Excel Opening XLS as Template?

[RD Reynolds]

I am getting .XLS documents from a vendor, and they continually open
as "Workbook 1" instead of by their proper file name. Although they
are listed as .XLS and not .XLT, I have read up and it appears this is
due to them being templates. Is there any type of program I can run
the files through prior to them hitting Excel so that they will NOT
open as templates? We really need the file names to carry through, as
we get upwards of 200 of them a day. Unfortunately, the files are
being generated by an automated system, so it's not something where we
can go to the sender and ask for them to resave them.

Any help is MOST appreciated!

RD

 

[RD Reynolds]

Should also mention I've tried this in Excel 2000, 2004, and 2008.

Thanks!

RD

 

[John McGhie]

You can use File>Open in Excel to open them, and then File>Save As and
change the type to XLS.

When you re-save the file, Excel will re-write its internal structure into
the Workbook format.

But I really would go back to the vendor and tell them to get their act
together on this. They have typed one character wrong in their code, but
you're going to have to fix every file...

You could make an Automator Action to do this on a folder full of them as a
single click. Automator is built-in to OS X.

See here:
http://www.macosxautomation.com/automator/index.html

Cheers

I am getting .XLS documents from a vendor, and they continually open
as "Workbook 1" instead of by their proper file name. Although they
are listed as .XLS and not .XLT, I have read up and it appears this is
due to them being templates. Is there any type of program I can run
the files through prior to them hitting Excel so that they will NOT
open as templates? We really need the file names to carry through, as
we get upwards of 200 of them a day. Unfortunately, the files are
being generated by an automated system, so it's not something where we
can go to the sender and ask for them to resave them.

Any help is MOST appreciated!

RD

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John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Should also mention I've tried this in Excel 2000, 2004, and 2008.

Thanks!

RD

Hi RD

I think someone is using the file system instead of Excel to make
templates. In Finder, right-click (control-click) on one of the
troublesome files and choose Get Info. In the General Section I'll bet
the Stationery Pad checkbox is checked. Uncheck it and then close the
Get Info dialog. Then the file will behave as a normal Excel file. Both
Macs and PCs can use the Stationery Pad method to turn any document file
into a template.

-Jim

 

[RD Reynolds]

I think someone is using the file system instead of Excel to make
templates. In Finder, right-click (control-click) on one of the
troublesome files and choose Get Info. In the General Section I'll bet
the Stationery Pad checkbox is checked. Uncheck it and then close the
Get Info dialog. Then the file will behave as a normal Excel file. Both
Macs and PCs can use the Stationery Pad method to turn any document file
into a template.

Nope, it definitely says it's an Excel document.

I will try to utilize Automator to handle this...although how will it
know what name to save the file under?

Thanks!

RD

 

[RD Reynolds]

It would appear that Automator will not work for this - it can't
figure out how to save back properly with the correct filename. Any
other ideas?

RD

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi RD;

I don't mean to insult your intelligence but from the wording of your reply
I'm not sure you're looking at the correct thing in the Get Info window

The text description of the Kind: will still read as "Microsoft Excel
workbook" but what John was suggesting you look for is the checkbox labeled
for "Stationery pad" directly below the label colors. If that is checked
clear it to restore the file to its normal state.

Another consideration: How are you opening the file? If you're
double-clicking it in Finder or on the Desktop try using File> Open from
within Excel... See if that makes any difference.

It might also be helpful to know exactly what update levels of Excel you're
using.

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