to the other pc's to match them up.