Excel for Mac not working... at all

[Cilla]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Dear all,

Have upgraded to Leopard recently and enthused about its possibilities. Am a little bummed however as I seem to be having problems with Excel for Mac (2004). Word and Powerpoint don't pose a problem (versions 11.5.5), open without a glitch. Excel (somehow it doesn't give a version so something's up) crashes when I try to start or drag a file. I have downloaded an upgrade from <http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...08-41E2D1773820&displaylang=nl#AdditionalInfo>
but the upgrade doesn't react to my instructions. I am very sad about this as I didn't expect this to happen. Anyone out there who can give me a hand solving this problem?

Thanks so much, you're a lifesaver!
Cilla

 

[CyberTaz]

Are you using a German language edition of Office 2004? The page you linked
to not only is for the German version of the update, it's for the 11.5.*3*
update in German. The update for one language version won't work with a
different language version of the software. If you've already applied the
11.5.5 update you also cannot apply an earlier update even if it's in the
correct language. That's something that needs to be clarified.

Also, what do you mean by "start or drag a file"? Can you succesfully launch
Excel or not... and if you can't launch it how are you determining that "it
doesn't give a version "?

Please understand that we can't see what's going on there. The only thing we
can go by is what you tell us, so accurate, detailed descriptions are
necessary.

 

[Cilla]

Of course I understand that you can't see what is happening so ask away.

I am not using the German edition of Office 2004 but the Dutch version (as I am Dutch). I have downloaded the Dutch update, which is the same version Word and Powerpoint are right now. So these have been updated fine whilst I don't know about excel.

I cannot successfully launch Excel whatsoever (when using a mac you can drag a file into a program and it usually opens instantaneously) (no matter how I start the program, either by clicking on it or dragging a file into it, it won't open). It crashes every time before opening.

I have tried to determine the version of excel the same way I determined Word and Powerpoint: by going to the applications folder where they are stored and right clicking so I can pull up further information about the program. Word and Powerpoint both have information about which version I am currently using, Excel however doesn't provide the information (the place where it's supposed to say what version it is, is not visible).

FYI: I've tried your colleague's tip about pressing the shift button while launching excel but that doesn't work.

I have also deleted the preferences file for Office (found in my library) but that doesn't make a difference.

Any guesses as to what may be the problem?

Thanks for your help and time,
Priscilla

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Priscilla;

What you describe sounds as though the update to 11.5.5 did not fully
install. The first thing I'd suggest you try is retrieving the appropriate
updater from here & run it again:

<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.mspx?pid=Mactopia_Office2004&fid=555
7BFB7-EBB4-4C42-8042-41E830C4E550#viewer>

You might also refer to the information here pertaining to a successful
update of Office software:

http://www.entourage.mvps.org/install/index.html

Run Apple's Disk Utility ‹ Repair Disk Permissions feature afterward,
restart your Mac & see if that makes a difference.

If you continue to have a problem try holding Shift while logging in as well
as running Excel from a new/different User Account. Include your results
when you reply.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Cilla]

Hi,

thanks for your help. I've successfully installed the latest version of MS for Mac (11.5.5) (yeah). I also ran the disk utility application. Everything seems fine fine with the disc.
I've restarted the mac, holding down the shift button but unfortunately excel still crashes... even when I switch to another user..



Help?

Priscilla

 

[Cilla]

please find crash report below:

Process: Microsoft Excel [165]
Path: /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Microsoft Excel
Identifier: Microsoft Excel
Version: ??? (???)
Code Type: PPC (Translated)
Parent Process: launchd [124]

Interval Since Last Report: 345126 sec
Crashes Since Last Report: 8
Per-App Interval Since Last Report: 0 sec
Per-App Crashes Since Last Report: 7

Date/Time: 2009-07-12 17:40:07.251 +0200
OS Version: Mac OS X 10.5.7 (9J61)
Report Version: 6
Anonymous UUID: A7C944EB-9DE0-4773-8D44-5F006FFD3EDD

Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGBUS)
Exception Codes: KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE at 0x0000000000000000
Crashed Thread: 0

Thread 0 Crashed:
0 ??? 0x812e13e9 0 + 2167280617

Thread 1:
0 ??? 0x800bc286 0 + 2148254342
1 ??? 0x800c3a7c 0 + 2148285052
2 translate 0xb818b6ea CallPPCFunctionAtAddressInt + 202886
3 ??? 0x800ed155 0 + 2148454741
4 ??? 0x800ed012 0 + 2148454418

Thread 0 crashed with X86 Thread State (32-bit):
eax: 0xbfffc6d0 ebx: 0x00001400 ecx: 0x00000000 edx: 0x00000002
edi: 0xb81d8794 esi: 0xb81d8770 ebp: 0x8080d180 esp: 0xb7fffacc
ss: 0x0000001f efl: 0x00010202 eip: 0x812e13e9 cs: 0x00000017
ds: 0x0000001f es: 0x0000001f fs: 0x00000000 gs: 0x00000037
cr2: 0x00000000

Binary Images:
0xb8000000 - 0xb81d7fe7 translate ??? (???) /usr/libexec/oah/translate

Translated Code Information:
Rosetta Version: 21.03
Args: /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Support/LaunchCFMApp /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Microsoft Excel
Exception: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (0x0001)

Thread 0: Crashed (0xb7fffacc, 0x812e13e9)
0x920c5544: /usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib : _szone_malloc + 484
0x90249500: /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework/Versions/A/CoreFoundation : ___CFStringDecodeByteStream3 + 2664
0x90234438: /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework/Versions/A/CoreFoundation : ___CFStringCreateImmutableFunnel3 + 788
0x9023522c: /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework/Versions/A/CoreFoundation : _CFStringCreateWithBytes + 48
0x902140b0: /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework/Versions/A/CoreFoundation : __CFPropertyListCreateFromXMLData + 952
0x901d148c: /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework/Versions/A/CoreFoundation : __CFBundleCopyInfoDictionaryInResourceForkWithAllocator + 260
0x9476c78c: /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIServices.framework/Versions/A/HIServices : _GetOurExecutableCheckinInformation + 2056
0x94738990: /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIServices.framework/Versions/A/HIServices : __RegisterApplication + 272
0x9473883c: /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIServices.framework/Versions/A/HIServices : _GetCurrentProcess + 56
0x91d3e6d8: /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox : RegisterAsDockClientPriv() + 84
0x91d3e668: /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox : _RegisterAsDockClient + 44
0x91d3e448: /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox : FirstWindowTime() + 220
0x91ff1b00: /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox : CreatePlatformWindowPriv(WindowData*, unsigned int, __HIShape const*, unsigned char, float, float, unsigned long, unsigned int*) + 84
0x91d90210: /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox : _CreatePlatformWindow + 184

 

[CyberTaz]

If your reply is accurate I believe you may have misread my suggestion
which was to hold Shift while logging in, not while starting the Mac. Since
the problem occurs in a different account I don't think that will help,
though. That's just a troubleshooting technique to see if there is a problem
with the account. Since it seems to be a more global issue try this instead.

First, launch Excel while holding the Shift key & double-clicking the Excel
application icon in the Applications/Microsoft Office 2004 folder. It will
most likely make no difference, but try it anyway. This is just for
diagnostic purposes. If that doesn't allow Excel to launch...

1- Shut Down the Mac for a good 30 minutes. When you boot up, log in as the
Admin User while holding the Shift key. If your Mac is set to log in
automatically do one of the following:

When you see the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear), hold down
the left Shift key, or

Wait until fully started, then log out & hold Shift while you log back in.

