Excel opens with a Analysis folder istead of worksheet

[rantoine]

Sudenly when I try to open Excel 2003, instead of opening with a new blank
worksheet, I get a folder named Analysis and it has 4 files, or worksheets
named:

Analys32.xll
Funcres.xla
Atpvbaen.xla
Procdb.xla

These all say excel add-in but I do not understand what they are for or why
this comes up now instead of a blank worksheet..
Any help would be greatly appreciated..

 

[Gord Dibben]

Excel will try to open any files it finds in either the XLSTART folder or
"Alternate startup file location" or "at startup, open files in". This could
be the source of your problem.

I would check the Tools>Options>General and delete any path in "Alternate
startup file location".

Sounds like you have it set for Office\Library\Analysis which is folder where
those 4 files reside.

I would also move any files from the Office\XLSTART folder that aren't
Personal.xls, Book.xlt or Sheet.xlt.


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[rantoine]

sorry it has taken me awhile to reply.. I have checked in the XLSTART folder
and there is nothing in it, the options in the tools menue is in grey, so I
can not check the "Alternate startup file location". I think that I am going
to uninstall and than reinstall again, but I would really like to know what
has happend that would make the Analysis folder open instead of a "New blank
worksheet", like before. Thank you for the help and if there is anything
else I could try, let me know.

 

[Dave Peterson]

Before you reinstall excel, try to reregister it.

Close Excel 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.

If that doesn't work, what do you mean by getting that folder? Is it a windows
explorer window that's opening?

 

[rantoine]

Dave, I tryed what you suggested with no results. The folder that opens
looks just like opening "My Computer" or "My Doucuments", with "Analysis" in
the title bar, and the 4 file icons. When clicking on the icons, it opens
what looks like a worksheet that is all "Grey" in color. I will wait to
reinstall if you might have more suggestions, thank you for your help..

 

[Dave Peterson]

Ah, I thought of this when I was almost finished my post. But I'd check this
first.

Close excel.
Using windows start button
Search for
xlstart
Mine is:
C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART

Check that folder to see if you have any shortcuts to the folder that gets
opened.
My folder that contains those files is:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\Library\Analysis

If you have a shortcut there, delete it.

Ahh. I just tried it and it didn't work!

===
Some more thoughts that may not work!

How are you opening excel?

Is it a shortcut you created on your desktop? If it is, maybe it's doing more
than it should.

Can you try creating another new shortcut on the desktop.

Right click on the desktop
New
Shortcut
Browse
(to the folder that that contains excel.exe and double click on excel.exe)
For me it's:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE"

Then give it a nice name and (I'd drop the .exe and keep Excel).

Then double click on it to test it.

===
Those files are associated with the analysis toolpak and analysis toolpak for
VBA. They're loaded when you choose:

Tools|Addins|and check those options.

===
What happens if you start excel in safe mode?

close excel
windows start button|run
excel /safe

I would guess that this would work ok.

Chip Pearson has some notes on how to diagnose startup errors at:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/StartupErrors.htm

Essentially, you remove all the addins (tools|addins) and move all the files out
of XLStart and then add each removed item (one at a time), restarting excel each
time you add one back.

When you find the offender, you decide what to do with that.
===
By the way: These *.xla files are addins that usually contain code (macros)
that add functionality to excel. They don't have any visible worksheets.
That's why you don't see them.

 

[rantoine]

Thank's for the help.. I looked in the folders you said, and nothing was
there, so I was getting a little frustrated, than when you asked how I opened
Excel and making a shortcut on the desktop, I started looking at my
shortcuts.. I always used the shortcut created at installation, in

start>all programs>microsoft office>Excel, Well, this was pointing to the

analysis folder, just like you said.. I could not change the target
location, so I created a new shortcut on desktop, deleted the old one and
navigated to the correct Microsoft office folder and dropped new shortcut
icon in with other office shortcuts.. Seems to be working correctly now...
I have no clue as to why this happened but with your help, I was able to
correct the problem without reinstallation of Office.. Thank you very much...

 

[Dave Peterson]

Glad you got it working--I've never seen the shortcut created from the
installation procedure change.

Thank's for the help.. I looked in the folders you said, and nothing was
there, so I was getting a little frustrated, than when you asked how I opened
Excel and making a shortcut on the desktop, I started looking at my
shortcuts.. I always used the shortcut created at installation, in

start>all programs>microsoft office>Excel, Well, this was pointing to the

analysis folder, just like you said.. I could not change the target
location, so I created a new shortcut on desktop, deleted the old one and
navigated to the correct Microsoft office folder and dropped new shortcut
icon in with other office shortcuts.. Seems to be working correctly now...
I have no clue as to why this happened but with your help, I was able to
correct the problem without reinstallation of Office.. Thank you very much...