Excel keeps opening multiple files

[Terri Creagh]

This is a follow-up to my previous message with additional information.



I have an urgent problem! All of a sudden, when I opened MSExcel 2000, it
tried to open many, many files, one right after the other, without regard to
the file format. It also kept giving a "format is not valid" message with
every document. I am running Windows 2000 and Microsoft Office 2000 Small
Business (version 9.0.3822) on a Dell Dimension 8100 with lots of RAM and
lots of conventional memory. This computer is not networked. My firewall
is ZoneAlarm and I have Norton Antivirus. MS Office 2000 was pre-installed
by Dell, I have tried re-installing MSOffice 2000, but that did not fix the
problem. I am unable to get into Excel to change any options, because every
time I open it, it just begins opening one file after another and does not
give me the opportunity to change settings.



I tried opening Excel while holding down the Shift key as the Knowledge Base
suggests, but that does not help.

 

[Nick Hodge]

Terri

Go to Start>Run... and type Excel.exe /safe

This will allow you to open XL and go to tools>options>general and remove
the path and filename from alternate start-up location

--
HTH
Nick Hodge
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Southampton, England
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Terri Creagh]

Thank you for your reply. As you suggested, I opened Excel in safe mode,
but nothing was listed in the "alternate file location" box. I checked all
the most recently saved Excel files just in case. None of them had anything
listed in the "alternate file location" box. Also, my XLSTART folder is
empty. I also tried changing the default file location to an empty folder,
but this did not help either.

Terri

 

[Nick Hodge]

Terri

Be sure we are talking about the same box...to be safe, empty both. XL 2003
calls it something different. While you have XL open try looking under
tools>Add-ins and check there is nothing in here you don't recognise.

If all this is ok, check you don't have multiple xlStart locations. If you
have upgraded this is possible.

If all this fails then check you don't have some kind of virus

--
HTH
Nick Hodge
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Southampton, England
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Terri Creagh]

It turned out that the fix was to re-name the last folder from which I
opened Excel document before the Excel crash. I then was able to clear the
alternate path, and then put the folder name back to its original name. I
still am not sure how something
got into the alternate path setting, as I have never used that setting, but
I am just so glad to have it fixed!
Terri