Changing default version of Excel when double-clicking file...

[Jim Burke in Novi]

I have Office 2000 and Office 2003 on my laptop (runnig Windows XP). I'll be
honest, I'm not even sure how 2003 got there. Maybe the libraries were
already there when I bought my laptop. I've lways used the 200 versions. The
2000 versions of the various Office programs (Excel, Word, ...) always
started when I double-clicked a file. For some reason, now it attempts to
start the 2003 versions, and starts the installer, asking for the CD that has
the software. I want to go back to having the 2000 versions start when I
double-click a file. I tried right-clicking on a file name,selecting Open
With, then Choose Program, then using the 'Browse...' button to go to the
2000 libraries. But this doesn't work. It still just tries to start the 2003
version. HOw do I get the 2000 versions to be the default when
double-clicking on a file? ANd why did this start to happen when I never
purposley did anything to cause this? Any help is appreciated . Thanks,

Jim B

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Jim,

In General, between the two versions that last of the two that used/ran the installer will 'own' the file extensions. If you don't
plan on using Office 2003 (a trial copy may have been preinstalled on your computer) you may want to uninstall it from Add/Remove
Programs in the Windows control panel, although you may also want to be sure you have your Office 2000 CDs available to
repair/reinstall that version after restarting the PC once you remove the other version.

==============
I have Office 2000 and Office 2003 on my laptop (runnig Windows XP). I'll be
honest, I'm not even sure how 2003 got there. Maybe the libraries were
already there when I bought my laptop. I've lways used the 200 versions. The
2000 versions of the various Office programs (Excel, Word, ...) always
started when I double-clicked a file. For some reason, now it attempts to
start the 2003 versions, and starts the installer, asking for the CD that has
the software. I want to go back to having the 2000 versions start when I
double-click a file. I tried right-clicking on a file name,selecting Open
With, then Choose Program, then using the 'Browse...' button to go to the
2000 libraries. But this doesn't work. It still just tries to start the 2003
version. HOw do I get the 2000 versions to be the default when
double-clicking on a file? ANd why did this start to happen when I never
purposley did anything to cause this? Any help is appreciated . Thanks,

Jim B>>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Jim Burke in Novi]

I was wondering if the only option was to uninstall the 2003 libraries. The
strange thing is that I've had this laptop for over 2 years and have never
done anything explicitly to install 2003 myself. The 2000 versions always
started when I double-clicked a file. Then about a month ago it started
trying to start the 2003 version of Outlook, but not any of the other appls.
Then last week it started doing that with all Office appls. The only
explanation I can think of is those automatic Updates that WIndows wants to
do all the time. I usually just close that little balloon that appears in the
bottom right corner, but now and then I accidentally click on the part of it
that does the download of the updates.