2- Run the 11.5.5 update installer again, then restart.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Cilla]

Dear lifesaver (even of not excel saver)!

launch Excel while holding the Shift key & double-clicking the Excel application icon in the Applications/Microsoft Office 2004 folder ---> check, no go (as you expected)

1- Shut Down the Mac for a good 30 minutes. When you boot up, log in as the Admin User while holding the Shift key. ---> check, have tried this but my log in screen starts wiggling when I do this. I cannot log in holding the shift key only when I release it and type in my password. (hear deep sigh now)

2- Run the 11.5.5 update installer again, then restart. ---> check, have run the update installer again and restarted (without shift key). Still no go, excel merrily crashes when I try to open.

Feeling a little sick to my stomach now. How about you, still holding on?

Cilla

 

[CyberTaz]

If you've never done this before it can be a bit awkward ;-) See below;


On 7/13/09 2:11 PM, in article (e-mail address removed)9absDaxw,

1- Shut Down the Mac for a good 30 minutes. When you boot up, log in as the
Admin User while holding the Shift key. ---> check, have tried this but my log
in screen starts wiggling when I do this. I cannot log in holding the shift
key only when I release it and type in my password. (hear deep sigh now)

It's "wiggling" because you're holding Shift while typing your password ‹
log in passwords are always case-sensitive, so it's being rejected as being
incorrectly typed.

Type your password as you normally would, then hold Shift while you click
the Log In button. Follow as below once you log in.

2- Run the 11.5.5 update installer again, then restart. ---> check, have run
the update installer again and restarted (without shift key). Still no go,
excel merrily crashes when I try to open.

That's because you're still logging in normally. The purpose of the Shift
key is to prevent any startup utilities/haxies/etc. from being launched when
you log in. Anything of that nature can prevent a successful update or
installation of other software.

Feeling a little sick to my stomach now. How about you, still holding on?

You're doing fine But if this doesn't work I'm starting to think it may
be necessary to do a by-the-book Remove & Install of Office.

Cilla

<snip>


Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Cilla]

Alas, your suggestion didn't work (see me at wits end). How about that Remove & Install of Office thingy? Will it cause my updates for word and PowerPoint to be brought back to it's original version as well or can I remove excel without removing the rest? Thank you for your patience by the way, it's greatly appreciated. If it weren't for you I'd be burying my hands in my hair whilst talking to myself (wait, that's exactly what I am doing) (am now not so sure upgrading to Leopard was the grandest idea).
Talk to you soon!
Cilla

 

[CyberTaz]

Did you recently upgrade to Leopard? If so that may have triggered the
problem -- there's no "compatibility" issue but complex suites often don't
survive the transition when the OS is upgraded & are better off if
re-installed instead.

This link will give you what you need to do: What files to backup, locating
& running the Remove Office app, as well as suggestions for a good
installation procedure. It will revert all programs to the original version
level on the Office CD but you'll only need to apply the 11.5.5 updater.
It's a Combo which includes everything needed:

http://word.mvps.org/Mac/RemoveReinstall.html

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Cilla]

Hiya lifesaver and excel saver!

You did it! You helped me! Everything is working as it should (phew) and hoped it would (please hear 'Wind beneath my wings' in the background and me singing loudly: did you ever know you are my hero...). Thank you so very very much

Let me answer your Q:
I installed Leopard last week (Monday, July 6th) (when all this started). But to be fair, I hadn't used excel in quite a while so I am not sure if the problem already existed. Probably, as I am not able to find a version number for excel.

Could the fact that timemachine has made a copy of all the programs interfere with the new updates?

Thanks again, hope you have a great day!!!

Cilla

 

[CyberTaz]

Congratulations!!! But I don't deserve all the praise

I'm still not clear as to how you got Office into the newly installed
Leopard, but I'll bet that's where the issue arose -- If you did anything
other than a new, fresh installation of Office all necessary files didn't
get handled as they needed to be. Office is too complex to be migrated or
"copied" when changing to a new OS version or a different Mac.

As for Time Machine, I honestly don't know. I use it to back up my MBP but
[fortunately] have not had an occasion to recover with it & haven't taken
the time to experiment. All reports I've seen suggest that there should be
no problem. However, I can see how there may be an issue if the Office suite
is partially restored using backup versions that conflict with or predate
what's currently in use at the time of restoration.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac